Is your Windows 10 taskbar not working? Microsoft gave the humble taskbar new tricks in Windows 10, but this introduced additional frustrating errors.
Let's look at fixes for the most common issues that plague the taskbar in Windows 10, such as it not responding at all. Using these solutions, you can have a fully functional taskbar once more.
We focus on Windows 10 here; see our guide to fixing the Windows 11 taskbar for help with that version.
1. Too Much Clutter on the Taskbar
Before we move on to specific problems, we should mention that by default, the Windows 10 taskbar has a lot of unnecessary junk that takes up valuable room. Thankfully, if you don't use these icons, you can hide them to make more space for the ones you care about.
One of them is the long search bar, which is unnecessary since you can search by clicking the Start button or hitting the Win key anytime. To hide the search bar in the Windows 10 taskbar, right-click on the search box or an empty area of the taskbar. Choose Search > Show search icon to change this to a small magnifying glass, or Hidden to hide the search field altogether.
Cortana has been heavily deemphasized since Windows 10 was released. If you don't use this feature, you can uncheck the Show Cortana button field to hide it. To save more space, also uncheck Show Task View button and rely on the keyboard shortcut Win + Tab to access the function instead.
There are a few unnecessary elements on the right end of the sidebar, too. Disable Show People on the taskbar to hide that neglected shortcut. Unless you use any of the options under Toolbars, you can disable them without losing anything. Those who don't want the weather on their taskbar can turn off News and Interests. And if you don't have a touchscreen, Show Windows Ink Workspace button and Show touch keyboard button are both unnecessary.
Now you'll have more room for the app icons you use all the time. While we focus on fixing particular taskbar issues below, check out our complete guide to Windows taskbar customization if you're looking for more personalization options.
2. The First Fix: Restart the Explorer Process
A quick first step when you have any taskbar issue in Windows is to restart the explorer.exe process. This controls the Windows shell, which includes the File Explorer app as well as the taskbar and Start menu. Restarting it can thus clear up any minor hiccups, such as your taskbar not working.
To restart this process, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager. Click More details at the bottom if you only see the simple window. Then on the Processes tab, locate Windows Explorer. Right-click it and choose Restart.
You'll notice your taskbar goes away for a minute, then comes back. This is normal, and when it returns, it will hopefully function properly.
If this doesn't work, you can also try signing out and back into your user account. And don't forget that restarting your PC is always a good idea if you haven't done so in a while.
3. Check for Driver and Windows Updates
This is broad advice that's applicable to many PC problems, but it's solved taskbar strife for some. Outdated drivers, especially display drivers, can cause all sorts of issues. Thus, updating them is worth a look when your taskbar isn't responding or is otherwise acting strange.
Follow our guide to updating Windows drivers safely and see if this clears up your issue.
While you're at it, make sure you've installed all Windows updates at Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Sometimes the latest Windows patches can clear up strange issues like this.
4. Windows 10 Taskbar Not Hiding
When you've enabled the auto-hide functionality of the taskbar, it's annoying if it doesn't work properly. If restarting the Explorer process doesn't work or the issue happens frequently, you can try some other fixes.
First, make sure you actually have auto-hide enabled. Head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and make sure Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode is enabled. It's worth disabling and re-enabling this toggle while you're here, too. Sometimes an option can get stuck, and toggling it can restore the proper functionality.
One of the most common causes for the taskbar failing to hide automatically is an app requiring your attention. While this often comes accompanied by a glowing app icon on the taskbar, it's not always obvious when this is the case.
If your taskbar is stuck open, cycle through the apps you have open and make sure that there are no error messages or other alerts waiting for you anywhere. For example, your browser can switch to this "attention" state if a website displays a notification, or perhaps a chat client just received a new message.
If checking your open apps doesn't fix this, take a look at the apps in your System Tray. One of them, running in the background, might be calling for attention.
Should you run into this problem on a regular basis, try adjusting Windows notifications for the app that keeps getting stuck. Open Settings > System > Notifications & actions and disable notifications you don't want.
You should also check inside the app's settings for more granular control. For example, in Telegram, you can mute notifications for noisy group chats but keep them on for other conversations. Failing that, reinstalling any app that keeps the taskbar open may fix the problem.
5. Windows 10 Taskbar Icons Missing
If your taskbar is missing its icons and the System Tray at the bottom-right doesn't show the clock and other functions, you might have to dip into the Command Prompt and use classic Windows troubleshooting commands to remedy your issue. Fortunately, this isn't as intimidating as it might sound.
First, use the Win + X shortcut (or right-click the Start button) to open the Power User menu. From here, you can launch a Command Prompt (Admin), Windows PowerShell (Admin), or Windows Terminal (Admin) window. Using any of these, you can access a few tools to perform the taskbar fix.
In the resulting prompt, you should first try the SFC command, which runs the System File Checker utility to patch up Windows issues. Use this command to do so, then reboot once it's complete:
sfc /scannow If this doesn't fix the issue, you can try another utility. Enter the following command to invoke Disk Image Servicing and Management (DISM), and you should find that your Taskbar returns to its normal state after a reboot:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 6. Windows 10 Taskbar Not Responding or Frozen
If you can't click on anything in your taskbar, you can try a few PowerShell fixes. There's a relatively easy process, using a non-invasive command, that should clear up your unresponsive taskbar issues.
To use these, type PowerShell into the Start menu, then right-click its entry and choose Run as administrator. Enter the following command to re-register all apps:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} After this, navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local. Find the TileDataLayer folder and delete it. Hopefully, after a moment, this will fix your taskbar and allow you to click on items properly again.
There is a second, more invasive fix if your taskbar is still frozen. Unfortunately, this one comes at a cost, as it will also remove all Windows 10 apps, including the Microsoft Store, from your system. Only do this if you don't mind losing all Store apps and nothing else will fix your issue.
To try it, open PowerShell with admin rights as demonstrated above. Then input this command:
Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online Afterwards, restart your system and hopefully, you'll have everything fixed. Follow Winaero's guide if you decide that you want the Microsoft Store app back.
7. The Windows 10 Taskbar Moves Around
If you find that your Windows 10 taskbar moves around when you try to click it, chances are that you have it unlocked. This is a handy way to quickly stick your taskbar to another corner of the screen, but if you want to keep it in one place, the shortcut is only an annoyance.
Head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar again and make sure you have Lock the taskbar enabled. With this turned on, you won't be able to click and drag on an empty space in the taskbar to move it around your screen.
8. Last Resort: Try System Restore or Create a New User Account
Tried everything above and still can't manage to make your taskbar behave as it should? You can try a System Restore point, if you have one, to go back in time before the issue started.
Failing this, you can create a new Windows user account to clear up the problem. This is fairly inconvenient, but it might be your only fix if nothing else has worked.
To create a new user account, open the Settings app (Win + I) and navigate to Accounts > Family & other users. Under the Other Users section, select Add someone else to this PC.
You can then work your way through the account creation process. If you're replacing your own user account, you should choose the I don't have this person's sign-in information, then Add a user without a Microsoft account to avoid any confusion with your original login.
Long Live the Windows 10 Taskbar
Hopefully, you'll never run into issues with your Windows 10 taskbar again. One or more of these tips should have helped you fix any annoying problems, like not being able to click anything on the taskbar.
Now you can take full advantage of what the taskbar offers you for navigation and more.
