Sometimes, users might face intermittent issues with Windows System UI components. Such issues can give a bad user experience. One such UI element is the Taskbar. If you are also facing any issues where your Windows 11/10 Taskbar is not working properly or freezes, is unresponsive, is unclickable or stops working randomly, then this article can help you troubleshoot & fix the issue.
There are several methods to fix a non-functioning taskbar. We’re going to list down the most effective methods.
Windows Taskbar not working, showing or loading
If you are facing issues where your Windows 11/10 Taskbar is not working, is not responsive or freezes, then these suggestions are sure to help you fix the problem.
Fix Unresponsive or frozen in Windows 11/10
1] Restart Windows Explorer
This is one simple fix that can help you restore your taskbar to working order. If the problem with the taskbar is not so critical, this method should do the job for you. You won’t need to play or manipulate with other system settings. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Press Windows Key + R combination on your keyboard to launch Run prompt. Enter taskmgr.exe and hit Enter to open Task Manager.
2. Now, under Processes tab, scroll down and look for Windows Explorer over there.
![[Fix] Taskbar Not Working In Windows 10](https://www.thewindowsclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Windows-Explorer-Process-Task-Manager-600x405.png)
3. Select Windows Explorer and click on Restart button in the bottom right corner.
4. This should simply kill the Windows Explorer process and restart it in a little while.
Check if this method resolves the issue for you.
Read: How to Restart or Reset Windows Taskbar.
2] Check for bad explorer addons
Boot your Windows 11/10 computer in Clean Boot State and try to locate the offender by trial and error method. Maybe some File Explorer addon is interfering with the smooth functioning of explorer.exe. If you can identify if, disable or remove that addon and see.
3] Re-register the Taskbar
If the issue resurfaces, then try this method to fix it using Windows Powershell. Powershell is a command-line tool to configure system settings and automate Windows tasks.
First, create a system restore point and then follow these steps to use Windows Powershell for fixing taskbar issues:
1. Press Windows Key on your keyboard and type in powershell. Right-click Windows Powershell (Desktop App) and select Run as administrator. Select Yes in the UAC window that pops up.
2. Now paste the following command, in the PowerShell window and hit Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
3. Once the command is executed successfully, navigate to the following directory in Explorer where name is your Account Username. Make sure you have enabled the showing of hidden items in Explorer.
C:/Users/name/AppData/Local/
![[Fix] Taskbar Not Working In Windows 10](https://www.thewindowsclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Locate-TileDataLayer-Folder-600x372.png)
4. Scroll down to locate the folder named TileDataLayer and delete this folder.
If you are unable to delete this folder, Run services.msc to open the Services Manager, scroll down to Tile Data model server service and stop it. Now try to delete the folder again.
5. Now check if your taskbar is working as expected.
Read: Task Manager not updating in Windows 11
One of these fixes should work just fine for you. Shout out in the comments section below if any of these methods worked out for you or if you are facing any other issue with the taskbar on Windows 11/10.
Related: Windows 11 Taskbar not working.
See this post if your Windows Start Menu is not working and this one if Taskbar icons or buttons not working.
I cannot follow method 3’s step 2 as clicking on the windows key does nothing. I tried opening powerball with windows and r keys but access was denied. What’s another way to open it with admin rights?
You need to search for powershell in search box and then open it as administrator. You would need administrator privileges to run the command given in next step.
not working
Thanks – it worked!!!! Been working on this for awhile.
I can’t delete the file even by stopping the service
I installed “Classic Shell” just to be able to get a functioning start menu, although the task bar remained non-responsive. With it you can at least open apps and commands like powershell.
It works but just one thing, when the task bar is frozen there is no way to open the Task Manager by using Windows + R.
Thankfully I already had Task Manager opened and I was able to switch to it using ALT + TAB.
Since this is Windows Explorer not responding causing this issue I don’t know if you can open a new folder at this moment or not (because I haven’t tried it).
In case you can, the full path to the Task Manager executable is “C:WindowsSystem32Taskmgr.exe”.
If you can search for powershell by clicking the windows key, do not use the windows key + r as this will not run it as an administrator, you will have to locate powershell inside the system 32 folder
BEFORE REINSTALLING WINDOWS AS A LAST RESORT, try going to a system restore point when it worked beforehand.
thank you! It worked like a charm!
i Followed all ur steps but the problem is still not solved What to do???
won’t work
Or you can just press CTL + SHIFT + ESC to open task manager in one step.
Method 3, Step 1 doesnt work for me. Powershell accept the line, unlike the ones I found on other websites. It tells me that later versions of some packages are already installed and that some of them are currently being used.
Rebooting temporarily fixes the issue of my taskbar not responding and being unable to use the mouse in any program except for the one that was focused when something crashed.
If the taskbar is unresponsive, then you can’t really use the Windows key now can you? Even if the taskbar isn’t working, you can still open Task Manager with Ctrl+Alt+Delete, where you can find the run new task dialog and open Powershell that way.
I had problem with taskbar and right click on desktop in win.10 after playing with some settings. Tried some recommended solutions. Before any would have worked I clicked on the notification (action center) display on the bottom right on taskbar, then clicked on the tablet icon. All my shortcuts, etc become visible on desktop and right click worked on screen and taskbar too. In setting previously I set my laptop to tablet mode. That made my problem. Hope it may help some.
So nothing’s working for me. My problem is that I can access my apps and such, but they can’t do the right click function, I can’t open up the home menu, I can’t look at taskbar notifications, and I can’t expand anything like time, battery data, wifi, etc. Basically, I cannot get anything to pop up from the task bar. I don’t know what to do…
just upgrade your windows 10 it work
What the heck is going on with Windows, why get essential functions still broken after decades of Windows. Today it is easier to install macOS on a PC than keeping Windows 10 working.
Brother thank you very much, this article has solved my problem, i was really very worried. Now my task bar is working properly. Once again thank you soo much brother
Having tried everything in this article without success, and with no time to reinstall Windows, I opted to install ClassicShell on top of my non-functional windows 10, and it does replace the start menu.
Thank you Darshan, it worked.
Not one of these solutions fixed my taskbar…
Thanks … It worked for me.. it took 32 Hrs to reach your site after searching so many options and so many roots shown by google results.. I finally decided to format the system and took a last chance with your process and it worked.. May god less you.
Thanks sir, Working fine for me.
So I did this and during deletion of the TileDataLayer folder it would not let me, because the service keeps restarting quickly. I managed by stopping it by command and then quickly click “retry” on deletion. BUT THAT WAS A MISTAKE! Now guess what – the tile section of the start menu is completely missing! Restoring of the restore point does not help :( How do I get it back? sfc /scannow fixed something but no help
Thank you SO MUCH!!! it works! Since I moved appData directory to another disk, I’ve suffered with this problem. Deleting ‘TileDataLayer’ directory fixed the problem for my case.
Thanks so much this sorted out my issue where the start button , notifications and calendar buttons did not respond.
Method 3 worked for me – many thanks!
Same here.. its Gone gone gone…
Method 3
whenever i connect an earphone, the task bar is not responding for some minutes. Help me out !
P rooblem: taskbar not responding for right-click. Start button not working at all.
Solution: Method 3 worked after completing upto step 2 .
Many thanks!
Absolutely none of the above works for me. Also tried creating a new account with different name and it does the same. Original admin account works fine.
Thanks.
You may also need to stop The State Repository Service as the files were in use by that service as well, Your welcome people :D
Buuut the fix didnt work for me so no use in trying ;-;
None of the above option working for me :(
Now thinking to go back to win7 ever green win.
The above fix works for the first attempt. But then it no longer works again. I have noticed that it does work if the cursor hovers on the command shell window; as soon as the cursor hovers on any other window or on the desktop it once again becomes inoperational.
Thank you very much, clean boot helped.
I had very strange case of start and notifications buttons issue. Left click didn’t work, right click worked and moved my pointer on x and y axis a bit (it was clearly not my mouse movement). I don’t know exactly which service caused this, but I turned on every necessary services back and everything seems fine.
actually CNT+ALT+DEL select task manager option, in the Taskmanager window select file in the menu and run new task, type in Powershell and check the run as admin box then paste the app installer data.
you have to go to task manager and Stop Explorer.exe
Hi..my windows 10 OS started to act up by seemingly having lost all photo, music and document files along with a almost blank desktop..I researched and tried to find a solutiom and all I was able to do was save all the above mentioned elements. The user on C showed me that all was intact and I copied all just in case.
I continued to search and decided that maybe safe mode was worth a try…well, it wasn’t because now I am totally locked out and the icons started to expand to a larger format…puzzle,puzzle and puzzle..what can I do to re access my computer…presently a desktop is as far as I can go..
Step 3 worked fine for me.
Hiya! Following steps 1 & 2 has erased all personal info/files on my C: drive, including the Users folder and directory necessary for the next steps. What has happened?..
Which method? Anyway go back to a good restore point.
hey ther,i got a problem in my windows 8 and i hope you can help me or guide me to the right place to find the right tech supp i need
yup, just run powershell as normal user then type: start-process powershell -Verb runAs
Tried all three, 3rd eventually worked out. Tnx! :)
Great article full of very helpful information. None of these solutions worked for me because in my case there was a corrupted user file (no idea which one). What I ended up doing resolved the issue.
1) Log out of the affected profile and log in with an administrative account
2) Create a backup of the user folder
3) using the “Advanced System Settings” applet, delete the user profile (do not just delete the folder using windows explorer)
4) log back in using the affected account and let windows rebuild the profile (this works on workgroup and domain accounts)
5) copy over anything you need from the backup user folder. once you’re sure you got everything then delete the backup folder (DO NOT TRY AND COPY THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE BACKUP USER FOLDER TO THE NEWLY CREATED FOLDER. there is likely a hidden system file that is corrupted and you will be copying the problem to the new profile.)
An Excellent Post ?
Restarting Windows Explorer using Task Manager revitalized the Windows-key and Windows-icon on the taskbar. Thank you for the great tip!
Worked for me, thank you kind sir! Action centre, Microsoft Edge and the windows search bar now work again.
Why the hell is this taskbar fix centered around Windows Explorer? No wonder no one is finding a fix to their issue if they follow this bullshit.
The Taskbar is a part of the explorer.exe process.
it turns out that Google Drive’s backup and sync is making my taskbar unresponsive… Guess I need to migrate to another cloud storage service
hi guys,
please help to solve this, once i used method 3 it’s doesn’t work and shown error
Mine did not work, what else should i do
abdulrahmanemran ):