The error, File Explorer.exe Class Not Registered is one that stops you from launching various applications on your system. It usually happens when your system files are corrupt due to malware or virus.

It may also mean that your antivirus has deleted some critical system files while battling malware. However, this error can be resolved with a few operations. This guide will review what this error is, its causes, and possible solutions to fix it.

What is the Error File Explorer.exe Class Not Registered?

The error; ‘File Explorer.exe Class Not Registered’ stops you from launching applications related to the explorer.exe such as Internet Explorer, Edge, Windows Explorer, Outlook, and even the Start Menu. 

What Causes the Error ‘File Explorer.exe Class Not Registered’?

This error can occur due to many reasons. Some of these reasons include:

• Corrupt ‘explorer.exe’ system files
• Wrong configurations
• Malware or virus

This error message can cause various problems on your computer. It comes in different forms as follows:

Class not registered explorer.exe, Excel, Internet Explorer, regsvr32, Taskbar, Microsoft Edge, uTorrent, Outlook, Windows Media Player – You may encounter this error message while trying to run different applications. According to user reports, this error message can occur in Outlook, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Windows Explorer.

Class not registered error when opening pictures, videos – You may also get this error message while trying to access pictures or videos. If this is your problem, you can easily try out some of the solutions in this guide to fix it.

Class not registered Windows 10 Photos – You are likely to face this error on Windows. I figured that it could occur while you are trying to run the Photos app.

Class not registered PDF – I found out that users have encountered this error while trying to open PDF files. If this case applies to you, you should be able to resolve it with one of the solutions in this guide.

Class not registered msstdfmt.dll – DLL files might be the culprit for this issue. If you encounter it on your computer, you should solve the problem by removing the application associated with the DLL file.

Solution 1 – Restarting Windows Explorer

You can try restarting the Windows Explorer using the task manager to fix class not registered error. This operation will reset all current configurations of the process. To perform it, you can follow the steps below.

• Step 1: – Press the Windows logo key + R key simultaneously. This operation will open up the Run dialogue box. 
• Step 2: – Type in “taskmgr” in the dialogue box to open up your computer’s task manager.
• Step 3: – Click on the “Processes” tab. You will find it at the top of the window.
• Step 4: – Now, find the task of Windows Explorer in the list of processes. 
• Step 5: – Click on the “Restart” button at the bottom left side of the window.

If the error is not solved after restarting windows explorer, move to the next potential solution below.

Solution 2 – Disabling Internet Explorer 11

Another good way to fix this error is to disable Explorer 11. To do this, you will need administrator access, and your PC may take some time on your next boot to initialize some services. To perform this solution, you need to follow the steps below.

Step 1: – Press the Windows logo key + R key simultaneously to open up a Run dialogue box. Type in “control panel” in the dialog box and press the Enter button on your keyboard.

Step 2: – In the control panel, click on the option “View by Large icons.” You will find it at the top right side of your screen. Now, click on the subcategory “Programs and Features.”

Step 3: – Click on the “Turn Windows features on or off” option at the top-left side of the window.

Step 5: – Ensure that the feature “Internet Explorer 11” is not checked. When you are prompted by a UAC to confirm your actions, click on “Ok” and restart your PC.

Step 6: – Now, turn off “Internet Explorer 11.” Windows might need might time on the next reboot. Wait for the process to finish.

You could also be required to perform a brief update to ensure that you have a strong internet connection. However, if the problem is still not solved after disabling internet explorer 11, move to the next potential solution below.

Solution 3 – Launching Edge from App Listing

Another excellent solution is to launch Edge from the application listing. I have found out that this worked for some users. It might work for you too. You can do it by following the instructions below.

• Step 1: – Press the “Start” button on your keyboard or hit the Windows logo key present at your screen’s bottom-left side to open the start menu.
• Step 2: – Click on the “All apps” option to open the applications list, including the default ones.
• Step 3: – Now find for the application through the list. Click on it to open it and see if there are still any issues present.

If the error is still not solved after launching Edge from the app listing, move to the next potential solution below.

Solution 4 – Setting Edge as a Default Program

Another solution if you are encountering this error while opening Edge to set it as a default program. Most users have another application set, such as Firefox, Chrome, etc. But some functionality is specific to this feature. You can set Edge as a default program by following the steps below.

• Step 1: – Right-click on the Start menu and click on “Programs and Features” from the list of options that show up.
• Step 2: – Click on the “Up arrow” located near the address bar of the window. 
• Step 3: – Open the “Default Programs” subcategory from the list present.
• Step 4: – Now, choose “Set your default programs” to make the necessary changes.
• Step 5: – Using the left navigation pane, search for “Microsoft Edge” and select the “Set this program as default” option.
• Step 6: – Now, click on OK to save the changes you made. Restart the PC and check if you have fixed the problem.

If the error is still not resolved after setting Edge as a default program, move to the next potential solution below.

Solution 5 – Run System File Checker

System File Checker (SFC) in Microsoft Windows allows you to scan your computer for corrupt files in your operating system. It is a tool used for diagnosing problems and checking if any issue is due to corrupt files in windows.

You can also run the DISM command if the SFC is unable to fix some errors. To run a system file checker (SFC), follow the steps below. 

Step 1: – Press the Windows logo key + R key. This operation will launch the Run dialogue box. Type in “taskmgr” in the dialogue box and press the Enter button to open your computer’s task manager.

Step 2: – Now, at the top left side of the window, you will see the File option. Click on it and choose “Run new task” from the list of available options.

Step 3: – Type in “PowerShell” in the dialogue box and check the option that says, “Create this task with administrative privileges.”

Step 4: – In the Windows Powershell, type in “sfc /scannow” and press the Enter button. Your entire Windows files will now be scanned by the computer and checked for corrupt phases. Be patient because this process will take some time.

Class Not Registered on Microsoft Edge

If you are encountering this error on Microsoft edge, there are two things you need to do. You need to set Edge or Internet Explorer as the default browser and check if Internet Explorer ETW Collector Service is running. To perform these two solutions, you need to follow the guide below.

Set Edge or Internet Explorer as the default browser 

While reading user reports, I have discovered that Class not registered error may appear when you are browsing the web using Cortana. The solution you need in this case will be to set Edge as your default browser. To do it, you need to follow the below-given guidelines:

• Step 1; – Press the Windows logo key + S key and type in the control panel. 
• Step 2: – Select Control Panel from the results that appear. The Control Panel window will now open. 
• Step 3: – Click on Default Programs from the list.
• Step 4: – Once the Default Programs window opens, select the ‘Set your default programs’ option.
• Step 5:  – Go to the Web browser section and click your browser.
• Step 6: – Now, choose Microsoft Edge from the list.

Can’t open Control Panel on Windows 10? 

Sometimes, you may be unable to open anything on your desktop. If you want to fix this error, it is advisable to set Internet Explorer as your default browser. You can perform this operation by following the steps that I described in the previous section, or by following the steps below:

• Step 1: – Access the Settings app and navigate to the Apps section.
• Step 2: – From the pane on the left, click on Default apps.
• Step 3: – Go to the Web browser section and set Internet Explorer as the default browser.

After setting Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer as the default browser, the error should be completely fixed.

Ensure that Internet Explorer ETW Collector Service is running.

Most times, class not registered error affects Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer, so if you are having this issue with these browsers, you can try the steps below:

Step 1: – Press the Windows logo key + R key simultaneously to open up the Run dialog box. Now, type in services.msc and hit the Enter button on your keyboard or click on OK.

Step 2: – Access the list of services and locate Internet Explorer ETW Collector Service. Once you see it, right-click on it, and select Start.

Step 3: – After starting this service, check if you have resolved the error.

Explorer.exe Class Not Registered

If you are having issues with Cortana, Edge, or Start menu, you need to try restarting explorer.exe to fix it. You can restart explorer.exe by following the steps below.

• Step 1: – Press the Windows logo key + R key. This operation will launch the Run dialogue box. Type in “taskmgr” in the dialogue box and press the Enter button to open your computer’s task manager.
• Step 2: – Navigate to the Details tab.
• Step 3: – Locate explorer.exe and right-click on it. Click on End Task from the menu.

Class not registered PDF

Sometimes, the class not registered error affects PDF, so if you are having this issue, you can try the steps below:

• Step 1: – Press the Windows logo key + R key. This operation will launch the Run dialogue box. Type in “taskmgr” in the dialogue box and press the Enter button to open your computer’s task manager.

• Step 2:  – Now, in the Task Manager, navigate to File and click on Run new task.
• Step 3: – The ‘Create new task window’ will now appear. Type explorer in the window and press the Enter button or click on OK.
• Step 4: – Now, the explorer will start again. Check if everything is working correctly.

Sometimes, Task Manager responds slowly with delay. If you have this issue as well, you should take a look at the guide below to speed up your computer’s Task Manager. 

• Step 1: – Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously to open the Task Manager. 
• Step 2: – You will now see the Applications tab by default. This tab is not very useful as it just lists top-level windows. 
• Step 3: – To see what is running on your computer, you need to click on the Processes tab. Click on the “Show processes from all users” option and access the list. 
• Step 4: – If you do not know what a process is, you can right-click on it and click on Properties to see more information.  You will see information like the folder where the process is stored, which will usually provide additional clues.

Error Class Not Registered with JPG files.

If you are encountering this error with JPG files, there are two things you need to do. You need to change the default image viewer to Windows Photo Viewer and also reset default apps. To perform these two solutions, you need to follow the guide below.

Change default image viewer to Windows Photo Viewer

As I mentioned earlier, the class not registered error can occur when you are trying to view .jpg files. When this happens, you will be able to fix it by setting your default image viewer to Windows Photo Viewer. You can follow the steps below to do this:

Step 1: – Download a .reg file that can change your registry and enable Windows Photo Viewer on your PC.

Step 2: – Right-click on it any picture on your computer.

Step 3: – Choose ‘Open with’ from the menu that comes forth and select another app.

Step 4: – Select Windows Photo Viewer from the list. Click on ‘Always use this app to open .jpg files’ if you want to be using only Windows Photo Viewer to view pictures. Ensure that you click on OK to save the changes you made.

Step 5: – You can download any free image viewing software if you do not want to add any changes to your registry. Simply install it on your PC and repeat these steps starting from Step 2.

Reset Default Apps

According to user reports, a class not registered error shows up when you try to open a .jpg file on your computer. In this case, you can fix the problem by resetting the default apps. Kindly follow the guidelines below to do this.

• Step 1:  – Open Settings on your device and click on Apps.
• Step 2: – Now, click on Default apps.
• Step 3: – Scroll down to you see the option that says ‘Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults.’ 
• Step 4: – Click on the Reset button.

Conclusion

The error; ‘File Explorer.exe Class Not Registered’ happens when your system files are corrupt due to malware or virus. It stops you from launching applications that are related to the explorer.exe. 

Sometimes, you may run a system file checker to fix it. This guide has given you the solutions to help you fix this error. Now it is your turn to perform these solutions and fix it.

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