Select. Microsoft introduced a raft of design changes with Windows 11, but the new taskbar was among the most controversial. If a corrupted icon cache was causing an issue with your taskbar icons, then the issue should now be fixed on your PC. For a quick fixes - Go the programs folder location and if the icon is NOT missing. If you cant find the folder in question or see an error, may be it is hidden. There are two apps that do not have recognizable icons one was Edge app and the other one was the Chrome app. The Task Manager window will open."}},{"@type":"HowToStep","url":"https://windowsreport.com/windows-11-taskbar-icons-missing/#rm-how-to-block_630876d2fa0ab-","itemListElement":{"@type":"HowToDirection","text":"3. To pin an icon to the Start Menu in Windows 11, you can open Windows Settings and go to Personalization > Start > Folders. Find and click onWindows Explorerfrom the list on your screen. In Windows 11, it is not possible to hide the Network & Speaker icons in the corner overflow area. Select the drive where you have installed Windows 11. After your computer boot back up, check if the taskbar icons have swiftly returned. Using another laptop serves another user so the taskbar and start will appear there. Explainer: This service (Iris Service) is part of Windows Spotlight and is mostly responsible for fetching the Bing wallpaper of the day, providing lock screen suggestions, and more aesthetic-related stuff for Windows 11. Heres how you can get started with the procedure. Now, from the Start menu, click on the Power icon. If it does not, restart your system for good measure. Or it may happen at other times when you're switching apps or using the PC. Accessing Task Manager. If the issue persists, use the Registry Editor to tweak your taskbar settings. Windows 11 brings various changes; one element that was changed the most is the Taskbar. 3. First, press the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. Repin Icons Can you see Windows icon and some other default app icons? Resetting the same is known to fix taskbar icons not showing up on Windows 11. After logging in, you should now see the Taskbar icons on your Windows 11 computer and be able to click on them to access programs and files as desired. Restart your computer and check if the taskbar is now displaying the icons. Restart Windows Explorer to reload it and restore the missing system tray or icons on your computer. Here's how to restore pinned app icons on the taskbar with Windows 11. Press Enter to execute the command. Now, scroll down to the bottom and click on the Uninstall updates option. All that you need is in Windows 11 and I have tried to portray some snap shots showing how to use Windows 11. Some Windows apps come pre-pinned and you may also have pinned several apps like Office apps, social media apps, or creativity apps for work. Kamil is a certified MCITP, CCNA (W), CCNA (S) and a former British Computer Society Member with over 9 years of experience Configuring, Deploying and Managing Switches, Firewalls and Domain Controllers also an old-school still active on FreeNode. Follow the on-screen instructions and let your computer uninstall the last Windows update. Here is how to do it. The IconCache database file has a copy of every app icon and is used by Windows to display icons quickly. Taskbar right-click menu is missing As mentioned at the outset, Microsoft is removing the context menu (right-click menu) for the taskbar and users are clearly not happy. If you still cant see app icons in the Taskbar, continue reading. So these are the six sure-shot ways to fix the missing Taskbar icons issue on Windows 11 PCs. We recommend you give it some time to run on your system even if it appears to be stuck. 3. If it is missing. Taskbar Not Showing Icons on Windows 11? Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and open Task Manager. Follow the guide below to help you along with the process. (see screenshot below step 4) 4 Turn On (default) or Off Hidden icon menu for what you want. Log Out and Log Back Into Your Account. If you see 'Unpin from taskbar' option, it means the app is already pinned. Browse to, and select your taskbar XML file. Now delete the TileDataLayer file if it exists. Step 3: In the Process tab . Press Enter. Now, right-click on it and choose "Restart". Heres what you need to do: Note:The operation will effectively reset every taskbar icon (including icons) which will effectively fix every cache related issue (unless its rotted in a bigger case of system corruption). There are a few reasons why icons may be missing on your Taskbar; among these include: Luckily, a couple of solutions can fix this error, so we encourage you to follow our instructions closely and go through all the steps mentioned below. See if it manages to fix the missing Taskbar icons issue in Windows 11. At this point, its time for some drastic measures. If you look at most documented user reports that are experiencing this issue, most of them are running on the latest available Windows 11 build. So if you are also facing the same issue and Taskbar icons are missing on your Windows 11 PC, follow our guide to resolve it right away. Windows Taskbar icons not showing, missing, invisible or blank If your Windows 11/10 Taskbar icons are not showing, go missing or disappear & reappear randomly, become empty or blank, then one of these suggestions is sure to help you: Go through the list and see which one or more of them could apply in your case. And to customize the Taskbar on Windows 11, we have an exhaustive tutorial for that as well. We have included basic solutions to advanced methods to restore the Taskbar icons. Press Windows + I to open the Settings app. For example, I used the file name Taskbar. Press Ctrl+Shift . What Is DALL-E and How Does It Create Images From Text? Corrupt cache files can lead to Windows 11 failing to load app icons in the Taskbar. So lets look at the steps. As you can see from the above pic, there are some unrecognized icons showing in the windows 11 taskbar. Thanks. If you were impacted by this issue, you can use the following steps to get back into a working state on your PC. We can rebuild the cache files to solve this issue. The fix seems to be still valid and working for most users across the board. Check their dates to find the latest one. EG Media player, Skype, Settings, Mail, Microsoft store, Word, etc. We would recommend you to take a backup of Registry Editor first and only do what is prescribed here. If youre in any doubt, try the temporary solution (below) first. Its not clear why this issue occurring, but some affected users are reporting that you can fix it by using System Restore to revert your computer state prior to when you did the Language Pack Removal. Click the Next button. If youre still missing icons from your Windows 11 taskbar, then we can try restarting relevant windows components. The Taskbar icons should be restored after the reboot. If it differs from the actual date and time, clickChange date and time to fix the same. Press Ctrl + Shift + ESC to launch Task Manager. Type in the following and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter on your keyboard. ClickYes to confirm your choice. 2. Where do I get it? Try repinning apps to the Taskbar if the icons are missing for 1-2 specific apps only on Windows 11 Taskbar. This can only be accomplished from an elevated Windows Terminal app What well do is well use a Powershell command to prompt the repair of the entire Windows Store component. Now, click on File in the top menu on Notepad and select Save as. The search results will be displayed in the right window-pane. This is a known fix that helps fix missing taskbar icons on most multi-monitor setups. If not, select it and click on Configure to enable and allocate space for the backup. Here are a few commonly asked questions about missing icons from the taskbar that should help you get up to speed with the latest available information. Open the Expert interface of Task Manager. Once disconnected, restart Windows Explorer using the guide above. Use the Win+I shortcut key to open the Settings app of Windows 11; Access Apps category; Click on Apps & features page; Scroll down to App list; Click on the three vertical dots icon for an app . ClickNext once you have found the desired restore point. Press Windows + i and click Windows Update. Note: The Taskbar settings allow you to align taskbar icons . 1. Right-click it so that a drop-down menu opens. Hold downCtrlon your keyboard and select the binary entries mentioned below on your right. But if you intend to go for the frilly Pros, the amount to shell [], Wondershare has been developing some of the best software and tools to simplify our life and creative endeavors for the past several years. Please help this is hampering my work. You may start seeing that your taskbar icons have partially disappeared from your taskbar after your system installs a Windows 11 feature update (KB5006050). After entering the expert interface, select Run new task in the File section of the top ribbon bar. Click on the same to open a pop-up. Tech Advisor helps you find your tech sweet spot. Read on to explore a few fixes to restore the icons on your Windows 11 taskbar. Click Restart task. The functionality is there as the application opens when the box is pressed, but icons dont appear even after restart. Microsoft will eventually realize that the Iris Service is missing from your PC and reinstall a healthy equivalent. The iconstreams and pasticonstreams files will be recreated. Fortunately, there are potential solutions available. Before you run the command, make sure to save all your work before executing the command as it will automatically restart your PC. It could also be that there is a problem in one of the icon display files or the icon streams, and other reasons too. Press Windows key+R to open Run then type: rstrui.exe. You are looking to work with Display Drivers and Graphics Card driver if you have one installed from Nvidia or AMD in the Device Manager. This should restart the Windows Explorer and the issue with the Taskbar should be resolved. Whether you have a single monitor set up or a multi-monitor set up, we recommend you start with the fixes mentioned below and make your way through them until you manage to fix your issue. So, the simple solution is to delete the file so that Windows rebuilds the icon cache from scratch. Note: The DISM command can take some time depending on your system and network. Command Prompt will appear on top in the search results. Easy if you follow the instructions. So what is the problem Microsoft? This time, the Taskbar icons should also appear and work as intended. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys on your keyboard to open the Task Manager. (see screenshot below) One of the apps youll find there, the Start menu, is unrecognisable. Check if the taskbar icons are showing now. 10 Best Spy Apps for Android Without Access to the Target Phone, How to Find Hidden Apps on Android: 5 Best Methods, How to Do a Text Compare Online Using Cloud Apps, Chrome: How to Open a PDF Using Adobe Reader, What Is Bit Rot: Causes, Symptoms, and Preventions, How to Use ChatGPT: A Step-By-Step Guide for Everyone, How to Mail Merge From Excel to Word in 2 Effortless Ways, How to Compare Text in Excel: 8 Best and Effortless Methods, Click on File Explorer within Task Manager and click. In the Taskbar settings, scroll to see the options for customizing, choosing icons, and much more. However, if the issue still plagues your system after these fixes, you can try the multi-monitor fixes mentioned below. This should restart the Windows Explorer and the issue with the Taskbar should be resolved."}},{"@type":"HowToStep","url":"https://windowsreport.com/windows-11-taskbar-icons-missing/#rm-how-to-block_630876d2fa0ab-","itemListElement":{"@type":"HowToDirection","text":"7. ClickOKagain to save and apply your changes. Here are a few common repair methods that other affected users have successfully used to make their taskbar icons re-appear on Windows 11: Now that you have familiarized yourself with every fix and subsequent culprit that might cause your Windows 11 OS to behave this way, start troubleshooting your particular scenario by following the guides below. When your taskbar or taskbar icons is missing, you can restart Windows Explorer in Task Manager. Click on Check for updates button to see if there is an update available. Let us know in the comments section below. ClickOK again to save and apply your changes. Click Taskbar and Navigation when View by Large icons selected. If the troubleshooter detects a problem, it will try and fix it and notify you of the same. They can break Windows functionality and in the worst case cause crashes that force you to reset your system. Then, tap the View option on the top ( see the screenshot below). Deleting the Iris Service was one of the recommended fixes when the issue of an unresponsive Windows 11 taskbar was reported. Follow the steps below to help you along with the process. So for most, its not a matter of updating their OS to the latest version. If it is set to a different location, clickChange time zone to change the same. 2. In this case, your best bet for fixing the problem without doing a complete OS reinstall is to refresh every Windows component (including boot data). How to fix desktop blank icons on Windows 10/11 [Full Guide], How to Manage the Windows 11 Taskbar on Multiple Monitors. Click twice on the current month and yearat the top. Click on Run as administrator option. For most users, that would be C drive. I tried it all, ty. When the policy is created, you can deploy it now, or deploy it later. After the uninstallation, close all apps and windows and restart your PC. If that doesn't do any good, then go to the Details tab, select Explorer.exe, and hit End Task. Taskbar Icons Missing on Windows 11? Press Win + I to open Settings and select Windows Update. Select explorer.exe under the Processes tab, right-click and select End Task. 4. Windows will automatically start checking for available updates. If your taskbar icons do not show up, do not panic. Windows 11/10 Taskbar is empty or blank 1] Restart File Explorer Restart the . 2. Note: You should be able to spot a system restore snapshot named Language Pack removal thats the point you need to mount. Follow the instructions below to remove the Iris Service .reg key via a Task Manager task: If this method was not effective in your particular scenario, move down to the next potential fix below. Hit Enter and wait until your computer reboots. Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings. Finally, click on Save. Scroll to the very bottom of the screen to find Uninstall updates option. Note: The company has renamed Windows Store to Microsoft Store, however, hasnt updated it everywhere. Expand the table below and move to any section you want. Related: Top 8 Ways to Disable Notifications on Windows 11 (and 3 Tips). Taskbar app icons are also files and as such they are saved in the disk storage on your Windows 11 computer. You will see a pop-up asking you to choose a drive. To do so, press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete tkeys together, and then select Sign Out from the menu. Degrager 1 yr. ago. Here, under the "Processes" section, scroll down and look for " Windows Explorer ". Sometimes, display problems occur when Windows on your PC is not updated. The early builds of Windows 11 22H2 apparently modernized the look of the system tray and added an option to disable the 'Hidden Icon Menu' (to keep the taskbar tidy). Time-saving software and hardware expertise that helps 200M users yearly. The process should automatically complete after a while. Keep in mind that Microsoft has already released a hotfix for this issue, so you shouldnt see the problem the next time WU installs the feature update. Once you visit the page, the download should start automatically. Select Next, and configure the rest of the policy settings. To see what the icon is requires hovering over it and there are different . 1. Repeat the steps above to end the following processes as well. Here is how to do it. This will open the Control Panel. 1. If the issue persists, try restarting the PC. Under this folder, enable hidden files and folders on your Windows 11 PC. If not, then click Restart task again. Lets see how it works: 1. So if youve been affected by the same bug, this is how you can fix the Taskbar icons missing issue on Windows 11. 3 Click/tap on Other system tray icons on the right side to expand it open. After the reboot, the Taskbar icons should be restored on your PC. If it doesn't, try the following ways. Once this command is processed successfully, you should get a success message. So now, you won't be able to launch those pinned apps. reg delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IrisService /f && shutdown -r -t 0. In case the update isnt available yet, you might be able to fix this issue by restarting the File Explorer or by disconnecting additional displays. It acts as a bridge. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Last year, MSI launched the Titan GT77 with the Intel Core i9-12900HX and the RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU, and it was the most powerful gaming laptop on the face of the planet. 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