You are working on your computer as usual and out of nowhere you notice that your Windows 10 taskbar doesn’t respond? Don’t panic, because this is an error that has been common since Windows 7 and can usually be fixed within a few minutes. We’ll show you the best way to proceed. Because functions like Bluetooth or the keyboard language can still be found quickly via the Quick Start. But not if your Windows 10 taskbar is not working!
Windows 10 Taskbar doesn’t Respond – What to Do:
- Restart Windows 10 Explorer
- Remove Programs from the Startup Menu
- Update Windows to Restore the Taskbar
Why is my Windows 10 Taskbar not Working properly?
The background for this error of your operating system is the Windows Shell, the part of the software that controls the human interaction with the machine. Among other elements of the Windows user interface it runs the process responsible for the correct display of the taskbar.
All processes related to the Windows Shell are handled by the Explorer.exe process. Therefore, if your Windows 10 taskbar is not working, the problem can most likely be fixed here:
Method 1 – Restart Windows 10 Explorer
Your Windows 10 taskbar doesn’t respond properly, or you try to fix your Start Menu? As a first step, you should close your Windows Explorer and then automatically reopen it:
- Open the Windows 10 Task Manager by simultaneously pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys.
- If you are here for the first time, you have to click on More Details in the bottom right corner.
- In the main overview, switch to the Processes tab, search for the name Windows Explorer, select it and confirm the Restart button at the bottom right.
This should fix your problem if the taskbar is not working and Windows 10 should be fine again.
Method 2 – Remove Programs from the Startup Menu
If you have problems displaying your taskbar or if you just want to restore the default to have access to certain icons or to date and time, it often helps to check the autostart of the operating system. This way, the actual startup can be checked at the same time to speed up the startup process. Especially applications that affect Microsoft’s user interface can cause your Windows 10 taskbar to become unresponsive.
- Open the Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- In the Startup tab, you will see an overview of all programs that start automatically at startup. Note all entries whose status is set to Enabled.
- Click on the corresponding command to deactivate the apps that may be responsible for your Windows 10 taskbar not working properly.
- Restart the PC and check if the error has been fixed.
Above all, you should know that some antivirus software is known to block certain elements of an operating system in any case of doubt.
Method 3 – Update Windows to Restore the Taskbar
If none of the described solutions has helped you so far, you should check again whether Windows has an update pending. This does not mean an upgrade to your version, but a system update of Windows 10, which has to be started manually.
- Open Settings – If you lack access via the taskbar, you can access the Windows settings via the Run command Windows logo key + R by typing ms-settings: there.
- In the Update and Security section, you can start a search and then download any Windows feature updates that are found.
- Restart your computer to finish.
If you do not find what you are looking for here and your Windows 10 taskbar doesn’t respond, it may be worth taking a look at the Download Center from Microsoft. Because under Windows, it unfortunately happens all too often that an update fails.
We hope you were able to fix the problem and now know why your Windows 10 taskbar is not working. As a user of a Windows Pro license, all advanced features are now available to you again.
