If Finder is freezing or not opening windows, working with files becomes impossible. The main reasons are cache errors, stuck processes, or conflicts with external drives and applications.
Below are quick solutions.
Method 1: Restart Finder
- Press Cmd + Option + Esc
- In the list, select Finder → Relaunch
Method 2: Clear Finder Cache
- Open Terminal
- Execute:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.finder
killall Finder
- Finder will restart with a cleared cache
Method 3: Restart Mac
- Often a simple restart helps to terminate stuck processes
Method 4: Check External Drives
- Disconnect external drives or network folders
- If Finder starts working — the problem lies with them
Additional Reasons
- Applications conflicting with Finder
- Errors in Spotlight
- An outdated version of macOS
Conclusion
Most often, restarting Finder and clearing the cache helps. If the problem persists — check external drives and update macOS.