7 Best Ways to Fix Taskbar Disappeared or Missing on Windows 11

7 Best Ways to Fix Taskbar Disappeared or Missing on Windows 11

Windows 11 has changed the position of the taskbar, but it still contains your favorite apps and the Start menu. And despite its criticism from users, the taskbar is still an important utility on Windows 11. But what happens when it disappears? Well, many users are confused by the missing taskbar after starting their PC.


Best ways to fix Windows 11 missing or missing taskbar issue

Whether it’s missing app icons or the entire taskbar itself, this guide will cover the solutions that should make the taskbar reappear in Windows 11.

1. Show the taskbar

While tinkering with the Settings app on Windows 11, you may have configured your taskbar to automatically hide. Move the cursor to the bottom of the screen and the taskbar should appear. If so, you can try to display it by following the steps below.

Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to quickly launch the Settings app. Now go to the Personalization tab and click on the Taskbar option.

Applying settings


Applying settings

2nd step: Expand Taskbar Behaviors and uncheck the “Automatically hide taskbar” box.

Show taskbar in Windows 11


Show taskbar in Windows 11

2. Restart File Explorer

If the taskbar does not appear even after displaying it, you can try restarting the file explorer process in Windows 11. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to quickly launch Task Manager.

2nd step: In the Task Manager window, click the More details option to expand it.

Expand the task manager window


Expand the task manager window

Step 3: On the Processes tab, scroll down to find Windows Explorer. Select it and then hit the Restart button at the bottom.

Restart Windows Explorer


Restart Windows Explorer

3. Change Windows projection settings

If you usually connect your PC to an external display, then the taskbar disappearing problem may arise. So, you can try changing Windows projection settings to see if that helps. To do this, press Windows key + P on your keyboard and select the PC screen only option from the menu that appears.

Windows projection settings


Windows projection settings

4. Use the command prompt

When the taskbar and Start menu disappear or become unresponsive, a faulty service may be responsible for recovering Bing wallpapers and providing lock screen suggestions. Here’s how to remove it.

Step 1: Use Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch Task Manager on your PC. Expand the “More Details” option at the bottom of the Task Manager.

2nd step: Go to the File menu and choose Run New Task from the list.

Run a new task on Windows 11


Run a new task on Windows 11

Step 3: Type cmd in the Open field and press Enter.

Open Command Prompt


Open Command Prompt

Step 4: In the console, paste the command below and press Enter.

reg delete HKCUSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionIrisService /f && shutdown -r -t 0

Once applied, your PC will restart and the taskbar should reappear.

5. Set the correct date on your PC

Sometimes the missing taskbar issue can also occur due to incorrect date set on your PC. To resolve this issue, you can try to correct the date and time manually by following the steps below.

Step 1: Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut to launch Task Manager on your PC. Expand the “More Details” option at the bottom of the Task Manager.

2nd step: Go to File and choose Run New Task from the list.

Step 3: Type control.exe in the Open field and press Enter.

Open the control panel


Open the control panel

Step 4: In the Control Panel window, change the display type to Large icons if you haven’t already. Click the Date and Time option.

Control Panel Window


Control Panel Window

Step 5: Switch to the Internet Time tab and click on the Change settings button.

Date and time settings


Date and time settings

Step 6: Uncheck the box “Synchronize with an Internet time server” and click on OK.

Internet time settings


Internet time settings

Step 7: Now go to the Date and time tab and click on the Change date and time button to change them manually.

Change the date and time on Windows 11


Change the date and time on Windows 11

Now restart your PC and see if the taskbar appears on Windows 11 now.

6. Run the SFC scan

Another reason for the Windows 11 taskbar disappearing problem is the corruption of the system files. Fortunately, your Windows 11 PC is equipped with a system file checker or a healthy SFC scan that can repair these corrupted files on its own. Here’s how to run it.

Step 1: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type cmd in the search box and press Enter.

Execute the command


Execute the command

2nd step: In the console, paste the command below and press Enter.

sfc/scannow

Wait for the scan to complete, then restart your PC to see if that fixes the problem.

7. Update Windows

Microsoft is generally quick to fix bugs and critical errors. The new version of Windows may fix taskbar issues. So go ahead and install all pending updates to fix your current taskbar issues on Windows 11.

Also on Guiding Tech

Last updated on November 4, 2021

The above article may contain affiliate links that help support Guiding Tech. However, this does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains impartial and authentic.

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