The Windows 11 taskbar provides access to frequently used applications, virtual desktops, Start menu, and quick settings. If the Taskbar stops working, you may have problems navigating your computer.
To quickly fix a frozen or unresponsive Taskbar, open Task Manager and stop the Windows Explorer service. However, the Taskbar can also stop working due to bad Windows updates, corrupted system files, and problems with system services. Depending on the problem, you will need to try a variety of solutions to fix when the Windows 11 Taskbar stops working or won’t load.
How to fix Windows 11 Taskbar not working
1. Restart Windows File Explorer
Windows Explorer is responsible for how you interact with the Windows 11 user interface. Restarting the service restarts the GUI process and fixes any temporary glitches that caused the Taskbar to stop working.
Your screen may flicker momentarily when Windows Explorer restarts. Your taskbar should start working now.
2. Install and re-register all Windows apps for all accounts
To install and re-register all Windows applications:
Step 1. Press the Win key and type powershell.
Step 2. Right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
Step 3. In the PowerShell window, type the following command and press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
Step 4. Now, Windows will try to install and re-register all built-in Windows applications. You’ll see a red error message that the app already exists and cannot be reinstalled. Ignore the message and wait for the process to complete until you see the following line:
PS C:\Users\Administrator>
Step 5. Close PowerShell and restart the computer. If you don’t want to perform a system reboot, restart Windows Explorer in Task Manager.
3. Uninstall a recently installed version of Windows Update
If the Taskbar started not working after installing a Windows update, uninstall the update to see if it fixes the problem. Windows feature updates can sometimes damage more than they can fix.
4. Close the system service causing the conflict
To restart system services in Task Manager:
Step 1. Open Task Manager.
Step 2. In Task Manager, open the Details tab in the left pane.
Step 3. Next, locate the following services. Right-click each service and select End Task.
ShellExperienceHost.exe
SearchIndexer.exe
SearchHost.exe
RuntimeBroker.exe
Step 4. After you restart all services, close Task Manager and restart your computer. After the computer restarts, check if the Taskbar is working.
5. Enable XAML for the Start menu with Registry Editor
To enable XAML for the Start menu using the Registry Editor:
Step 1. Press Win + R to open Run.
Step 2. Type regedit and click OK. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.
Step 3. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following location. You can copy and paste the registry path for quick navigation:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Step 4. Next, in the left pane, right-click the Advanced key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Step 5. Rename the value to EnableXamlStartMenu.
Step 6. Next, double-click the newly created EnableXamlStartMenu value to modify it.
Step 7. Enter 0 in the Value data field and click OK to save the changes.
Step 8. Close Registry Editor and restart the PC.
6. Run System File Checker and DISM
Windows has a number of command-line utilities that restore and repair the system. For example System File Checker (SFC) can scan your system for missing or corrupted files and repair them.
7. Perform a system restore
You can use a recent system restore point to restore your PC to an earlier point when the Taskbar was working properly. A restore point helps you restore the Windows operating system when a driver, feature or application update crashes the system.
8. Create a new user account
Corrupt user profiles can cause some system functions to stop working. To fix the problem, create a new user account and try accessing the Taskbar.
You can create new user accounts in Windows 11 from Settings, using the User Accounts, Command Prompt, and Local Users and Groups dialog boxes. Next, log in to your new user account and check if the Taskbar is up and running.
Good luck!!!
