Hang over a minute on every click of a folder in Windows 10 File Explorer

Question

I just got a new Asus laptop with Windows 10 Pro build 18363. I removed McAfee and Cortana, and disabled Cortana with a registry setting at Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search (Name AllowCortana, Value DWORD 1). Otherwise the Asus software seems okay. I might try to decrapify it a little further, but didn't want to go all-out yet.

Now when I do anything in Windows File Explorer, I get a one- to two-minute hang just left-clicking on folders. Explorer opens to "This PC", I double-click on C:\ and that opens immediately, but then I click on Program Files or any folder and I get the hourglass pointer while I wait over a minute, then the folder appears selected but I go right back to the hourglass pointer and a hang for over a minute, then the hourglass pointer goes back to an arrow and it works well again, except when I single-click on any folder, and I again get the hourglass pointer and a long hang. Can't switch tab or even move or resize the window.

The same hang happens when I single-click, double-click, or right click any folder or any quick link or "This PC" left-nav link. Clicking, opening, or right-clicking on actual files has no problem, but all folders seem to give the same issue.

I wondered if disabling Cortana could be related, so I removed the above mentioned registry value to allow Cortana, but that did not help.

What else can I do to troubleshoot this?

EDIT: I timed the delay and it always seems to be 85 seconds.

EDIT: When I browse folders inside an app's standard "Open" dialog, I can use it all without problems--whether in the main file view, Quick access, or This PC.

Answer 1

I removed the above mentioned registry value to allow Cortana, but that did not help

Try two things:

(1) Make a new, test, Windows User Profile (Account). Log into the new Account and see if the error persists.

The issue could be Profile damage and if so, the only fix is to re-create the main User Profile (back it up, delete it, re-create it all from a different admin user account).

(2) Try the Windows first repairs.

Open cmd.exe with Run as Administrator.

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

SFC /SCANNOW

Restart and test.

If the above does not work, there is sufficient damage that you will be best to back up the system and re-install Windows fresh.

Answer 2

You are unable apparently to completely undo the changes you did to your computer.

I suggest to use System Restore to rollback Windows to before this was done. See the article How to Do a System Restore of Windows 10.

Just to remark that disabling Cortana is possible without doubtful registry changes. Just right-click Cortana on the taskbar and choose to hide it.

Answer 3

The issue might be that your PC is trying to sync to OneDrive when clicking on folders, and if the Internet is not available, it's timing out. Two things to try:

• Disable OneDrive. That might fix the immediate problem.
• Modify the installation to use local credentials rather than logging into Microsoft. If you do not need to synchronize across the web, this avoids that network traffic.