So this problem randomly just popped up, and I haven't been able to really trace it back to anything I did with plugins. When I double click or right click> open an Illustrator file, Windows will bring the Illustrator window to the forefront, and then nothing happens. If you go into Illustrator and click file > open and select the same file, it opens just fine.
It's really not a HUGE deal to me, but I prefer using windows explorer because I can navigate it more swiftly.
Thanks!