How to fix Windows 11 taskbar icons not working?

Question

Issue: How to fix Windows 11 taskbar icons not working?

Hello. I just installed Windows 11 and some of the taskbar icons are not working. They are unresponsive when I click on them. What could be the problem?

Solved Answer

Microsoft released Windows 11 in 2021. It is their newest operating system. Many users were excited to try it out but quickly realized that it is far from perfect. People discovered various bugs and glitches. We previously wrote about various issues, like Windows 11 is slow after an update, clock and date missing, and File Explorer lagging.

Recently, some users have discovered a new flaw. Some of the taskbar icons are not working, not loading, crashing, or even missing. The issue seems to mainly affect users who have the build 22000.176^[1] but some older versions were also reported to have the same bug. Microsoft has responded to reports and said that the issue is already resolved and it should not affect any more PCs.

However, if you are still having trouble with this, there may be underlying problems with your system. The issue of Windows 11 taskbar icons not working could be caused by Windows services not running properly, corrupted system files, or other malfunctions.

If you want to avoid a lengthy troubleshooting process, we strongly suggest using a maintenance tool like FortectMac Washing Machine X9 that can fix most system errors, BSODs,^[2] corrupted files, and registry^[3] issues. This powerful software can optimize your machine and keep it running smoothly. Otherwise, follow the guide below step-by-step.

Solution 1. Fix Corrupted System Files

Use Command Prompt commands to repair system file corruption:

• Open Command Prompt as administrator
• Use the following command and press Enter:
  sfc /scannow

• Reboot your system
• If SFC returned an error, then use the following command lines, pressing Enter after each:
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Solution 2. Re-register the Taskbar

• Open Windows PowerShell (Admin)
• Now type in the following command and hit Enter:

Get-AppXPackage -User ([System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent().Name) *ShellExperienceHost* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml”}

• Restart the PC once the process is complete

Solution 3. Restart the Windows Explorer Service

• Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager
• Switch to the Processes tab, look for the Windows Explorer service
• Right-click on it and select Restart
• Switch to the Details tab and look for the below-listed services:

ShellExperienceHost.exe

SearchIndexer.exe

SearchHost.exe

RuntimeBroker.exe

• Right-click one each, and select End Task in the same order

Solution 4. Add a new task on Task Manager

• Use Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager
• Choose More details at the bottom
• Go to File and choose Run new task
• Type cmd in the Open field
• Paste the following and hit Enter:

reg delete HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\IrisService /f && shutdown -r -t 0

• Your PC should reboot. Check if the issue persists

Solution 5. Add a new Registry Key

• Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator
• Type the following command and press Enter:

reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Shell\\Update\\Packages” /v “UndockingDisabled” /d 1 /t REG_DWORD /f

• Restart your PC

Solution 6. Create a new user account

• Select Start > Settings > Accounts and then select Family & other users
• Next to Add other user, select Add account
• Select I don't have this person's sign-in information, and on the next page, select Add a user without a Microsoft account

• Enter a user name, password, and then select Next
• After the process is finished, sign into the new account and check if the issue persists

Repair your Errors automatically

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