Windows Explorer is slow to select files, preview, or navigate on limited account but not admin

Slick RCBD 116 Reputation points
2026-10-24T04:38:51.27+00:00

For the last couple months, trying to navigate in Windows Explorer with the keyboard has been slow. Each file takes a while to highlight if I press an arrow key. I'm using Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.

Also if I try to select a bunch of files at once to move or copy, it takes just as long. I noticed that this does NOT happen if I sign out of my standard account and sign in with the administrator account.

I've tried to search for clues how to troubleshoot this, and it was suggested I could use Autoruns64 to determine any addons to Windows Explorer. However I noticed that signing in as the admin produced very differenet results compared to signing in with my limited account even without a UAC prompt. I'm not sure how to reconcile them because of this.

So, how would i go about troubleshooting my limited account taking forever to flip through say a directory full of PDFs or JPEGs looking at the previews for a specific one vs the admin account being able to page through the same directory (I used the public folder to test) to switch previews of those same files?

I tried to post what Authoruns generated, but the site wouldn't let me, it kept giving me an "unexpected error" without much explanation.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage
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  1. Slick RCBD 116 Reputation points
    2026-11-08T07:07:52.8133333+00:00

    I don't understand how my reply violated a code of conduct, but it was automatically deleted.

    Here is a video of what happens. One for admin, one for standard account.

    https://1drv.ms/f/c/9a55de1c7ff77f7d/IgCCSF-VrFCqQItX2vdHldhYAdVnwe4795mWilko5fHGzJY?e=hWVaKJ

    Both accounts are now showing the same things in Autoruns, but I still get the problem.

    Autorunscompare

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  3. Thomas4-N 23,160 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-28T10:28:29.96+00:00

    Hello Slick RCBD,

    Since the same files respond normally in the administrator account, I would focus on a per-user Explorer extension or preview handler rather than Windows system files.

    First, turn off File Explorer > View > Preview pane and test the same PDF/JPEG folder. If navigation becomes responsive, a preview handler is likely involved.

    To compare the accounts in Autoruns:

    1. Run Autoruns as administrator.
    2. Select User > your affected standard account.
    3. Open the Explorer tab.
    4. Enable Options → Hide Microsoft Entries.
    5. Save the results using File → Save.
    6. Switch to the administrator account from the User menu and save another snapshot.
    7. Use File > Compare to identify third-party entries unique to the affected account.

    Temporarily uncheck, rather than delete, unique third-party entries in small groups. Prioritize PDF software, image codecs, cloud-sync clients, archive tools, and context-menu or preview handlers. Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager after each group and retest.

    Autoruns showing different results for each account is expected because some Explorer extensions and startup entries are registered per user. Microsoft documents both the User account selector and the Explorer tab for these items.

    If possible, share screenshots of the filtered Explorer entries with usernames and file paths containing personal information hidden.

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  4. AI answer

    2026-10-24T04:39:12.7966667+00:00

    Because the slowdown happens only in the standard account and not in the administrator account on the same PC and same folders, the problem is most likely profile-specific rather than disk, hardware, or the Windows installation.

    A practical way to troubleshoot it is:

    1. Confirm it is profile-specific
      • Test the same folder from another local account.
      • If the other account is fast, that points to per-user Explorer state.
    2. Restart Windows Explorer
      • Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
      • In Processes, select Windows Explorer and choose Restart.
      • This is a quick check for a stuck Explorer process.
    3. Clear Quick Access history
      • Open Run and go to:
        • shell:recent\AutomaticDestinations
        • shell:recent\CustomDestinations
      • Delete the contents of both folders.
      • Then restart the PC.
      • This removes Quick Access shortcuts, but not the actual files.
    4. Check for Windows updates and restart
      • Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.
      • Install available updates and restart.
    5. Run the System Maintenance troubleshooter
      • Open Control Panel.
      • Set View by to Large icons or Small icons.
      • Select Troubleshooting > View all > System Maintenance.
      • Select Next > Try troubleshooting as an administrator.
    6. Check system files
      • Run System File Checker as described in Using System File Checker in Windows.
    7. If File Explorer itself is unstable, run Startup Repair
      • Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
      • Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
      • Then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
      • This is more invasive than the earlier steps, so use it after the simpler checks.
    8. Focus on the user profile if the issue remains
      • A similar case showed that when Explorer is slow only in one account, the issue can be tied to per-user shell state in the profile.
      • Since the same files in the Public folder are fast under the administrator account, that strongly supports a user-profile cause.
      • The most direct confirmation is testing with a fresh local account.

    If the fresh account is fast, the supported conclusion is that the slowdown is tied to the affected user profile rather than the files themselves.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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