# Restart Windows Explorer

> Restarts the Windows Explorer shell so that changes to Explorer settings, the taskbar, the Start menu, the right-click menu and file associations become visible without.

Source: https://docs.capaone.com/capaone/application-manager/powerbricks/bricks/restart-windows-explorer/  
Product: CapaOne — a separate CapaSystems product; do not apply this page to any other.

Restarts the Windows Explorer shell so that changes to Explorer settings, the taskbar, the Start menu, the right-click menu and file associations become visible without signing the user out. Add it as the last step after those bricks.\\n\\nIf several users are signed in at the same time, every one of their Explorer shells is restarted, because the shell is stopped for the whole machine. Each session is listed in the log.

## Parameters

#### Only If A User Is Signed In
*Required* — Default: `True`

Enable to skip the restart and finish successfully when nobody is signed in on the machine. This makes it safe to use the brick in a workflow that also runs on machines with no signed-in user. Disable to make the brick fail when nobody is signed in, for example when the workflow only makes sense for an active user session.

#### Wait For Restart (Seconds)
*Required* — Default: `15`

Number of seconds to wait for Windows to bring the Explorer shell back on its own before the brick starts it in the user session. The same wait is used afterwards to confirm that the shell is running again.\\n\\n15 seconds fits most machines. A very low value can result in two shells in the same session, and a high value only makes the step slower on machines where the shell does not return by itself.

## Details

- **Category:** System
- **Brick ID:** `Explorer-Restart`

## Raw JSON definition

```json
{
  "category": "system",
  "description": "Restarts the Windows Explorer shell so that changes to Explorer settings, the taskbar, the Start menu, the right-click menu and file associations become visible without signing the user out. Add it as the last step after those bricks.\\n\\nIf several users are signed in at the same time, every one of their Explorer shells is restarted, because the shell is stopped for the whole machine. Each session is listed in the log.",
  "developerVendor": "CapaSystems A/S",
  "displayName": null,
  "id": "Explorer-Restart",
  "name": "Restart Windows Explorer",
  "parameters": [
    {
      "allowManualInput": false,
      "defaultValue": "True",
      "defaultValueObject": null,
      "description": "Enable to skip the restart and finish successfully when nobody is signed in on the machine. This makes it safe to use the brick in a workflow that also runs on machines with no signed-in user. Disable to make the brick fail when nobody is signed in, for example when the workflow only makes sense for an active user session.",
      "id": "OnlyIfUserLoggedOn",
      "name": "Only If A User Is Signed In",
      "regExValidation": "",
      "required": true,
      "type": "Boolean",
      "value": null,
      "values": [],
      "valuesObject": null
    },
    {
      "allowManualInput": false,
      "defaultValue": "15",
      "defaultValueObject": null,
      "description": "Number of seconds to wait for Windows to bring the Explorer shell back on its own before the brick starts it in the user session. The same wait is used afterwards to confirm that the shell is running again.\\n\\n15 seconds fits most machines. A very low value can result in two shells in the same session, and a high value only makes the step slower on machines where the shell does not return by itself.",
      "id": "WaitForRestartSeconds",
      "name": "Wait For Restart (Seconds)",
      "regExValidation": "",
      "required": true,
      "type": "Integer",
      "value": null,
      "values": [],
      "valuesObject": null
    }
  ],
  "powershell": {
    "base64Encoded": true,
    "function": "ZnVuY3Rpb2..."
  },
  "type": "powerbrick",
  "version": "2026.10.8.1"
}
```