Tucked away in the Windows 10 Explorer options is a choice that should be turned on and is now the default setting for Windows 10 May 2019.

Normally Explorer is a single program no matter how many windows are open on the computer.  That made sense when memory was limited even though it meant slightly worse performance. Explorer as one program means all the Explorer windows can crash or freeze if there’s a problem in a single window.  That can happen with a troublesome folder or inserting a DVD or USB stick.

For some time, there’s been the choice to make each Explorer window run as a separate program or process.  That makes Explorer more stable because problem windows can be closed without affecting the rest.

Windows 10 May 2019 update is supposed to turn this option ON by default (previous it was off).  We say ‘supposed’ because none of our test machines have this choice on automatically.

For any computer with more than, say 4GB of RAM, this choice is better set ON. It might speed up Explorer a little and certainly make it more stable.

Launch folder windows in a separate process

Go to Explorer | View |  Options | Change folder and search options | View then scroll down to ‘Launch folder windows in a separate process’.

Make sure the option is ON.  This applies to all Windows 10 releases, not just May 2019.

Windows 10 May 2019 for Microsoft Office users has just been updated with all the skinny on the new update options and what’s new and changed in the May 2019 update.

The ebook is available today for just $12.95, a $7.00 discount for Office Watch readers. Past purchasers of the book get their usual free update. Go to your online account to download a complete replacement ebook.