Taskbar not working in Windows 11

Important! Despite the release, Windows 11 — Pretty new operating system. For this reason, it is developing rapidly – new features are added, graphic design is changing. This should be taken into account, because the article uses build 21H2 (22000.527) as an example, subsequent ones may have some differences.

Method 1: Restarting the computer

Problems with the taskbar can be caused by inaccurate user actions within a running session. Often they do not affect the low-level components of the operating system, so they can be eliminated by restarting the computer.

If this is not possible in the standard way, then minimize all active windows by using the Win + D hotkeys and open a special window by pressing Alt+F4. Then select the “Restart” option from the drop-down list and click on the “OK” button.

This is not the only way to shut down your computer. A separate article on our website describes all available regular tools in various versions of operating systems. If necessary, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the material presented there.

Method 2: Restarting the graphical shell

If a error in the graphical shell of Windows 11, the result may be the inoperability of the taskbar. It is impossible to establish a causal relationship for this, but the procedure for restarting the corresponding service in the system does not take much time and does not require special knowledge.

Invoke the “Task Manager” by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on the keyboard. After that, go to the “Processes” tab and find the “Explorer” program in the list. Select it and click the Restart button in the lower right corner of the window.

Pay attention! If due to an error in the operating system, the specified method fails to open the Task Manager, we recommend that you read other material on our website. It describes in detail all the methods for launching this component.

Method 3: System update

Since the Windows 11 operating system was released relatively recently, on different devices, errors unexpected by developers may occur, in particular, problems with the correct operation of the taskbar. For this reason, you should periodically check for updates that are aimed at troubleshooting:

1. Open the options window by pressing Win + I. Go to the “Windows Update” section and click on the “Check for Updates” button .
2. Wait for the status analysis process to complete systems. If data packets are found, automatic download will begin followed by installation. You can monitor the progress of this procedure directly in the options window.
3. Restart your computer by clicking on the button that appears. If it doesn’t appear, reload anyway.

Following the instructions above will in most cases fix problems with the taskbar, but in some cases you will also need to install optional updates:

1. While in Windows Update, go to Advanced Options ”, the link to which is located a little lower on the page, in the “Other settings” block.
2. In the menu that opens, immediately activate the “Get updates for other Microsoft products” option.
3. Scroll down the page a little and click on Optional Updates.
4. Expand the available drop-down lists and check all updates. After that, click on the “Download and install” button .

Return to main menu « Windows Update” and follow the progress of the update installation procedure. Then restart the computer.

Method 4: Restoring system files

If user actions or virus software provoked damage to system files, this can cause problems in the taskbar.In such cases, you should use a special console th utility that automatically scans Windows 11 and, if problems are found, will restore data.

1. Launch the Run utility by pressing Win + R. Enter the cmd command and, holding down the Ctrl + Shift keys, click by the “OK” button. This initialization method will allow you to enter the “Command Prompt” as an administrator.
2. In the console window, type the following command and press Enter to execute it:sfc /scannow
3. Wait for disk space analysis to complete. This may take some time.
4. After the end, the result will be displayed on the screen, depending on which the utility will automatically take further actions.

Important! As an example, above is a screenshot where there are no problems with the integrity of system files. Otherwise, the application may report the need for recovery or the impossibility of carrying out this procedure.

Method 5: Checking the integrity of disk C

Checking the disk is carried out in almost the same way as described earlier, but This procedure covers not only system files, but the entire C drive where Windows 11 is installed:

1. The utility is console, so run the “Command Prompt” as an administrator. To do this, open the “Run” window using the Win + R combination, enter the command cmd and hold down the Ctrl + Shift keys and click the “OK” button.
2. Copy the following command into the console that appears and press Enter to execute it:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image / ScanHealth
3. Please wait while the analysis procedure finishes and sees if there are problems with the Windows 11 image component store. If there are problems, the restore process will start, otherwise an appropriate alert will be displayed.

Pay attention! Utility D ISM works in automatic mode, the user does not need to enter any additional commands. However, it is recommended that you restart your computer after it has completed its work.

Method 6: Removing viruses

The reason for the unstable operation of the operating system may be be viruses. You should install third-party antivirus software on your computer and scan it. All such applications work according to the same principle: after launching, it is necessary to start the process of analyzing files in the block with the main functions. It is important to select all involved disk partitions for verification in order to make sure that there is no threat.

Pay attention! You should use the program from a third-party developer, since the regular Defender has already missed malicious code into the system, failing to recognize it at the initialization stage.

If you have difficulty choosing an antivirus, we have a separate article on our website with a brief overview of popular solutions on the software market.

Method 7: Re-registration of the panel

A bunch of operating system modules is responsible for the correct operation of the taskbar. If they are out of order, you will need to re-register with a preliminary reinstallation. All actions are performed in the PowerShell command shell:

1. Press the Win + X hotkey combination, then select the “Windows Terminal (Administrator)” option in the context menu that appears.
2. Paste the following command in the console window, then press Enter to execute it :Get-appxpackage -all *shellexperience* -packagetype bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + “appxmetadataappxbundlemanifest.xml”)}
3. Close PowerShell and call the command interpreter by pressing Win + R. Paste the value control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions and click OK.
4. In the Troubleshooting section, click the Rebuild button, and confirm this action in the dialog box that appears.
5. Do the same manipulations with all remaining components in the list, then close all active windows and test the taskbar.

Method 8: Reinstall UWP

Due to malfunctions in the operating system, the taskbar may lose contact with the control modules. The consequence is the lack of access to all its functions. You can fix this by re-registering the program through the PowerShell console shell, but first you need to disable the firewall:

1. Open the “Control Panel”. You can do this in the standard way through the Start menu, but if it is not available, you should call the Run window with the Win + R keys, then enter the control command and click on the OK button.
2. After the desired utility appears, set the display mode to Large Icons and go to the Firewall menu Windows Defender”.
3. On the side panel on the left, follow the link “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off”.
4. Check both boxes next to “Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended)” and click the “OK” button.
5. Minimize the active window and invoke the PowerShell console shell. To do this, press the Win + X hotkey combination and select “Windows Terminal (Administrator)” from the list of options that appears.
6. In the window that appears, paste the command bundle below, then press the Enter key to initialize:Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}
7. Restart your computer and then test the taskbar.

Important! After After all steps, it is recommended that you re-enable the operating system firewall. To do this, follow the beginning of the instructions, only at the stage of disabling the service, select the required options.

Method 9: Editing the registry

The system registry contains settings for all operating system software, including taskbar components . To normalize their work, you will need to create a special configuration file.This is done as follows:

1. Launch the “Registry Editor”. To do this, open the Run window and type regedit, then click the OK button.
2. Paste the following directory path in the address bar at the top of the interface, then press Enter:HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced
3. In an empty area of ​​the directory, right-click and select option “New” → “DWORD (32-bit) Value”.
4. Enter the name “EnableXamlStartMenu” in the field that appears and press Enter.
5. Double click on the newly created setting to open the properties menu. Enter the number “0” (without quotes) in the “Value” field, then apply the changes by clicking on the “OK” button.
6. After the manipulations, close the system registry window and restart the computer.

Attention! It is important to follow the instructions exactly without attempting to edit other parameters. Careless actions can lead to a critical operating system error.

Method 10: Reverting the system to its original state

If all the methods listed in the article did not give a positive result, which means that the problem is more serious and cannot be solved through the user interface. In this case, it is recommended to roll back the system to its original state:

1. Open the options window using the Win + I hotkeys. Go to the “System” section, and then proceed to the “Recovery” menu.
2. Click on the “Restart PC” button, which located opposite “Reset this PC”.
3. In the window that appears, select the “Delete All” option. This is a mandatory measure as saving the system files will not fix the problem with the taskbar.
4. If you choose to reinstall Windows, click the Local Reinstall button. This method does not require internet connection and is more stable.
5. Familiarize yourself with the parameters of the procedure and, if necessary, make changes by clicking on the appropriate link. Then click Next.
6. In all subsequent windows, ignore the messages about the danger of performing the set operation by clicking on the “Reset” buttons.

The process of reinstalling the operating system will start, which will be a rollback to the original state. At the end, you will need to perform the initial setup and create a new offline Windows 11 account or log in to your Microsoft account. After these steps, the system will be usable again.

Important! If a system rollback fails, the remaining option is to completely reinstall the operating system. But first you need to create a boot drive. This process is described in detail in our other article, which we recommend that you read.

@top-advice.ru