Explorer acting wierd- no icons and missing sidebar items.

surfinfred

Reputable
Sep 5, 2014
1
0
4,510
Hi guys,
I'm having some problems with Explorer in Windows 8.1.
Icons are not displayed as they should be (see picture), and sometimes there is just a blank space where the icon should be, and not even a blank sheet of paper!
After a while of using explorer, the sidebar collapsible menus irreparably collapse and stay that way until I restart explorer. This machine's only two days old and already acting like my Grandma's computer! I've included a screenshot that might help.

Also, whenever I try to search using the search charm, (on start menu or the side of the screen), the whole system freezes up and I have to ctrl-shft-esc to - you guessed it - restart explorer!

http://s8.postimg.org/o84l7p4c5/Untitled.png

Any suggestions?
 
Solution
some things I'd recommend in case you haven't tried already:
1. make sure all windows important updates are installed
2. run a disk check
3. do a full virus and malware scan

If all of the above are fine, start the PC in safe mode and see if it has the same issue.

If it's fine in safe mode, try selective startup in normal mode with only windows processes enabled. If again it's fine, then enable non-windows processes one by one, booting each time. You might find a particular program is causing a problem.

If it happens in safe mode, then you've either got a windows problem, or a possible hardware issue.

Re-installing windows fixes any OS issues. Hardware issues can be a bit more difficult to narrow down

blockhead78

Distinguished
some things I'd recommend in case you haven't tried already:
1. make sure all windows important updates are installed
2. run a disk check
3. do a full virus and malware scan

If all of the above are fine, start the PC in safe mode and see if it has the same issue.

If it's fine in safe mode, try selective startup in normal mode with only windows processes enabled. If again it's fine, then enable non-windows processes one by one, booting each time. You might find a particular program is causing a problem.

If it happens in safe mode, then you've either got a windows problem, or a possible hardware issue.

Re-installing windows fixes any OS issues. Hardware issues can be a bit more difficult to narrow down
 
Solution