Why Does Windows Explorer Use So Much Memory?

In a recent discussion on Reddit, a user reported that Windows Explorer was consuming over 21GB of memory. Fortunately, this individual had a substantial amount of RAM, with memory utilization at 52%. However, for systems with less than 8GB of RAM, even a 2GB spike can lead to sluggish performance or unresponsiveness. To avert such issues, it’s essential to address the underlying causes of Windows Explorer’s excessive memory consumption.

Getting to the bottom of File Explorer’s memory leaks

One of the primary culprits behind Windows Explorer’s memory leaks is third-party shell extensions. These extensions enhance File Explorer’s functionality but can be poorly designed, leading to memory requests that are never released. To determine if these extensions are the source of the problem, users can boot their PCs into Safe Mode and monitor the Windows Explorer process for about ten minutes. If it operates normally in this mode, the shell extensions are likely the issue, as they do not load in Safe Mode. A tool called ShellExView can help identify these problematic extensions.

Once the PC is booted normally, creating a system restore point is advisable. This allows users to revert any changes if necessary. The steps to create a restore point are as follows:

1. Press Win + R.
2. Type systempropertiesprotection.exe.
3. Click Create.
4. Enter a description.
5. Click Create.

To locate the troublesome shell extension, follow these steps:

1. Visit the ShellExView download page.
2. Scroll to the bottom and click Download ShellExView in Zip file.
3. Extract the ZIP file.
4. Double-click shellexview.exe.
5. Launch it and navigate to View > Export to HTML to back up the shell configuration.
6. Click the Company column to group extensions by vendor.
7. Right-click on any suspicious third-party extension (cloud services and antivirus programs are common offenders).
8. Select Disable selected items.
9. Restart Windows Explorer.
10. Monitor memory usage for about ten minutes.
11. If memory usage remains stable, you’ve identified the culprit.
12. Consider updating or replacing it if necessary.

Gigantic caches also cause Windows Explorer to use too much memory

Windows Explorer often retains temporary data, such as thumbnails and file previews, in memory for quicker access. However, it doesn’t always clear this data, resulting in an oversized cache that can diminish available RAM. Additionally, if these caches become corrupted, they can lead to significant slowdowns and increased CPU usage. The first step in addressing this issue is to clear temporary files. After implementing any fixes, it’s wise to monitor Windows Explorer during regular use to ensure it operates smoothly.

To remove temporary files, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + I.
2. Navigate to System > Storage > Temporary files.
3. Check the boxes for Temporary files, Temporary Internet Files, and Thumbnails.
4. Click Remove files.
5. Click Continue.

Next, manually clean up the thumbnail and icon cache:

1. Press Win + R.
2. Type %localappdata%.
3. Click OK.
4. Locate and delete the IconCache.db file.
5. Delete any files starting with thumbcache_.
6. Restart Windows Explorer to prompt it to rebuild these caches.

Corrupted system files can also contribute to erratic behavior in Windows Explorer, resulting in high memory usage. Two tools can assist in this regard: Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) prepares the system for repairs, while System File Checker (SFC) identifies and fixes corrupted files. To utilize these tools, follow these steps:

1. Right-click Start.
2. Select Terminal (admin).
3. Run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.
4. Run sfc /scannow.