# What causes my computer to be unwilling to open files? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785 "2021-12-28T15:41:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/1 "2021-12-28T15:41:34Z")
My computer (Windows 11) has had this glitch for months where it will require 4-6 rapid clicks in succession in order to open a file (instead of the usual two), but now it’s gotten to the point where often **no** amount of clicking or hitting “enter” when the file is selected will open the file, typically a Paint image. What causes this? ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/2 "2021-12-28T15:43:41Z")
What happens when you right-click and select “open”? ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/3 "2021-12-28T16:01:39Z")
is it that the computer’s reaction is ultra slow? What if you double-click, and then wait two minutes? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/4 "2021-12-28T16:10:16Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > typically a Paint image In addition to the other good questions: Does this happen regularly with all files, or only/mostly files you’re trying to open with Paint? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/5 "2021-12-28T16:16:57Z")
Paint only, for now. Other functions are not slow. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/6 "2021-12-28T16:23:00Z")
It sounds like a problem with the file association. Right-click a problem file, and choose ‘Open with’. Choose Paint, and make it the default application. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/7 "2021-12-28T17:17:16Z")
Is it every paint file, or just some? Could be a corrupted or extremely fragmented file. Is it stored on an SSD or a spinning disk hard drive? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/8 "2021-12-28T18:01:43Z")
With MS Paint, is it the _files_ or the app itself ? IOW, what happens if you just try to open up Paint, and _not_ an MS Paint _file_ ? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/9 "2021-12-28T19:01:13Z")
Have you checked the setting for double-click speed for your mouse? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/10 "2021-12-28T19:19:17Z")
SSD drive. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/11 "2021-12-28T19:19:47Z")
I don’t think it’s that problem because double-clicking Word documents, Excel, works fine. It’s just Paint that refuses to open. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/12 "2021-12-28T19:23:14Z")
Every paint file, or just some? ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/13 "2021-12-28T19:28:40Z")
So did you try resetting the file association? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/14 "2021-12-28T20:39:49Z")
Can you put a Paint file on an external drive to see if the SSD is the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/15 "2021-12-28T21:52:11Z")
There is an icon my tool bar now to upgrade to Win 11. You remind me to ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/16 "2021-12-28T22:29:08Z")
To differentiate between (1) something wrong with the file and (2) something wrong with MS Paint, try downloading some other image-viewing/editing program and opening it in that. If that’s slow as well, then the file is likely either hard to read from hardware for some reason or corrupted. If it’s fast, then the file still might be corrupted in a way that MS Paint has issues with but other image programs don’t, but you can pretty much rule out hardware/OS level issues reading the file. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/17 "2021-12-28T23:45:34Z")
Also, open Task Manager then double click the file. See if Paint opens, then closes - or stays running (indicated in task manager) while not opening a window. Check Event Viewer to see if trying to open produces an error event. If there’s a message, google the error text to see if someone has a solution. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/18 "2021-12-29T00:15:42Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Also, open Task Manager then double click the file. See if Paint opens, then closes - or stays running (indicated in task manager) while not opening a window That’s what I was going to mention (after making sure the mouse works properly). I sometimes have files that won’t open, even after attempting to open them multiple times. Eventually, I’ll pull up task manager to find that multiple instances of the program associated with the file, but all of them are hung. Any time that happens, all I have to do is kill all of them (or sometimes just the ‘right’ one) and suddenly everything springs to life. I assume that the first instance freezes for whatever reason and that causes the rest of them to do the same. I think I’ve also had issues where the temporary file didn’t get deleted the last time I opened it and that caused a problem this time since a new temp file couldn’t be created. Deleting that and trying again would fix it. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-my-computer-to-be-unwilling-to-open-files/956785/19 "2021-12-29T00:31:10Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > There is an icon my tool bar now to upgrade to Win 11. You remind me to ignore it. 👍🏼 I definitely am in the _if it ain’t broke don’t fix it_ mindset on this.