"Show in File Explorer" starts explorer.exe process that keeps running even after closing the file

skpb79

Environment:

• Windows 11 Pro (x64)
• Dropbox 254.4.2518

Steps to reproduce:

1. Click the Dropbox icon in the system tray.
2. Open "Your activity".
3. Select any file entry.
4. Click the ellipsis (...) button.
5. Click "Show in File Explorer".

Expected behavior:
The file's location should be opened in File Explorer without leaving additional Explorer processes running after the window is closed.

Actual behavior:
When "Show in File Explorer" is used for an entry (path) that has not previously been opened through this feature, a new explorer.exe process is spawned. After the File Explorer window is closed, the process remains running and does not terminate.

If "Show in File Explorer" is subsequently used for the same entry, no additional explorer.exe process is created. However, if a different entry is selected, another explorer.exe process is spawned and again remains running after the window is closed.

As a result, explorer.exe processes accumulate over time, with one persistent process per entry opened through this feature.

Notes:
The issue is consistently reproducible.

Hannah

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, @skpb79.

Let's get right to it! If you haven't already, can you please restart your computer to see if it helps?

If not, try uninstalling the Dropbox app, restarting the computer and then reinstalling it from this link.

Let me know how it goes.