How to Fix Windows 11 Taskbar Not Working issue

Recently upgraded to Windows 11 and the Taskbar is not working already? This is common as many users who upgraded their Windows OS off-late, reported of experiencing this issue.

Microsoft launched Windows 11 with a lot of hype, that included some improvements to the features, services, overall design, and with a centered Taskbar. However, users soon realized that the Taskbar was rather a downgrade compared to the Windows 10.

You may also experience other Taskbar related issues like missing, unresponsive or blank Taskbar. The taskbar is one of the most important part of the Windows OS as you find it convenient to launch your daily applications directly. You can also quickly change to another app straight from the Taskbar, access the Start menu and more, and save time

So, when the Windows 11 Taskbar is unresponsive and you are unable to use it, it can be frustrating. While you can try the most basic troubleshooting step, for example, closing all apps and restarting your PC (this helps fix a lot of Windows issues), but if it doesn’t work, then you can follow the methods below.

In this post, we offer you an exhaustive list of solutions that can help you fix the “Windows 11 taskbar not working” issue. Read to know more about the troubleshooting steps.

Method 1: Restart Taskbar Services

In this case, you can restart the Windows Explorer in Task Manager and this will restart the overall services including the Taskbar. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open Run command.

Step 2: Type in taskmgr in the search box and press OK to open the Task Manager window.

 

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Step 3: Under the Processes tab, go to Windows processes and look for Windows Explorer.

Step 4: Select Windows Explorer and click on the Restart button below.

 

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Close the Task Manager window and check if the taskbar shows up again.



Method 2: Apply Microsoft fix

You can use command prompt to run the Microsoft’s fix that helps your PC revert to a working state, or you can run commands to repair the corrupt or missing system files.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run command box.

Step 2: Type cmd in the search box and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to launch Command Prompt with administrative rights

 

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Step 3: Run the below command in the Command Prompt window and press the Enter key:

reg delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IrisService /f && shutdown -r -t 0

Your PC should now restart and the Taskbar problem should be resolved now.

Method 3: Repair system files

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys together on your keyboard to open Run command.

Step 2: In the search box, type cmd and at the same time, press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to open the Command Prompt window with admin rights.

 

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Step 3: Type the below commands in the Command Prompt in sequence and hit Enter after each one:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

sfc /scannow

After the commands are executed, close Command prompt and reboot your PC. The Windows Taskbar not working issue should be resolved now.

Method 4: Restart System Services

Restarting some of the services may help fix the Windows 11 Taskbar unresponsive issue. Follow the below instruction to fix the problem:

Step 1: Press the Win + R keys on your keyboard at the same time to open Run command window.

Step 2: Write Taskmgr in the Run command search box and hit Enter.

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Step 3: In the Task Manager window, go to the Details tab.

Look for the below services, right-click on them one by one and select End task for each one.

  • ShellExperienceHost.exe
  • SearchIndexer.exe
  • SearchHost.exe
  • RuntimeBroker.exe

 

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Now, close Task Manager, restart your PC and check if this fixes the taskbar issue.

Method 5: Turn Off Auto Hide Taskbar

The auto hide taskbar is a new feature among many on Windows 11 and when turned on, this can be the reason why you do not see the Taskbar. In this case, disabling the feature may help fix the issue. Let’s see how:

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys together to open Windows Settings.

Step 2: In the Settings window, click on Personalisation on the left side of the pane.

Step 3: Now, go to the right side, scroll down and look for Taskbar. Click on it to expand it.

 

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Step 4: In the Taskbar settings screen, scroll down and expand Taskbar behaviors.

Now, deselect the box next to Automatically hide the taskbar option.

 

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Close the Settings app, reboot your PC and now, you should see the missing taskbar back again.

Method 6: Update Graphics Driver

Sometimes, outdated graphics driver may lead to the taskbar not working issue on Windows 11. In such cases, updating the driver to the latest version may fix the issue. Here’s how:

 

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys at the same time and the Run command is launched.

Step 2: In the Run command box, type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter.

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Step 3: This will open the Device Manager window.

Look for Display adapters and click on it to open.

Now, right-click on the graphics card and select Update driver from the menu.

 

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Step 4: Next, it will open the Update Drivers window.

Click on Search automatically for drivers.

 

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It will start looking for available drivers. If any latest version of the driver found, it will be installed automatically.

Exit Device Manager and now check if the Windows 11 taskbar not working issue is gone.

*Note – Alternatively, you can also visit the manufacture’s website for the graphics card, for example, NVIDIA, and download and install the latest version of the driver manually.

Method 7: Enable Taskbar for All Monitors

If you are using a second display, and the taskbar is unresponsive on the second monitor, then try changing its taskbar settings. Follow the below steps to possibly fix the issue:

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys together to open the Settings window.

Step 2: Go the left side of the Settings pane and click on Personalisation.

Step 3: Now, on the right side of the window, scroll down and click on Taskbar to open Taskbar settings.

 

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Step 4: In the next window, expand Taskbar behaviors and select the option – Show my taskbar on all displays.

 

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Close Windows settings and check if the taskbar is back.

Method 8: Change Date and Time

Sometimes, changing the date and time of the PC may help you get the Windows 11 taskbar back. Here’s how to:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys on the keyboard to open the Run dialog.

Step 2: Now, enter the command – timedate.cpl and press Enter.

 

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Step 3: As the Date and Time window pops up, press the Change date and time button.

 

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Step 4: Next, Make sure date and time are correct and click on OK.

Step 5: Now, select Internet Time and click on Change settings below.

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Step 6: The Internet Time Settings window opens.

Here, deselect Synchronize with an internet time server option and press OK.

 

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Now, close the Date and Time window, restart your PC and check if the issue is resolved.

Method 10: Modify Registry Settings

A lot of times, many Windows issues get fixed by making a few changes to the registry keys. In this case, you can try changing the registry settings for the taskbar or edit the XAML to check if this fixes the taskbar not working issue. However, before you make any changes to the registry keys, make sure you create a backup of the registry settings. This will help you to recover any lost data during eth process. Let’s see how to edit the taskbar registry settings:

 

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously and the Run dialog opens up.

Step 2: In the Run dialog, write regedit in the search box and hit Enter.

Step 3: Copy and paste the below path in the Registry Editor address bar and press Enter:

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

 

Now, on the right side, click on the DWORD value – TaskbarSd.

Step 4: It will open the Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value box.

Here, go to Value data and change the Value from 0 to 1.

Press OK to save the changes and exit.

 

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Now, close the Registry Editor, reboot your PC and the taskbar should be back and working.

Method 11: Re-register Taskbar

It could be possible that the taskbar got de-registered accidentally and hence, it stops working on Windows 11. Re-registering the taskbar may help you get it back and working. Here’s how to re-register the taskbar:

 

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard to launch the Run dialog.

Step 2: In the Run dialog window, type Powershell and at the same time, press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together.

 

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Step 2: In the Windows Powershell (admin) window that opens, run the below command and hit Enter:



 

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

 

Once the command is completely executed, close the terminal and restart your PC. The Windows 11 taskbar should be working now.

Method 12: Uninstall Windows Update – KB5006674

Chances are, that a recent Windows Update – KB5006674 may be interfering with the taskbar and hence, it may be causing the issue. You can uninstall the update and check if this helps. Follow the below process to uninstall the update:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R together to open Run command.

Step 2: Now, type in appwiz.cpl and press OK and this will open the Programs and features window in the Control Panel app.

 

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Here, click on View installed updates on the left side.

 

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Step 3: Under Uninstall an update, look for the update in the list, right-click on it and select Uninstall.

Wait for it be uninstalled completely. Now, reboot your PC and the Taskbar should work fine now.

Method 13: Reset Windows 11 Device

If none of the above methods work, you can try resetting your Windows 11 PC and this may help fix the unresponsive taskbar issue in most cases. Let’s see the process:

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys at the same time and the Settings app opens up.

Step 2: Click on the System option on the left side of the window.

Step 3: Go to the right side and click on Recovery.

 

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Step 4: On the Recovery settings screen, click on Reset PC next to Reset this PC under Recovery options.

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Step 5: It will open another window – Reset This PC.

Under Choose an option, either select Keep my files (to continue with the data on your PC) or Remove everything.

 

Now, wait till the reset process is complete and once done, PC will restart automatically.

The Windows 11 taskbar should be back now.

 

Apart from the above methods, you can also try changing the alignment of the taskbar from center to left or right to check if it helps show up the taskbar again. Alternatively, you can also run a Windows security check by running the Windows Defender antivirus scan and if any issues found, it will fix them automatically.

You can also check for any pending Windows update and if any available, make sure to install them. This will help keep your system running smoothly at all times and may also fix the taskbar issue.

When none of the methods work, you try restoring a system restore to make your PC return to a state when it was working.