masterwahnon
15-01-2010, 06:21 PM
To restart Explorer in order to test a registry setting without a reboot, we usually terminate explorer.exe process using Task Manager. The Task Manager method is like forcibly killing the process instead of terminating it cleanly. Jeff, a Software Design Engineer at Microsoft posted a great tip on how to cleanly stop explorer in Windows XP. Here is how to exit explorer in Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
Windows Vista & Windows 7
Although the above method (originally written for Windows XP) would work for the Classic Start menu in Windows Vista, not everyone use the Classic Start menu. Aaron Margosis of Microsoft tells how to cleanly stopexplorer.exe on Windows Vista if you’re using the default Start menu. This is using a hidden GUI option that’s present in Windows Vista and Windows 7 Start menu.
The GUI option named Exit Explorer shows up when you follow these steps:
Click the Start button. Press and hold the CTRL and SHIFT keys, and right-click on an empty area in the Start menu. You’ll see a Popup menu containing the two options namely Exit Explorer and Properties.
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NOTE After selecting the Exit Explorer command, the shell (Start menu, Taskbar and the Desktop) will the closed and the other applications continue to run. You need to manually start a new Explorer.exe process by launching Task Manager. Use the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC key sequence to launch Task Manager. From the File menu of Task Manager, choose New Task (Run…), type Explorer.exe and press ENTER.
I have used this trick loads of times to many to count and can verify that it works.
Windows Vista & Windows 7
Although the above method (originally written for Windows XP) would work for the Classic Start menu in Windows Vista, not everyone use the Classic Start menu. Aaron Margosis of Microsoft tells how to cleanly stopexplorer.exe on Windows Vista if you’re using the default Start menu. This is using a hidden GUI option that’s present in Windows Vista and Windows 7 Start menu.
The GUI option named Exit Explorer shows up when you follow these steps:
Click the Start button. Press and hold the CTRL and SHIFT keys, and right-click on an empty area in the Start menu. You’ll see a Popup menu containing the two options namely Exit Explorer and Properties.
38
NOTE After selecting the Exit Explorer command, the shell (Start menu, Taskbar and the Desktop) will the closed and the other applications continue to run. You need to manually start a new Explorer.exe process by launching Task Manager. Use the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC key sequence to launch Task Manager. From the File menu of Task Manager, choose New Task (Run…), type Explorer.exe and press ENTER.
I have used this trick loads of times to many to count and can verify that it works.