Troubleshooting taskbar and task manager not working

The taskbar and task manager, along with features like Cortana, are an essential part of any Windows.
Therefore, having them working correctly is crucial for a smooth experience.
However, there are some users that have reported that their taskbar and task manager aren ́t working.

• If the taskbar is not working in Windows 10, you won’t be able to access the Start menu or applications.
• To fix this issue, display the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window from the Task Manager.
• It’s a good idea to check your security programs, and uninstall ones that might be causing the problem.
• Other possible solutions include editing the Registry, using dedicated software, and changing your PIN.

Run the Task Manager

1. 1. Press the Windows key + R to open Run, type taskmgr and press Enter.
   
2. 2. In Task Manager, click on the File menu and click New Task to create a new task.
3. Click on the Start button.

Run the Task Manager as administrator

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
   Enter taskmgr in the text field and click OK or press Enter.
2. Select View from the menu.
   
3. In the appeared window select “Startup” and “Services”.
4. If Task Manager is running in Administrator mode you can close it, otherwise, just close the box.

Run the Task Manager as an administrator in compatibility mode

1. Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.
2. Click Start Task Manager, and click on File.
3. Select Run in compatibility mode for.
   
4. Select the Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 option.

Run the Task Manager with elevated permissions

1. Press Windows Key + X and choose Task Manager (Admin) from the menu.
   
2. When Task Manager opens, navigate to the Processes tab.
3. Locate Spotify.exe on the list, right-click it and choose End Task.
4. Now, locate Spotify.exe in the Task Manager again, right-click it and choose Restart from the menu.

Run the Task Manager as an administrator, log out and log back in

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue.
2. Type taskmgr and then press Enter.
   
3. In the Task Manager window, select the option More Details (under the Task Manager tab).
4. Select the Start Task Manager option from the File menu.
5. Now, click on the Start Task Manager option on the File menu.
6. This will open a Task Manager window, but it will not show you any task running in the background.
7. Check if you can see the Task Manager window.

Run the registry cleaner

1. 1. Open the Search bar, type regedit, and open it.
   
2. 2. Navigate to:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
3. 3. Right-click the “Taskbar” key and select Permissions.
4. 4. Click on “Advanced”.
5. 5. In the “Permissions” tab, check “Allow” for both Administrators and SYSTEM.
6. 6. Click “OK” to save changes.

Check for third-party software

1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings and go to Apps section.
2. Now, locate any third-party software that could be causing conflicts and disable it.