Windows 10 taskbar not working – 7 Methods to Fix

The Windows 10 taskbar was a novelty when this version of the operating system was released, since in addition to maintaining a large part of the functionalities of Windows 7, it adds a series of quite useful features, such as multiple desktops and the integration of the virtual assistant Cortana. Either way, the Windows taskbar has been iconic and we’ve gotten too used to it, so if it doesn’t work, it’s a problem.

In general, new functions represent errors and bugs that must be fixed with patches, and this is the case of the Windows 10 taskbar that does not work sometimes . But don’t worry, this guide contains different ways to solve this problem. It is very likely that you will have to try several alternatives until you find the solution, so it is important to be patient and follow the steps as they appear.

How to solve the taskbar in Windows 10

Here are the solutions to the most common problems that you can find in the Windows 10 taskbar, such as that the icons of the programs disappear, or that the bar does not react to any click. And you don’t need to be a computer expert to follow these steps and solve your problem.

It is recommended to create a restore point before proceeding with any of these steps, as they can affect the stability of the operating system.

Methods For solving Taskbar Problems

#1 Method – The taskbar is not hidden automatically

#2 Method – Check for malicious add-ons

#3 Method – Reappear taskbar icons with DISM

#4 Method – Driver problem

#5 Method – The taskbar is not responding to clicks

#6 Method – Re-register the taskbar

#7 Method – Create a new user account

#1. The taskbar is not hidden automatically “Taskbar won’t hide”

This function is widely used and there have been reports that sometimes it can stop working suddenly, there is little information about this error on the Internet, and there is still no official solution from Microsoft, but restarting the Windows Explorer process can be solved.

Here are the steps for this:

1. Tap the Windows Key + X, and then select Task Manager.
2. Go to the tab Processes , select Explorador Windows.
3. Right-click on and select Restart .
4. Check that the taskbar is hidden normally.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, watch out for an app that requires your attention. They are usually alert messages or popups so small that you can’t see them if you have multiple windows open.

#2. Check for malicious add-ons

There is probably a Windows Explorer program or plug-in on your computer that affects the operation of the taskbar, and you must identify it to remove it from your system and thus solve the problem.

The best way to identify it is to start your Windows 10 in selective mode and disable services until you know which of them affects the taskbar. Here are the steps to achieve it:

1. Press Windows + R keys , type msconfig and hit Enter
2. In the general tab, select the Selective startup option, uncheck Load startup items and make sure the other 2 options are checked
3. Now go to the Services tab and select the option ” Hide all Microsoft services” and click on Disable all
4. Click on Apply and restart the computer

When starting Windows 10, the start bar should be working correctly. All you have to do is go back into the services tab and activate them little by little until you know which one is causing the conflict. When you discover it, you can uninstall or disable it from that same panel.

#3. Reappear taskbar icons with DISM

It is possible that suddenly the icons of the programs on the Windows 10 taskbar disappear, in addition to other tools such as the clock, and to solve it you must enter some commands in the command prompt window, but it is easier than what It seems.

Here are the steps to solve this problem:

1. Press the Windows + Q keys and search for “cmd”
2. Now, press CTRL + SHIFT + Enter to open Command Prompt as Administrator.
3. When the window opens, copy and paste the following codes in order:

DISM / Online / Cleanup-Image / CheckHealth

DISM / Online / Cleanup-Image / ScanHealth

DISM / Online / Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth

4. Restart your PC and check the results.

This process takes a while, and / RestoreHealth or / ScanHealth may get stuck at 20 or 40%. Don’t worry, this is normal.

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#4. Driver problem

The Windows 10 interface has various visual effects, and therefore requires that the graphics and sound drivers work correctly, so a conflict with these can be the cause of the taskbar not working correctly.

To check if this is the case, you can update your graphics card drivers to the latest ones offered by the manufacturer, or disable automatic updates in Windows 10, which can sometimes cause problems with the drivers.

1. Open the Control Panel;
2. Go to the System and security section and then to the System section
3. Look in the left column for the Advanced system configuration option and click it
4. In the window that will open, go to the Hardware tab
5. Click on the Device Installation Configuration option
6. Check the option that says No , save the changes and restart your computer

Now you can uninstall the drivers that were automatically installed by Windows 10 and install the manufacturer’s. If the problem is not solved, it is advisable to change the previous option to ” Yes “.

#5.The taskbar is not responding to clicks

On occasion, some users have reported that the taskbar appears normal in appearance, but does not respond to any clicks we make on it, which can be quite frustrating.

This problem is very rare and the solution for it involves using certain commands that remove Windows 10 apps, including the store, so be very careful when following these steps, and use them as a last resort:

1. Press the Windows + Q keys and search for “cmd”
2. Now, press CTRL + SHIFT + Enter to open Command Prompt as Administrator.
3. In the window enter the following codes:

Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage

Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online

4. Restart your computer and check that the taskbar is working correctly.

Since following these steps will have uninstalled the Windows 10 app store , you will have to install it again if you want to use it.

#6. Re-register the taskbar

If you have applied any of the solutions in this guide but the problem reappeared, you can try this solution, but first we recommend making a backup. It basically consists of inserting a command in the PowerShell tool, which will restore the taskbar to an initial state.

Here are the steps for this:

1. Press the start key and type powershell in search
2. Right click on the PowerShell application and select the option Run as administrator
3.  Now copy and paste the following command:
4. Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage

-DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$ ($ _. InstallLocation) \ AppXManifest.xml”}

6. Open File Explorer and make sure you have enabled the function of showing hidden items
   7. Go to the following path: C: / Users / XXXXX / AppData / Local /(changing XXXXX to the name of your PC account)
   8. Find the folder called TileDataLayer and delete it
   9. Restart the computer and check if the taskbar works correctly

Note: If you can’t delete the TileDataLayer folder, do the following:

1. Press the Windows + R keys , type msc and press Enter
2. Browse until you find a process called Tile Data model server
3. Right click and select the Stop option
4. Try again to delete the TileDataLayer folder

#7. Create a new user account

In case you have not been able to solve the problems with your taskbar in Windows 10 with these alternatives, creating a new user account on your computer may solve it, but it is a tedious task so you should leave it as the last option.

Here are the steps to create a new user account in Windows 10:

1. Press the Windows + I keys
2. Go to Accounts> Family and other people
3. Click on  Add another person to this computer
4. Follow the steps to create a local user account on your PC

Creating another account can solve the problem since it will start clean, without any of the processes or services that may be causing conflict with the Windows 10 taskbar. Although it has disadvantages such as having to pass our files the new account or the fact that we have already used our email account for the existing account.