Fix: Windows 10 Or 11 Taskbar Is Not Working On My PC

If your Windows taskbar is unresponsive, we got you covered. Here are several ways to fix Windows 10 & 11 taskbar that's not working on your PC.

The taskbar is arguably the most useful and widely used feature of the Windows operating system, providing quick and easy access to programs and sections we regularly need while using our computer.

When the taskbar doesn’t work or it shows signs of unresponsiveness, it can be a bit alarming for the average user. However, you should know that the issue with the Windows taskbar not working is a lot more common than you think.

In this guide, we’ll help you fix the Windows taskbar problem, so without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Table of ContentsShow

The Problem Explained

Problem

There have been various issues reported regarding the Windows taskbar feature. Some users described the problem by saying the taskbar is completely unresponsive, while others said it’s not hiding or displaying properly.

If like some users, you have all your program shortcuts set on your taskbar, but cannot use any of them as both it and the start menu are not responding to any commands/clicks, it means you’re facing a common Windows issue for which, fortunately, there are confirmed and working fixes.

Take a look at the sections below for more information on how to efficiently solve this problem.   

Fix 1: Restart The File Explorer Process (FKA Windows Explorer)

Restart

The File Explorer Windows process, formerly known as Windows Explorer, plays a crucial role in the overall functioning of the Windows OS.

If the File explorer process is crashing, not working properly, or simply cannot start due to various issues, chances are you’ll experience a lot of problems and a lack of functionality while using your computer.

One of the simplest solutions for the Windows Taskbar issue is to restart the File Explorer process within Task Manager, and you can accomplish that by following the steps below:

  1. Press Windows + X simultaneously on your keyboard, then click Task Manager from the list of available options. If this doesn’t work, use the CTRL + ALT + DELETE shortcut instead, and then click Task Manger.
  2. Once the Task Manager window is open on your screen, click on Processes and then search for the Windows Explorer process that has the icon of a regular Windows folder.
  3. Right-click it and choose the Restart option, as shown in the image below.
    Windows Explorer Restart

Please note that immediately after you restart the process, Windows may become unresponsive for a few moments until the process is up and running again.

When the restart is complete, your taskbar should be working normally again.

Feel free to repeat this method whenever your taskbar starts becoming non-responding in the future. It’s not a permanent fix for the problem, but it takes just a few seconds to do and often works for many users, so it’s worth trying.  

Fix 2: Modify WpnUserService’s Value In The Windows Registry Editor

Command

If your Windows 10 taskbar won’t work when trying to use any of the shortcuts pinned to it, or respond to the context menu right-click function, the following method may fix the problem.

This fix includes modifying the value of one component within the Windows Registry Editor panel, and we’ll show you exactly how to do that in the step-by-step tutorial below.

Here’s what you should do:

  1. Press Windows + Run on your keyboard at the same time to open the Run window.
  2. Type in RegEdit and press Enter.
  3. Expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder, then the SYSTEM folder, then CurrentControlSet, then Services, and finally, click on WpnService, but don’t expand it as you did to the others.
  4. Within the WpnService folder, double-click on the item named Start.
  5. Set its base to Hexadecimal, and the Value Data to 4.
  6. Press OK to save the changes.
  7. Reboot your computer.

Now, after your computer starts back up, the issue should be resolved. Your taskbar should function as intended and without any additional crashes or errors.

Note: If you experience any other problems due to the change you just made (which hasn’t been reported so far) you can always repeat the steps and change the Value Data back to 2, instead of 4 like you just set it to be.

Fix 3: Re-Register Your Apps Using Windows PowerShell

Fix

Some users reported not being able to click on or see any icons on their taskbar. Others described the problem as clicking on the icons but getting an error that says there’s an issue with the app.

Even though this can be a bothersome problem, it is not closely connected to the taskbar.

Either way, we’ll show you how to fix it using a simple Windows PowerShell command.

Have a look at the steps below to complete it fast and effectively.

  1. Press Windows + S on your keyboard to open the Search Box.
  2. Type in Windows PowerShell, right-click the first result and choose Run as Administrator. This will launch an elevated Windows PowerShell panel, which is very important for the rest of the steps to work.
  3. Paste the following command: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}
  4. Press Enter.
  5. Wait for the process to complete.
  6. Close PowerShell and reboot your PC.

Now the problem should be fixed. The icons pinned on your taskbar should no longer have broken icons and not work when you click them.  

Fix 4: Download The Latest Windows Updates

Update

We always recommend having the latest Windows updates installed as they often contain fixes for some already-addressed problems.

Even if the issue may have appeared after a larger Windows update, you shouldn’t feel discouraged to download the next ones as chances are the developers already looked into the issue and pushed a fix.

Sometimes users revert to an older Windows version that didn’t have this issue, and although that’s a temporary fix that does work most of the time, we do not recommend it due to security reasons. Use this as a last-resort option if none of the other fixes listed in this guide helped you overcome the problem.

Conclusion

If the Windows 10 taskbar does not work on your computer, there could be numerous causes for the problem, but luckily, the issue is often easily solvable.

In the sections above, we listed several proven methods that should help you fix the Windows taskbar issue that happens to be a known concern amongst the worldwide user base.

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Bojan Veselinovikj
LinkedIn

Bojan is a video-game developer and a tech enthusiast. Combining these two passions allow him to keep you informed on everything that's new in this fast-paced digital world.