“Element not found” is a Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) error that most commonly occurs because of corrupted system files and driver issues. This guide will show you how to resolve this issue.
Explorer.exe is an executable file that is primarily responsible for supporting the GUI and allowing users to access file systems in a convenient manner. Although it is possible to control the computer without Explorer.exe, any errors in this process could result in serious problems.
Easily Fix “Element not found” Error on Windows 10
“Element not found” is a Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) error that most commonly occurs because of corrupted system files and driver issues. This guide will show you how to resolve this issue.
Explorer.exe is an executable file that is primarily responsible for supporting the GUI and allowing users to access file systems in a convenient manner. Although it is possible to control the computer without Explorer.exe, any errors in this process could result in serious problems.
If explorer.exe crashes, it can be terminated or restarted using Windows Task Manager. Nonetheless, such an error can indicate other issues and may necessitate the removal of explorer.exe.
The “Element not found” error in Windows 10 was caused by an explorer.exe error. Users are usually unable to open apps, images, or even Windows Settings because of this.
It is frequently an indication of corrupted files on the Windows system, driver issues, and so on. The instructions below will help you resolve the Explorer.exe “Element not found” error.
Maintain Your Drivers for Element not found
Faulty/corrupted or unsupported drivers on Windows are a common cause of the “Element not found” error. As a result, check and update your Windows drivers on a regular basis. It can be difficult to pinpoint which driver is causing this error, but checking the video driver is a good place to start.
To update your video driver (and other drivers), open Device Manager by searching for “device manager” and clicking the “Device Manager” result.
Expand the video hardware device section, then right-click on the driver. Then select “Update driver.” You can also select “Uninstall device.” Before uninstalling the device, check the “Delete the driver software for this device” checkbox; Windows will then reinstall the drivers the next time Windows boots.
If you select “Update Driver,” you will be asked how you want to search for drivers: automatically for updated driver software or manually search the computer for driver software. Choose your preferred option and follow the on-screen instructions.
Third-party software, Snappy Driver Installer can use to update or install new video hardware (and other drivers). Snappy Driver Installer (SDI) is a robust free driver updater for Windows that can store its entire driver collection offline. The Snappy Driver Installer download from this page.
Element not found : Remove any recent Windows updates.
This “Element not found” error can be caused by recently installed updates. These updates are required for the system to function properly, but they may also cause issues. Uninstall the most recent Windows 10 updates from the Windows operating system if this is the case.
- To remove updates, go to Settings and select “Update & Security.”
- Make sure you’re in the “Windows Update” section of the Update & Security menu before clicking “View installed update history.”
- You will see a list of updates that have been installed. Select the update to be uninstalled and press the “Uninstall” button.
Start the Explorer.exe process again.
To restart the process, launch Task Manager, a system monitor program that displays information about the processes, programs that are running, and the overall status of a computer.
Some implementations can also be used to end processes and programs, as well as change the priorities of processes.
- Ctrl+Alt+Delete or Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard will bring up the Task Manager. To access Task Manager, right-click on Start and select “Task Manager.”
- When Task Manager is open, navigate to the “Details” tab and look for “explorer.exe” in the list. Select “End task” from the drop-down menu when you right-click on it.
- The screen should be completely black at this point. Do not be concerned; the explorer.exe process has terminated at this point, and the black screen is normal. The Task Manager will appear if you press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard.
- To relaunch Explorer, click “File” and then choose “Run new task” from the drop-down menu.
- Enter “explorer” (or “explorer.exe”) and press Enter or click “OK,” and Explorer will restart.
- Check to see if this helps to eliminate the “Element not found” error when performing various actions like opening apps, etc.
Run an SFC Scans
The “SFC scan now” switch is one of several available for the SFC command, which is the Command Prompt command used to run the System File Checker.
To launch Command Prompt, type “command prompt” into Search, right-click on “Command Prompt,” and select “Run as administrator” from the drop-down menu.
Perform an SFC scan, you must use an elevated Command Prompt.
To run this command, type “sfc /scannow” in the Command Prompt window and press Enter on your keyboard. The System File Checker will begin scanning and will take some time to complete (about 15 minutes).
Wait for the scanning process to finish before restarting the computer to see if the “Element not found” error persists.
If the SFC scan did not resolve the “Element not found” error, or if you were unable to run it for some reason, run a DISM scan before attempting the SFC scan again.
DISM is an abbreviation for Deployment Image Servicing and Management, and it can repair and prepare Windows images such as the Windows Recovery Environment, Windows Setup, and Windows PE.
To perform a DISM scan, launch Command Prompt as administrator and enter the following command: “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /restorehealth.” To put it into action, press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Application Reset
If you get the “Element not found” error when you open a Windows app or use an app to open a file, try resetting the app. In fact, if necessary, you can reset all installed Windows apps. To do so, go to Settings and then select “Apps.”
On the left pane, you will be automatically directed to the “Apps & features” section. Scroll down until you find the problematic app, select it, and then click “Advanced options.”
Locate and click the “Reset” button in the advanced options window. Check to see if this helps to resolve the “Element not found” error while using a specific app.
For images, use a different viewer.
If you received the “Element not found” error when attempting to open a picture, image, or photo, we recommend that you try a different image viewer. Simply navigate to Settings and then select “Apps.”
On the left pane, click “Default apps,” then locate and select “Photos” under “Photo viewer.” You will be presented with a list of applications. Choose the app you want to use as your default photo viewer and click on it.
You can get other photo viewers from the Internet and set them as your default for viewing photos, images, and so on.
Reset your computer
We recommend that you only use this method as a last resort. It may not be as drastic as it appears because this process keeps personal files while deleting installed programs/applications.
“Reset This PC” is a repair tool for serious operating system problems found in Windows 10’s Advanced Startup Options menu. The Reset This PC tool saves your personal files if necessary, removes any software you have installed, and then completely reinstalls Windows.
- Go to Settings and select “Update & Security” to reset your PC. Remember to make a backup of your files just in case.
- On the left pane, select “Recovery.” Under “Reset this PC,” click “Get started,” and then follow the on-screen instructions to reset your computer.
We hope that at least one of the solutions listed above assists you in resolving the “Element not found” error and allowing you to perform actions on Windows 10 (such as opening photos and images) without incident for more assistant you can directly take windows 10 help from our team.