Symptoms of Windows taskbar errors include open programs that aren’t showing in the taskbar, icons that appear and disappear at random, icons that are missing from the toolbar altogether or you may have a taskbar that has disappeared from your screen, taking the Start button and other useful items with it.
Undo Auto Hide
The first thing to check is the auto-hide option on the taskbar. If this is selected, the taskbar will disappear from the desktop, making it difficult to navigate around your system. Follow these steps to check the auto-hide feature:
- Press Ctrl+Esc at the same time.
- If you can see the Start menu, right-click on it and choose Properties.
- Click on Taskbar. Make sure that the auto-hide option isn’t selected. If there is a check by it, clear that check and then click Ok to exit.
Windows Defender
Microsoft’s Windows Defender can help you find and fix any programs that might be causing problems as they try to load. You may have to try several programs before you find the right one.
- You may already have Windows Defender on your system – you can check in All Programs.
- If you don’t have it, go to the Microsoft website and download it.
- Find Windows Defender in All Programs and click on it.
- Choose Tools and then Software Explorer.
- Click on the Category List and choose Startup Programs.
- In the Name column, choose a support program and click Disable.
- Restart and see if the taskbar problem is solved.
- You may have to repeat the above steps until you find the program that is causing the error.
- Once you’ve found the right program, uninstall and then reinstall it.
Log In as a Different User
If the taskbar error disappears when you log in as another user, you may have to log in as the Administrator, create a new user and copy the old program settings to the new account.
- In Safe Mode, choose Administrator. Either type in the Admin password or leave it blank if there isn’t one on your system.
- Choose Start and then right-click My Computer.
- Click on Manage to see the Computer Management (Local) list.
- Choose Local Users and Groups to expand it. Right-click on Users and choose New User.
- Create a New User name and Password, then choose to Create.
- You will now need to copy the old settings. Log off and then press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice.
- See the “Log into Windows” box. Type in Administrator and then the password.
- Right-click Start and then choose Explore. You will see Folders.
- Navigate to the old user account under Documents and Settings.
- Choose Documents. Click on Edit, then Select All and then choose Copy.
- Expand the new user account on Documents and Settings. Click on New User’s Documents, choose Edit and then Paste.
- Choose Yes to All to confirm. Close and log off the machine.
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