Windows 7: Explorer.exe 50% CPU usage

Well started noticing how explorer.exe keeps using loads of my CPU power, earlier both processes were using 40-50% of my CPU causing everything to work extremely slow/stop working, now one of them seems to have cooled down and it's the other one running at 48-52% the entire time. Has anyone got any idea why this is happening? And if possible, any solutions? Thanks in advance!

I faced the same problem myself, and while i was lookin around in forums I found no satisfactory answers. But finally i figured out the problem myself and apparently the solution is pretty simple. In my care the problem was a corrupted file on the desktop. In your case, This file may be anywhere in the users folder. Here are the steps i followed to get rid of it:
1. First identify the file. (in my case it was a flv file)
2. Uninstall all programs associated with the file.
3. Restart and go to safe mode. Now you should be able to delete the file.
4. If the file cannot still be deleted or renamed, go to another standard user account and access the file from there and delete it.
5. There you go!

N.B. Identifyin the file can be a headache. In my case it was right on my desktop but i didn't realis that this was the problem for more than one week. Do let me know if this works.

have you try to close your Windows Explorer and re-open it ??

Thank you for the replies.

As I posted this well over a year ago, and built a completely new computer with a fresh copy of Windows 7 on it, I don't have this issue anymore. I will however keep the suggestion from post #2 in mind in case it happens again. Post #3, restarting Explorer.exe didn't help, it would just go back up to where it was before I shut it down.

Anyway, thanks again guys, wish I had had these replies back when I posted the thread.

Hi,
I faced this problem today, and follow the instructions of Diparnak, and solve the error.
In my case, I downloaded NexusFiles, a utility Norton Commander Style, to browse two folder at same time and open the task manager to monitor de CPU usage.
1.- I Killed the explorer.exe process
2.- In Nexus, I moved all the files from the folder with problem (in my case, Downloads Folder) to a Temporal Folder.
3.- I moved only few files to Downloads Folder and start Explorer.exe process from File->Run in Taskmanager
3.a.- Open the folder with problem in Windows Explorer
4.- I monitored CPU Usage in Taskmanager, If it keeped low then i Moved others files... I did this until i found the file/folder with problem (Cpu Usage Raised 99-100%).
5.- I killed, again, the explorer.exe process
6.- I deleted the file/folder with problem
7.- I started the Explorer.exe process again
... and voila!

Thanks a lot Diparnak!

Sorry the bad english, please... pacience and good luck!

I faced the same problem with Windows 7,., And the Diparnak instructions completely sorted out my problem.., It was the right .flv file which created the problem for me., and my explorer was using 100% cpu and can't do anythin else in computer apart frm startin a browser frm start panel and browse internet. And wen i searched.. it eneded up in your answer Diparnak., Thanks a million.., U save me frm formatin my os., since i didn't have a restore option..

You are welcome!

Had the same problem. Cause also appeared to be a corrupted .flv file on the desktop that I couldn't move, delete or rename. Had to boot up in safe mode with command prompt and delete it from the command line, other methods didn't work.

Would never have figured that out without these posts.

Thanks guys.

Thanks to Diparnak.
Some days ago I faced with the same trouble (explorer.exe consuming 50% of CPU usage).
I check your recommendations and saw that I had a flv file that I download just some days ago.
The flv file on my desktop was the cause. It was not possible to rename, delete, etc.
I reboot in safe mode with command prompt, and delete the file, now the explorer.exe consumes less than 1% of CPU time.
I read other advices in differents forums but seems non sense to me, until reach this forum.
Thanks a lot!

Hello,

I had the same problem and it also turned out to be a corrupt FLV file on my desktop (I have read other people have had the same problem with JPG files as well) so I deleted the file (it wouldnt delete so had to do it in safe mode) and explorer.exe went back to using nothing in taskmanager.