Are you having trouble with your Windows 10 taskbar?
Or perhaps you have trouble logging in due to a broken taskbar?
Do you experience error messages that keep popping up when you try to open applications? Does your Windows 10 taskbar have missing icons? If you answer yes to all these questions, then you could be dealing with a broken taskbar on your Windows 10.
Fortunately, you’re not alone. A lot of people actually experience this type of issue with their Windows 10 computer. In this article, we’re going to give you a few fixes that can resolve the issue. But before that, let’s know what the Windows 10 taskbar is first.
What is the Windows 10 Taskbar?
The first thing you see when you sign in into your Windows 10 computer is the taskbar. It shows you the programs that are currently running on your computer. The taskbar is merely a manager for running applications and shortcuts to your most frequently accessed locations and favorite applications.
Quick Video Fix For Taskbar Issues
How to Fix Broken Windows 10 Taskbar Issues
Now that you know what is a Windows 10 taskbar, below is a list of fixes to rectify a broken Windows 10 taskbar.
1st Fix: Restart Your Windows Computer
This is the simplest and the first fix to try. It solves a lot of computer issues and requires only basic computer skills. Techworm has given these few simple steps you can follow:
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc all at the same time. This function will open your Task Manager.
On the Process tab, look for Windows Explorer.
Right click on it then click the Restart button.
This simple step should fix the problem. If not, then you can proceed to the second fix.
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2nd Fix: Check for Updates
Sometimes a broken taskbar problem can be fixed by a simple update. This simple fix which is given by Windows Support includes the following steps:
Press both Windows Key and R at once.
Type ms-settings: in the search bar then press Enter.
Choose Update & security then Windows Updates.
Select Check for Updates and install all available updates.
After the installation is finished, restart your computer.
3rd Fix: Update the Windows Drivers
Outdated or incompatible drivers may cause problems for your PC, and this may include a problematic Windows 10 taskbar. Download the right drivers that are compatible with your system.
Techworm recommends using Driver Talent for safely updating your drivers. You can also follow these steps:
Identify the outdated drivers using the scan button on Driver Talent or any other tool of your choosing.
Click on the Update button
Restart your PC after all updates are downloaded.
Video Guide: How To Update Your Drivers For Free In Windows 10
4th Fix: Run PowerShell as Administrator
If these simple fixes didn’t solve the issue, you can now try the more complicated and technical processes. One of them is to use the Windows PowerShell. To repair a broken Windows 10 taskbar using PowerShell, a user from Microsoft Community suggests that you follow the steps below:
Press the Windows key and R at the same time.
Type in PowerShell on your keyboard and hit Enter.
On the taskbar, right click on the PowerShell icon and select Run as administrator.
Paste this command in the window and press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | For each {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
Wait for PowerShell to complete command execution. You will see some errors pop up. Just ignore them.
When the execution completes, try clicking Start and see if your taskbar is working properly.
Video Guide: Set Powershell To Run As Admin
5th Fix: Create a New Local Administrator Account
If you’re still unable to fix the problem with the above steps, you can create a new local administrator account as suggested by Windows support. To create a new administrator account, simply follow these steps:
Press Windows key + R at the same time.
Type ms-settings: then click OK.
The settings dialogue box will open. Select Accounts > Family &other people.
Under Family & other people, select Add someone else to this PC.
Set your preferred username, password, and a password hint then click
The next step is to change the account type to administrator:
Under the Family & other people section, choose the new account and select Change account type.
Under Account type, select Administrator and click Next.
Sign out of your old account and sign into the new account.
If this solves the problem, go ahead and move your data and files to the new account. Follow this procedure to move your data and files:
Open File Explorer and look for the Users folder. You should see folders for both accounts.
Select the folders that you want to transfer.
Copy the files from the old account and paste them to a similar location in the new account.
You can also use an external drive to transfer the files with ease.
If the problem still persists, the next step is to try and delete the old administrator account. To delete your old administrator account:
Go to Other users and select the old administrator account.
Select Remove then click Delete account and data.
Restart your PC and sign in using the new administrator account.
Video Guide: Create A Local Administrator Account Via Powershell
6th Fix: Restore Your PC
If all the above fixes didn’t work, there’s still a last resort solution which might fix the problem – restoring your PC as suggested by Windows support. This option has many options such as:
Restoring from a system restore point
Resetting your pc
Using a recovery drive to restore or reset your pc
Using an installation media to reinstall Windows10
Going back to the previous Windows
Choose a process that feels right to you and execute it. If these processes still can’t solve the problem, you will have to install a new copy of the Windows 10 version.
Forum Feedback
To better understand why Windows 10 taskbar gets broken, we searched through different tech support forums (this one and this one). In general, people were looking for Windows 10 taskbar broken after update and Windows 10 taskbar icons broken, and Windows 10 taskbar not working properly.
A person shared that his laptop crashed after he downloaded a clip and that after the crash, his taskbar didn’t work properly. He added that the Time Display was missing and that when he clicked on the taskbar’s icons – nothing happened. He reached to support, but they were not useful in helping him solve the problem
Another individual also mentioned that his taskbar broke after he updated Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. At first, the taskbar was not clickable for at least an hour after he turned on the laptop, but then the problem would resolve suddenly on its own. However, things got worse in time. He mentioned that the taskbar’s icons didn’t appear anymore along with the clock.
Another computer user complains that he has two missing icons from his taskbar.
The strange thing is that the icons aren’t there, but the space for them is, and when he tries to click on them, Windows Explorer freezes and crashes.
As a result, the can’t open Cortana, Start Menu, or check his Notifications.
He tried to fix the issue by restarting the computer several times, but the problem persisted.
The user is able to launch the problematic programs, but not from the taskbar.
When he contacted Microsoft Support, they advised that he start the Microsoft Account Troubleshooter or just create a new account and transfer all the data from the old one.
A forum member also shared similar problems with his Windows 10 taskbar. The solution for him was to activate his administrator account from the command prompt. He said that if you have similar troubles, you probably have issues with your Microsoft account. The person recommends signing in with another account to check if you have normal access to the taskbar.
Another laptop owner stated that he couldn’t open the Start Menu from the taskbar and that he tried to fix the problem by switching to tablet mode. However, that didn’t work, and he was stuck in tablet mode for a while until he was finally able to open the Start Menu and switch back.
A computer expert claims that the Windows 10 taskbar problems might be due to corrupted or damaged files.
He advises that you always have a system restore point so that you can restore the laptop to a functional state.
The person recommends that you can run System File Check to scan the system for corrupted files so that it can repair them if needed.
In case the check doesn’t turn up any damage files or process, the individual states that you can use the DISM command lines (Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth, Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth). You just need to open the command prompt, type a command line, press Enter after each one, and then restart the device.
Another user shares that he is very disappointed by Microsoft and their inability to provide a fix for the broken taskbar in Windows 10. He said that the problem was annoying because he had to restart his laptop due to crashes and that he expected more in terms of support from Microsoft.
A Reddit user states that he had a serious Windows 10 taskbar problem and that all his icons disappeared from the taskbar. He had to use system restore to fix the problem, and he wasn’t happy with the answers he received from Microsoft. He was convinced that the taskbar issue was related to the recent Windows update and that it was a bug that Microsoft was ignoring.
A tech support expert reports that you can try to open the Task Manager, click on Create New Task and type PowerShell. Then you have to enter the following prompt: $manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + ‘\AppxManifest.xml’ ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest. Some people did say that the solution worked for them, but it was useless to others who continued to have no access to their taskbar icons.
Another person mentioned that the issue for him was his Firewall. After he signed in with another account with no firewall, the taskbar started to function normally, and he had access to the Start Menu again.
Conclusion
Having a problematic Windows 10 taskbar can be very frustrating. It is a common issue among Windows 10 users. However, the above-mentioned fixes can hopefully fix the problem and return your PC back to normal.
Ryan is a computer enthusiast who has a knack for fixing difficult and technical software problems. Whether you’re having issues with Windows, Safari, Chrome or even an HP printer, Ryan helps out by figuring out easy solutions to common error codes.
