How to Easily Fix Windows 11 Download Folder not Responding (3 Ways)

Why Windows 11 Download Folder not Responding?

The Downloads folder is the default storage location for all downloaded files. Some users have reported that Windows 11 download folder not responding. When this folder is not responding, File Explorer may stop working, which can be very troublesome because this error prevents you from accessing or opening any downloaded files in the folder, and you may also lose your important files.

So why does this error occur? This article summarizes some of the common causes for you as below.

• File explorer problem or error.
• Corrupt system files.
• Misconfigured application settings.
• Existence of viruses or malware.

How to Fix Download Folder not Responding

After understanding the reasons, next, this article will introduce 3 simple methods to fix this error in turn. You can try them one by one, and I believe there is always a method that can help you fix the “downloads not responding in Windows 11” problem. You can read on for more details.

Fix 1. Run SFC Scan

The first method to fix Windows 11 download folder not responding is to run SFC scan. SFC scan is one of the best utility tools on Windows to repair any corrupted file system on Windows.

Step 1. Press Wins + R together to open the Run window.

Step 2. Type in cmd and press Enter to open Command Prompt window.

Step 3. Type in the command sfc /scannow and hit enter to start the process.

Please wait for the scanning process to complete and it will repair any corrupted file systems automatically in the SFC scan tool.

Fix 2. Use CHKDSK Utility

In case the Windows 11 download folder not responding issue is not caused by corrupted file systems, then it should be the bad sectors on your computer. The next tool you need to run is CHKDSK to scan and repair any bad sectors on Windows.

Step 1: Press Wins + S together to open the Search menu.

Step 2: Type in CMD and run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 3: Type in the command: chkdsk G: /f /r /x (replace G: with the drive letter of your hard drive or disk where the Downloads folder is located) and press Enter to start the process.

Please wait for the CHKDSK to run finish and it will help you to repair any bad sectors that are found in the Downloads folder.

Fix 3. Change Properties Settings

To solve Windows 11 download folder not responding, you can also change the Downloads folder properties and restore the data from the folder.

Step 1: Right-click on the Downloads folder and choose Properties.

Step 2: Go to the Customize section and choose Documents from the Optimized this folder for menu.

Step 3: Tick the Also apply this template to all subfolders option and press Apply.

Go back to your Downloads folder and check whether the document is in the folder, if it is empty go back to the Downloads properties and change the Optimize this folder for selection to General items, Pictures, Music, or Videos.

Backup Files in Advance to Prevent Data Loss

Windows 11 Download folder not responding will prevent you from accessing or opening any downloaded files in the folder, and you may also lose your important files. To avoid data loss caused by similar errors, it is recommended that you backup your files regularly. This way, even if you encounter a situation that you cannot access a folder, you can still quickly restore your files via the previously created file backups.

The free file backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard can easily backup all kinds of files for you and you can set different backup frequencies according to your own needs. Once set, the software will automatically backup your files regularly. It also supports an incremental backup method to improve backup efficiency and help you save disk space.

First, you need to download and install the software. If you are a Windows Server user, you can select AOMEI Backupper Server.

Step 1. Firstly, open this backup software, and select Backup > File Backup.

Step 2. Then you can click Add File or Add Folder to select the files or folders to be backed up.

Step 3. You need to select a destination location to store your file backup.

Step 4. Confirm all your operations and click Start Backup to backup files.

Notes:

• Options: You can write comments to distinguish the backup tasks, compress or split the backup image file as well as enable email notification.
• Schedule Backup: This software allows you to backup files with fixed intervals, including Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event trigger and USB plug in. The last two are available in the Pro version.
• Backup Scheme: You can choose different backup methods. To help you save disk space, you can upgrade now to Pro version (5% off for one computer) to enable automatic backup cleanup feature.

★ How to backup files to AOMEI Cloud

There is a growing trend to backup files to cloud storage. You can backup files to AOMEI Cloud if you have an AOMEI account. You'll get 1TB free storage for 15 days after you sign up for an AOMEI account.

Summary

Windows 11 download folder not responding will prevent you from accessing any files in the download folder and may cause file loss. If you encounter this problem, you can try the 3 methods mentioned in the article to fix it.

To avoid data loss caused by similar problems, it is recommended that you backup your files regularly with the free backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard, which allows you to set different backup frequencies to automatically backup files. In this way, even if you encounter any problem, you can immediately use the previously created file backups to perform a quick restore to safeguard your data.

Besides, this software also offers various functions such as System Backup, Disk Backup and Partition Backup to protect your computer in all aspects. You can download this software to explore more useful features.