Mouse don't scroll in file explorer on windows 11. Part 2

lars svensson 20 Reputation points
2026-09-18T20:43:47.7966667+00:00

Mouse don't scroll in file explorer on windows 11.

Can be fixed by toggling "launch folder windows a separate windows" and restarting. However, after next restart this process must be repeated. Is there a permanent solution?

I am running Windows 11 build 26200.9457

I have tried some suggestions from the web: 1. toggle "Scroll Inactive Windows" on/off

  1. I have checkt HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop scroll value and it is 3.

Emma-1-N (external moderator) suggested: Running DISM/online/Clearup-image/restore health, scf/scannow and restart. This worked but after a shut down and later restart the scroll problem returned.

What to do now???

Windows for home | Other | Search, touch, and mouse
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-18T20:44:04.6033333+00:00

    A supported permanent fix is not documented in the provided sources for this exact File Explorer scroll issue, but these are the relevant supported actions based on the symptoms already described:

    1. Verify the mouse scroll behavior setting again in Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse.
      • Make sure the wheel is set to scroll as expected.
      • Turn Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them on.
    2. If the problem is limited to File Explorer, restart Windows Explorer.
      • Open Task Manager.
      • Find Windows Explorer.
      • Restart it.
      • This is a supported step for File Explorer-specific scrolling problems.
    3. Reinstall the mouse device so Windows reloads the driver.
      • Open Device Manager.
      • Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
      • Uninstall the mouse.
      • Restart the PC so Windows reinstalls the driver.
    4. Check for a known Windows issue that can affect scrolling behavior in File Explorer.
      • A previously reported Windows bug can cause File Explorer scrolling problems in large folders.
      • If Personalization > Background is set to Slideshow or Windows Spotlight, change it to Picture, then restart the PC.
    5. If the issue continues after restart and returns after shutdown, run Startup Repair / Automatic Repair.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
      • Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
      • Then select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
      • This is intended to fix registry corruption and related startup issues.

    Since DISM and SFC only helped temporarily, that points more to a setting, driver reload, or Windows/File Explorer state issue than a permanently repaired system file issue.

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  2. Hendrix-V 19,740 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-19T06:30:07.41+00:00

    Hi lars svensson,

    Since the workaround of enabling"Launch folder windows in a separate process" consistently restores scrolling, but only until the next restart, this may indicate that a File Explorer setting, profile-specific configuration, or a build-related behavior is being reintroduced during startup rather than a persistent system file issue.

    As a next step, you could test whether the behavior is tied to your current Windows profile:

    • Create a temporary local Windows user account.
    • Sign in to the new account.
    • Open File Explorer and test mouse wheel scrolling.
    • Restart the PC and test again.

    If scrolling works normally in the new profile after a reboot, that would help narrow the issue to a user profile configuration rather than the mouse itself.

    You may also want to perform a Clean Boot to determine whether a startup application or background service is affecting File Explorer behavior after sign-in:

    1. Press Win + R, type msconfig and press Enter.
    2. On the Services tab, select Hide all Microsoft services and choose Disable all.
    3. Disable startup items from Task Manager.
    4. Restart the PC and test File Explorer scrolling.

    Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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