Refreshing the Explorer Window

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated April 12, 2021)

When using Windows Explorer (Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8 and Windows 10), there may be times when the display becomes "stale." This may happen if another application is manipulating files or folders in what's being displayed by Explorer. Whenever you want to be certain that what you're seeing in Explorer accurately reflects the underlying data you can refresh the Explorer window.

There are a few ways to refresh the Explorer window. Perhaps the easiest way is to make the window active and then press the F5 key. Another way is to right-click an empty area of the Explorer window and select Refresh from the resulting Context menu. If you are using Windows Explorer (Windows 7) there is a third way: You can click the View | Refresh menu.

Regardless of the method you choose, the window is refreshed and you can rest assured that what you're seeing is an accurate representation of the underlying data.

 This tip (12388) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

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