1. Restart Taskbar Service
The first thing you must do is restart taskbar services by restarting Windows Explorer in Task Manager. Windows Explorer controls the Windows shells that include File Explorer, the taskbar, and Start Menu. Restarting it would fix any problem that could be causing the taskbar to not work.
2. Restart PC
If restarting Windows Explorer didn’t help, try restarting your computer. Often, due to temporary glitches, the taskbar becomes unresponsive. A restart should fix it. The normal method to restart the computer from the Start Menu will not work because the taskbar isn’t working, Do the following instead.
3. Turn Off Hide Taskbar
If the Windows 11 taskbar keeps hiding from you, you may want to disable the associated setting as shown below.
4. Change Taskbar Alignment to Center
Many Windows 11 users suggest that changing the taskbar alignment to center instead of left fixed the unresponsive taskbar issue.
5. Enable Taskbar on All Displays
If you use a multi-device setup, and the taskbar isn’t working on the second monitor, you must check the taskbar settings related to multiple displays. Note: the settings are greyed out in the screenshot because we’re not using multiple displays.
6. Repair System Files
Next, you must try to repair the system files, which could be causing the Windows 11 taskbar to not work. Don’t worry, though, as you don’t have to tinker with the system files manually. Windows offers a built-in tool known as System File Checker to scan the computer for errors and fix them. Follow these steps:
7. Turn Off Fast Startup
If the Windows 11 taskbar appears with no buttons and icons on startup, turning off Fast startup has proved to be beneficial. Follow the steps as shown below.
8. Change PC’s Date and Time
Another solution that fixes issues with the Windows 11 taskbar is to change the computer’s date and time to a month ahead. Follow these steps:
9. Update Windows OS
The taskbar not working issue could also be caused by an outdated or faulty version of the Windows 11 OS currently installed on your computer. Check for possible updates and update Windows 11 to the latest version by following these steps: 3. Install the update, if one is available.
10. Tweak Taskbar Registry
If the Windows 11 taskbar still doesn’t work properly, you must make the following change to the taskbar registry. Tip: you should create a backup of Windows Registry before editing any files.
11. Re-register Taskbar
The taskbar on Windows 11 could have been de-registered due to some issue, and that’s why it isn’t working properly. To make things right, you need to re-register the taskbar with the help of Windows PowerShell as shown below.
12. Run Windows Security Scan
If you recently installed an app or downloaded media from unverified sources, your Windows 11 PC might have become infected with malicious or corrupted files, and that could be causing issues with the taskbar. While one way to fix the issue is to delete the recently installed app or files, an easy workaround is to use the Windows Security Scan to detect and fix such issues as shown below:
13. Uninstall Update
For many users, a faulty security update installed on the computer causes issues with the taskbar. One of the security updates that has been wreaking havoc on the taskbar is KB5006674. You must uninstall it as shown below.
Enjoy Windows 11
We hope the above solutions fixed the Windows 11 unresponsive taskbar issue. Once the taskbar starts functioning properly, learn how to customize the taskbar like a pro. You may also be interested in learning how to install Google Play Store on Windows 11.
