Tips on how to Repair Taskbar Icons Lacking in Home windows

Are your Home windows taskbar icons lacking after a PC restart? Because it incorporates the search bar, system tray, and Begin menu, that are all crucial in Home windows, chances are you’ll really feel caught not having the ability to open your current recordsdata and apps. This information contains some simple fixes to troubleshoot the difficulty of your taskbar icons lacking in Home windows.

Good to know: learn to customise the Home windows 11 taskbar to your liking with the following tips.

In case your taskbar is invisible and the taskbar icons lacking, you possibly can’t use the search menu or File Explorer home windows. For all strategies listed, use the keyboard shortcuts or the Home windows Run command, Win + R.

1. Restart After CTRL + ALT + DEL

A recent restart is the primary treatment to strive when you run into an unresponsive or lacking taskbar. You should utilize press Ctrl + Alt + Del to view the lock display window. Restart your laptop by clicking the half-circle button within the bottom-right nook. If it’s a short lived glitch, the taskbar ought to return after a subsequent restart.

2. Carry out a Clear Boot

If there’s a third-party utility inflicting any points after a restart, you often must get it out of the way in which. A clear boot is the most effective technique to cope with software program conflicts throughout a earlier login session.

1. Press Win + R to open the Home windows Run Command and sort msconfig.
2. A brand new pop-up System Configuration window will open.

3. Within the “System Configuration” window, navigate to the “Companies” tab.
4. Examine the field subsequent to “Cover all Microsoft Companies.”

5. Click on “Disable all” to disable all non-Microsoft providers.
6. Click on “Apply -> OK.” It will provoke a clear restart in your Home windows PC.

Tip: take a look at these tricks to make Home windows 11 look extra like Home windows 10.

3. Unhide Taskbar From Taskbar Behaviors

Sometimes, a person can have hidden the taskbar in a earlier session in order that it stays utterly invisible even after a refresh of the desktop display. It must be unhidden from the “Taskbar behaviors” sub-menu.

1. Proper-click anyplace on the desktop display and choose “Personalize.” In the event you’re utilizing a context menu editor, choose the “Personalize” choice for it.

2. Go to “Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar” or seek for “Robotically cover the taskbar.”

3. Look underneath “Taskbar behaviors.” If the “Robotically cover the taskbar” sub-menu has a test subsequent to it, uncheck it first.

4. Restart your laptop to avoid wasting the unhidden taskbar settings.

4. Finish the Home windows File Explorer Activity

The Home windows File Explorer (explorer.exe) file is intently associated to the taskbar. Whether it is encountering any errors or points, your taskbar icons won’t present up. The trick is to finish the duty for Home windows File Explorer and restart it.

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del to open the Activity Supervisor.
2. Navigate to the Home windows Explorer file underneath “Processes.” Proper-click to finish the duty.

3. Click on “Run new job” within the prime nook to open a brand new job creation window.
4. Within the “Create new job” window, enter “explorer.exe” to restart the File Explorer in your system.

Tip: can’t get PowerShell to open in your PC? Learn to resolve the difficulty.

5. Add DISM Restore Script to PowerShell

If the taskbar concern stems from corrupt system recordsdata, you should utilize the Deployment Picture Servicing and Administration (DISM) device in PowerShell to restore the present system picture and exchange it with one which has no errors.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command, and sort powershell.
2. As a substitute of hitting Enter, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. It will launch PowerShell in administrator mode.

3. When the PowerShell window seems, run the next code:

DISM /On-line /Cleanup-Picture /RestoreHealth

4. The processes could take some time, however wait patiently for them to be accomplished.

5. On the finish of the method, the immediate will show a message saying the method was accomplished efficiently.
6. Restart your system. After the DISM restore script is added, the lacking Home windows taskbar icons concern needs to be resolved.

6. Run System File Checker Scan

As with DISM, the System File Checker (SFC) is an efficient approach to restore corrupt recordsdata through Command Immediate. Use this feature as quickly as you see a taskbar concern.

As soon as the SFC scanning is over, it ought to right any reminiscence integrity violations. If there are none, restart your system.

7. Run the Home windows Retailer Apps Troubleshooter

The newest variations of Home windows have a troubleshooter for each drawback. To cope with taskbar points, run a easy test utilizing the Home windows Retailer Apps troubleshooter.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Go to “Settings -> System -> Troubleshoot -> Different troubleshooters.”
3. Scroll all the way down to Home windows Retailer Apps and click on “Run.” It will open a brand new troubleshooter window.

4. Wait a number of seconds for the troubleshooter to detect any issues in your system.

5. The Home windows Retailer Apps could ask you to reset any current app additions to your system. In the event you assume none of your apps must be reset, transfer on to the following step.

6. The troubleshooter will proceed to scan for extra issues.

7. After the troubleshooter has run its course, it should present the pending points in your system. The next display will present apps which might be inflicting the system to hold or crash.

8. As soon as a correct troubleshooting report is generated, you should have a greater image of what’s occurring contained in the system that will help you handle the difficulty.

FYI: if you might want to block sure Home windows apps from accessing the Web, we present you the way.

8. Uninstall Apps

If the taskbar lacking icons concern surfaced after putting in a number of apps in your Home windows system, uninstalling them would assist.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Go to “Apps -> Put in apps.” It incorporates your complete listing of apps in your system.
3. From the fitting nook, choose “Date put in” to type all of your apps primarily based on the date of set up.

4. Uninstall any current apps to make sure they don’t have an effect on the taskbar. You’ll be able to at all times reinstall them later.

9. Uninstall the Newest Updates

With each month-to-month Home windows replace, you possibly can have a number of excellent points, and the lacking taskbar icons concern is fairly frequent. Normally, Microsoft runs a fast repair as quickly because the snags are found. On the person finish, you simply must uninstall the newest updates.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. In Home windows 11, navigate to “Settings -> Home windows Replace -> Extra choices -> Replace historical past.” For Home windows 10, the choice is “Settings -> Replace & Safety -> Home windows Replace -> View Replace Historical past.”

3. Click on the “Uninstall updates” button.

4. Choose the newest updates to uninstall them out of your system. Restart your PC to test whether or not the taskbar is seen once more.

Good to know: be taught what the distinction is between a Native Account and a Microsoft account in Home windows.

10. Reinstall All Apps for All Home windows Accounts

You’ll be able to reinstall most functions in your Home windows system. Utilities just like the taskbar don’t enable an uninstalling choice straight from their Properties. You’ll be able to solely uninstall such functions with a PowerShell cmdlet.

1. Shut all functions, together with “Explorer.exe.” Open Activity Supervisor to make sure no utility home windows apart from PowerShell are open.
2. Copy and paste or sort the next command into your shell and click on Enter:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}

The PowerShell cmdlet will reinstall all built-in apps.

3. Restart your laptop and test whether or not the issue has been mounted.

11. Delete IconCache

Your Home windows PC has a database file named “IconCache,” during which all of your recordsdata and app icons are saved. It’s protected to delete this file to present a recent begin to the taskbar icons. The cache might be rebuilt over time.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command and sort %appdata%.

2. The AppData folder will open underneath “Roaming.” Hit the again button to go to the “Native” subfolder.

3. The IconCache database file is on the backside of the “Native” subfolder. Choose it to delete it out of your laptop.

12. Carry out a Disk Cleanup

The buildup of short-term recordsdata may cause delays and inconsistencies in numerous Home windows functions, together with the taskbar. Eradicating the excess info by means of a Disk Cleanup is one of the best ways to go.

1. Sort sort cleanmgr within the Run command window.
2. The Disk Cleanup window will slowly open after you choose a drive, such because the C: drive.

3. The Disk Cleanup abstract will show an inventory of downloaded program recordsdata, short-term Web recordsdata, supply optimization recordsdata, and extra. It can additionally present you the quantity of disk house you’ll acquire.
4. Click on “Clear up system recordsdata” for extra choices.

5. You’ll have to do a disk cleanup for Home windows Defender, improve log recordsdata, and extra, saving quite a lot of house.
6. As quickly as you click on “OK,” you will notice a notification: “Are you positive you wish to completely delete these recordsdata?” After you click on “Sure,” the system will take away the additional recordsdata and restart.

Tip: take a look at this listing of the most effective free third-party antivirus apps.

13. Allow Explorer as Allowed Apps in Home windows Safety

The File Explorer (explorer.exe) can generally be blocked by Home windows Defender or one other antivirus you could have in your laptop. Make exceptions for this in Defender to permit the app as an allowed entry.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Navigate to “Home windows Safety” from “Privateness & Safety.”

3. Click on “Open Home windows Safety.”

4. Below “Virus & risk safety,” select “Ransomware safety,” and choose “Permit an app by means of managed folder entry.”

5. Choose “Browse all apps” underneath “Add an allowed app.”

6. Open the “explorer.exe” file in order that it will get added as an exception within the managed folder.
7. Restart your PC.

14. Reset the PC

Resetting your Home windows system is a protected guess in opposition to any unsolvable points and errors. It takes quite a lot of time however is one of the best ways to go, and also you received’t lose your knowledge.

15. Create New Person

That is the final resort to resolving the taskbar lacking icons concern. It might be a really inconvenient different, however it typically proves fairly efficient in remedying this concern.

1. To create a brand new person, open the Run command and sort netplwiz within the given window. Click on “OK.”

2. Within the “Person Accounts” window, click on “Add” to allow a brand new person in your system.

3. Observe the on-screen directions to create a brand new person.
4. Hit Win + L to enter the lockscreen mode, and enter the newly created person account. It shouldn’t have the taskbar lacking icons concern.

Tip: Home windows 11 has been out for some time, however not everyone seems to be speeding to replace. Learn up on the highest causes Home windows 10 continues to be higher than Home windows 11.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions

Picture credit score: Freepik. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.