^!r:: ; Ctrl+Alt+R Run, powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force; Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 500; Start-Process explorer.exe" return Compile to .exe or run with AutoHotkey installed. | Issue | Behavior | |-------|----------| | Open File Explorer windows | They will close | | Taskbar icons | Will reappear after restart | | Running apps (Chrome, Word) | Unaffected | | Start menu customization | May need a second to reload | | System tray area | Reinitializes |
<# .SYNOPSIS Reloads Windows 11 Desktop (Explorer shell) without logging off or restarting. .DESCRIPTION This script restarts the Windows Explorer process, which refreshes the desktop, taskbar, Start menu, and system tray. All open Explorer windows will be closed, but apps not dependent on Explorer (like browsers, Office) remain unaffected. reload desktop windows 11
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell Create a new key called ReloadDesktop Inside, set (Default) value to Reload Windows 11 Desktop Inside ReloadDesktop , create key command Set (Default) to: All open Explorer windows will be closed, but
public ReloadDesktopTray()
csc /target:winexe /reference:System.Windows.Forms.dll /reference:System.Drawing.dll ReloadDesktopTray.cs Run the .exe – it will sit in system tray. Right-click → Reload Desktop. Open Registry Editor and navigate to: Open Registry Editor and navigate to: