Windows 10 Taskbar not Working? Here are Simple Ways to Fix That

Windows 10 Taskbar not Working? Here are Simple Ways to Fix That.

Windows 10 Taskbar not Working: Most of the common problems you experience when using your Windows PC is the failure of the Windows 10 taskbar. When it occurs, you’ll find that your taskbar just stops responding to your actions. Often it’s frozen too and the mouse can’t even be moved there.

There are a few options to get around this dilemma if you encounter the Windows 10 taskbar which does not work on your device.

What’s New With The Windows 10 Taskbar?

Like much of the operating system, the Taskbar was given an aesthetic and functional makeover when Windows 10 launched in 2015.

The biggest change is the addition of the search box, which doubles as a method of interacting with Microsoft’s personal assistant, Cortana. If you don’t like this bar, right-click the Taskbar and choose Cortana > Show Cortana Icon for a much less invasive icon, or Hidden to remove it entirely.

To the immediate right of the search bar is the Task View icon. This powerful functionality allows you to see all the windows you currently have open at a glance. It also offers an easy way to create virtual desktops.

Virtual desktops allow you to separate different windows and applications into individual instances. For instance, you might want to create a work desktop separate from the one you use to browse the web and listen to music on your lunch break.

Task View also lets you access Windows 10’s Timeline feature. This provides a history of everything you’ve done recently so you can easily jump back into a previous task.

Windows 10 Taskbar Fixes

Always a first step, and likely to fix any taskbar issues, is to restart explorer.exe. This controls the Windows shell, which includes File Explorer, Taskbar, and Start Menu. Restarting it will almost always be your best bet. Try this:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager.
2. Click More Details at the bottom if you only see the simple window.
3. Click on the Processes tab, locate Windows Explorer, Right-click and choose Restart.

The taskbar will go away for a bit and will then return. This should correct the problem. If it doesn’t correct it immediately, restart your computer.

Windows Taskbar not Hiding

When you’ve enabled the auto-hide functionality of the Taskbar, it’s annoying if it doesn’t work properly. If restarting the Explorer process doesn’t work or the issue happens frequently, you can try some other fixes.

First, make sure you actually have auto-hide enabled. Head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and make sure Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode is enabled. It’s worth disabling and re-enabling this while you’re here, too.

One of the most common causes for the Taskbar failing to retract automatically is an app requiring your attention. While this often comes accompanied with a glowing app icon, it’s not always obvious when this is the case.

Cycle through the apps that you have open and make sure that there are no error messages or other alerts waiting for you. Your browser can switch to this “attention” state if a website displays a notification, for example, or WhatsApp might have just received a new message.

If checking your open apps doesn’t fix this, take a look at the apps in your System Tray. One of them, running in the background, may be calling for attention.

Should you run into this problem on a regular basis, try adjusting notifications for the app that keeps getting stuck—open Settings > System > Notifications & actions or check inside the app’s own settings. Failing that, reinstalling the app may fix the problem.

Missing Taskbar Icon

If your Taskbar icons are missing and the System Tray at the bottom right doesn’t show the clock and other functions, you may need to go to a command line to fix the issue. Use the Windows + X shortcut or right-click the Start button) to open the Power User Menu. Launch a Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) window. There are a few tools you can access from her that may help fix this issue.

Either run your System File Checker by typing “sfc/scannow” at the Command Prompt or, if that doesn’t work, try another utility by entering the following command to open Disk Image Servicing and Management (DISM), and you should find that your Taskbar returns to its normal state after a reboot: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.

Frozen Taskbar

There is a simple fix that should clear fix this issue. Type “PowerShell” in the Start Menu and right-click its entry, then select Run As Administrator. Re-register all applications with this command:“Get-AppXPackage-AllUsers|Foreach{Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} Rebooting after this will likely have fixed this problem.

Check Driver Update

This is broad advice that’s applicable to many PC problems, but it’s solved Taskbar strife for some. Outdated drivers, especially display drivers, can cause all sorts of issues. Thus, updating them is worth a look if you’re still at a loss as to what’s affecting your system.

There’s a chance that Windows 10 could have caused your driver dispute. Its rollout of automatic updates carries over to drivers, but the implementation of this feature isn’t perfect.

Of course, you’ll then need to make sure your drivers actually get updated. While you’re at it, make sure you’ve installed all Windows updates at Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Sometimes the latest Windows patches can clear up issues like this.

Try System Restore Or Create A New User Account

Tried everything above and still can’t manage to make your Taskbar behave as it should? You can try a System Restore point, if you have one, to go back in time before the issue started.

Failing this, you can create a new Windows user account to clear up the problem. Though this is fairly inconvenient, of course.

To create a new user account, open up the Settings app (Windows + I) and navigate to Accounts > Family & other Users. Under the Other Users section, select Add someone else to this PC.

You can then work your way through the account creation process. If you’re replacing your own user account, you should choose the I don’t have this person’s sign-in information, then Add a user without a Microsoft account to avoid any confusion with your original login.