The taskbar is the most prominent thing any user will get to see after signing in to the windows system. Recently several Windows users have reported being unable to utilise the taskbar because it has abruptly stopped working or become unresponsive. Users were frustrated because they were unable to operate the system effectively due to the sluggish taskbar.
There are various possible causes for this issue, which are described below.
- Corrupted system data files.
- An issue with the Windows explorer.
- Some settings changed in the user account on the system.
- Out of date Windows system.
Considering these points given above, we have listed a bunch of solutions that might help in fixing the problem.
Also read: Windows taskbar not hiding
Fix 1 – Restart the Windows Explorer using Task Manager
Windows explorer is the graphical representation of the tool which helps in managing the windows operating system. When the windows explorer gets stuck because of some unknown reasons, such types of issues occur in the system.
So we are going to show you in a few steps below how you can restart the windows explorer using task manager.
Step 1: To open the Task Manager on your system, press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC keys together on the keyboard.
Step 2: Click the Processes tab on the top left menu of the task manager window as shown below.
Step 3: Right-click on the Windows Explorer from the list of running apps and select Restart from the context menu as shown in the below screenshot.
Step 4: Once the windows explorer restarts, check if the issue is resolved.
Fix 2 – Re-Register All the Apps using PowerShell
This problem can be resolved by re-registering all of the apps since some of them freeze or crash when they are opened, resulting in these types of problems.
Let’s have a look at how this may be accomplished using the Powershell application.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and type powershell.
Step 2: Right-click on the PowerShell application and select Run as administrator from the options as shown below.
Step 3: This opens the elevated PowerShell window.
Step 4: Execute the below command in the PowerShell as shown below.
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
Step 5: Wait till it executes the command and all the apps get re-registered and later, reboot the system.
Fix 3 – Run System File Checker Scan and DISM Health Restore
The data files on the system get corrupted because of the forced shutdown while leaving the files unsaved. As a result, it is important to scan these corrupted files and replace or delete them immediately and also restore the system health using the DISM tool.
Let us see how this can be done using the SFC scan and DISM health restore.
Step 1: Open the elevated command prompt window by typing cmd in the Run command box (Press Win + R keys together).
Step 2: Then, hit CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER keys together.
Step 3: Accept the UAC prompt by clicking Yes to proceed.
Step 4: Type sfc /scannow in the command prompt and tap on Enter key to start scanning for corrupted system files.
Step 5: Once it is done, replace/delete any corrupted data files if any are found on the system.
Step 6: Later, execute the below command which will restore the health of the system using the DISM tool as shown below.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Step 7: After everything is done, close the command prompt window.
Fix 4 – Keep the Windows system Updated
Microsoft may make an update from time to time to improve user experience by updating software or adding new features. They also issue additional driver updates at the same time, which is why the Windows system should be checked for any updates on a regular basis.
So follow these steps given below on how to update windows on your system.
Step 1: Open the Settings app by pressing the Win + I keys simultaneously.
Step 2: Select the Windows Update option from the menu on the left side of the Settings window.
Step 3: Then click Check for updates on the top right corner of the window as shown below.
Step 4: If there are any available updates, please download and install them.
Step 5: Once done, restart the system to let those updates take effect.
Step 6: After the system boots up, see if the taskbar is working as expected.
Fix 5 – Try creating a new user account on the system
Users may make several changes to the system’s settings or edit/modify any data file, resulting in system difficulties. It’s also very hard to discover or fix what alteration the user may have made.
As a result, it is preferable to establish a new user account and attempt to log into the system with it. Here are a few steps explained briefly on how to do it.
Step 1: Go to the Settings app on the system by pressing Win + I keys together.
Step 2: Click the Accounts option on the left panel of the Settings app window.
Step 3: On the right side, select Other users as shown below.
Step 4: Tap on Add account button of Add other user option under Other users as shown in the below image.
Step 5: If you have any other Microsoft account details then you can sign in with that and create a new user account by following the on-screen instructions.
Step 6: If you have no information about any other Microsoft account, click I don’t have this person’s sign-in information link as shown in the below image.
Step 7: If you want to create a Microsoft account, enter the email address and click Next and perform the onscreen tasks.
Step 8: Click the Add a user without a Microsoft account if you want to create a local account.
Step 9: This pops up Create a user for this PC window.
Step 10: Enter all the details such as account name, passwords and other security questions, etc. and click Next.
Step 11: This will create the local account on the system.
Step 12: Now restart the system and login using the newly created local account.
Check if the taskbar is working fine now.
Did you find any solution from this post that worked for you? Please tell us in the comments section!
Thank you very much.