Multiple explorer.exe in task manager hogging most of ram help please?

Hi Jeremy,

You will get multiple explorer.exe processes running on the Task Manager, if you have opened multiple Windows Explorer's. This is same for iexplore.exe as well. I would suggest you to check if you have opened more that one Windows Explorer windows.

To improve your computer performance, I would suggest you to try the steps provided in the following Microsoft Help article and check if it helps.

Optimize Windows for better performance:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/optimize-windows-better-performance#optimize-windows-better-performance=windows-7

Please reply with the status of the issue, so that we could help you better.

At one-Gigabyte and three-quarters-Gigabyte, these examples of explorer.exe are way oversize. If you have folders containing hundreds of thousands of files, please mention this essential fact.

First run a full deep scan with your Anti-Virus software overnight.

I would also suggest that you use another virus-free computer to prepare a bootable CD to run Microsoft Windows Defender Offline.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline

Hello all,

I am currently experiencing this exact same issue. I will have multiple instances of explorer.exe running in the background. Also I have an absurd amount of files in my temporary internet files folder---> http://imgur.com/TryAXXz . 

I have tried running scans with both AVG and Malwarebytes. I have also tried removing the temporary internet files, but they keep flooding back. If I attempt to close explorer.exe in task manager or process hacker, I am left with just my desktop picture and the task manager. 

Another thing is that within 15 minutes of computer usage, my CPU usage will hover around 98% and will go to 100%. At that point I need to restart the computer.

I am wondering what you guys have done to fix the issue. Please tell me

Explorer.exe is primarily the desktop shell.  Normally, with only one instance of explorer.exe running, if you close it by using End Process in Task Manager the desktop (icons, task bar) goes away.  If you have Task Manager running, you can get your desktop back by clicking File > New task (Run ...) and starting explorer.exe.

Although explorer.exe also is the Windows file manager, merely opening a new file manager window (e.g, click Start > Documents and then click Start > Music) does not normally create a new explorer.exe process in Task Manager (contrary to the statement by the "support engineer").

The problem described by Caboose, Brian Graff, and Jeremy Word appears to be related to the use of torrent downloading programs, specifically when using "Open Containing Folder."  That might also explain why temporary Internet files "keep flooding back."

It would be helpful if people with this issue would describe what they are doing when the problem happens.

For more helpful information, read through the discussion here --> http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/81aff6d2-5ffb-4064-8bde-ccc4322a00dd/multiple-instances-of-explorerexe-running-in-task-manager

I have the same problem.

When I start windows I can open the task menu and see that a new instance of explorer.exe starts up every 30-40 seconds. This is without opening anything else. Each one starts at say 10,000k and steadily climbs to over 1,000,000k. My computer slows. I end task, and it starts over. I have noticed that ctfmon.exe labeled CTF loader,  and sometimes dllhost.exe labeled Com Surrogate opens and then closes before another explorer.exe starts up. If I did not end them there could be as many as 5+ explorer. exe's running at 400,000k+ it really slows down my computer and internet.  Please Help. Ray

-Running Windows 7

-I have never run utorrent or such on this computer

-I have run microsoft security scanner, malwarebytes, DLLsuite and antivirus. They have found nothing.

Apparently - the problem seems to be due to running explorer with ANY command line switches will prevent that instance from closing properly.  It closes the explorer window just fine, but the process remains in task-manager.

To test this, create a shortcut to explorer and add a command line switch "/e c:\"  which will force explorer to open with C:\ as the root.  Now click that shortcut say 4 times and you'll see 4 extra copies of explorer running in task-manager.  Now close them one by one and you'll notice the window closes but the process remains in task-manager.

I have no idea why this happens but to me this is a BUG that microsoft need to address and so far has not done so.

When you have a shortcut to explorer without switches, and click it multiple times, you don't get multiple process appearing in task-manager, it seems to stay at just one regardless of how many explorer windows you have open.

This has been driving me crazy since I use explore 100's of times in any given session so this can chew up ram real quick not to mention impact performance somewhat.

MICROSOFT - Please fix this.

Not true.

I opened a Command Prompt window and ran explorer.exe 5 times and each opened an explorer window but there is still only one instance running in Task Manager:

Windows 7 has reached end of mainstream support on January 13, 2015 so Microsoft is not going to fix any alleged bugs in Windows 7 - ever.

For your example, it you watch Task Manager the multiple windows you have opened will eventually go away by themselves.

Yes the multiple explorer.exe processes remain in Task Manager but not for long.

It's not a bug, it's a feature.