Windows 11 blank taskbar problem

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spaceboyspaceboy Forumite
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Apparently this is quite a common bug at the moment after a recent update but I've tried a few of the suggested fixes online and none have worked. Can anyone help?
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  • ChinoChino Forumite
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    spaceboy said:
    I've tried a few of the suggested fixes online and none have worked.
    Maybe list the fixes have tried so people don't keep suggesting the same things. All any posters here will do will be to perform the same internet searches you have likely already performed.
  • mlutonmluton Forumite
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    Ok, Right click and make sure "Lock all taskbars" is unticked
    Drag taskbar to the side or top so it docks.
    Reboot, you should see icons again ?
    Redock to bottom
  • edited 30 July 2022 at 11:07AM
    spaceboyspaceboy Forumite
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    edited 30 July 2022 at 11:07AM
    That didn't work because when you right click on the taskbar nothing happens.

  • GersGers Forumite
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    This happened to my laptop yesterday - I rebooted and the taskbar came back.  Had no idea about it being a common problem, just thought I did something wrong.
  • tallmansixtallmansix Forumite
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    Press crtl-shift-escape to open task manager
    Go to details tab, sort by name and find explorer.exe then right click end-task
    Click on 'Run new task' and type explorer.exe

    That should get the taskbar running in most cases, if not, then I would reboot.

    As for a long term fix, check you have the very latest updates installed because this problem has supposedly been fixed.

    And also do the following:

    Fix Windows commands

    Search for cmd in the search bar and run the command prompt as an administrator, execute the following command:

    sfc /scannow 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth 
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth
    YNAB enthusiast and extreme coupon-er.
    Discounts, coupons and cashback:
    2019 = £1,443.52
    2020 = £1,191,76
  • spaceboyspaceboy Forumite
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    Press crtl-shift-escape to open task manager
    Go to details tab, sort by name and find explorer.exe then right click end-task
    Click on 'Run new task' and type explorer.exe

    That should get the taskbar running in most cases, if not, then I would reboot.

    As for a long term fix, check you have the very latest updates installed because this problem has supposedly been fixed.

    And also do the following:

    Fix Windows commands

    Search for cmd in the search bar and run the command prompt as an administrator, execute the following command:

    sfc /scannow 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth 
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth
    She's already tried the explorer thing and it didn't work. She tried all the suggestions in a popular YouTube video apart from going back to Windows 10.
  • tallmansixtallmansix Forumite
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    spaceboy said:
    Press crtl-shift-escape to open task manager
    Go to details tab, sort by name and find explorer.exe then right click end-task
    Click on 'Run new task' and type explorer.exe

    That should get the taskbar running in most cases, if not, then I would reboot.

    As for a long term fix, check you have the very latest updates installed because this problem has supposedly been fixed.

    And also do the following:

    Fix Windows commands

    Search for cmd in the search bar and run the command prompt as an administrator, execute the following command:

    sfc /scannow 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth 
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth
    She's already tried the explorer thing and it didn't work. She tried all the suggestions in a popular YouTube video apart from going back to Windows 10.
    Just looked back and your photo and seems that a restart hasn't been done since the last Windows updates:



    So forgive me for being sceptical, I work in IT support and don't believe anything a user says until I've seen it with my own eyes and 80% of the time I'm right, this PC hasn't even been rebooted since the last windows update which is the first thing that should be done for any problem.

    Many people think pressing the power button is turning the PC off and on but it isn't the same as a restart.

    Can you ask them to do the following:

    1. Win-key and R
    2. Type cmd
    3. Type shutdown /r
    YNAB enthusiast and extreme coupon-er.
    Discounts, coupons and cashback:
    2019 = £1,443.52
    2020 = £1,191,76
  • spaceboyspaceboy Forumite
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    spaceboy said:
    Press crtl-shift-escape to open task manager
    Go to details tab, sort by name and find explorer.exe then right click end-task
    Click on 'Run new task' and type explorer.exe

    That should get the taskbar running in most cases, if not, then I would reboot.

    As for a long term fix, check you have the very latest updates installed because this problem has supposedly been fixed.

    And also do the following:

    Fix Windows commands

    Search for cmd in the search bar and run the command prompt as an administrator, execute the following command:

    sfc /scannow 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth 
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth
    She's already tried the explorer thing and it didn't work. She tried all the suggestions in a popular YouTube video apart from going back to Windows 10.
    Just looked back and your photo and seems that a restart hasn't been done since the last Windows updates:



    So forgive me for being sceptical, I work in IT support and don't believe anything a user says until I've seen it with my own eyes and 80% of the time I'm right, this PC hasn't even been rebooted since the last windows update which is the first thing that should be done for any problem.

    Many people think pressing the power button is turning the PC off and on but it isn't the same as a restart.

    Can you ask them to do the following:

    1. Win-key and R
    2. Type cmd
    3. Type shutdown /r
    Just told her about that symbol and she says it only appeared today. I will try your shutdown suggestion though, thanks.
  • spaceboyspaceboy Forumite
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    ok we did the shutdown thing, it installed update, but taskbar still the same:


  • tallmansixtallmansix Forumite
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    Ok, so have you done the Windows repair tasks?

    Win-Key-R

    type cmd in the box then press crtl-shift-enter to run it as administrator

    then type these commands followed by a reboot as described in an earlier post

    sfc /scannow 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth 
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth
    YNAB enthusiast and extreme coupon-er.
    Discounts, coupons and cashback:
    2019 = £1,443.52
    2020 = £1,191,76
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