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. Press the Windows key + R to open Run, type taskmgr and press Enter.
- 2. In Task Manager, click on the File menu and click New Task to create a new task.
- Click on the Start button.
Run the Task Manager as administrator
- Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
Enter taskmgr in the text field and click OK or press Enter. - Select View from the menu.
- In the appeared window select “Startup” and “Services”.
- 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
- Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.
- Click Start Task Manager, and click on File.
- Select Run in compatibility mode for.
- Select the Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 option.
Run the Task Manager with elevated permissions
- Press Windows Key + X and choose Task Manager (Admin) from the menu.
- When Task Manager opens, navigate to the Processes tab.
- Locate Spotify.exe on the list, right-click it and choose End Task.
- 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
- Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue.
- Type taskmgr and then press Enter.
- In the Task Manager window, select the option More Details (under the Task Manager tab).
- Select the Start Task Manager option from the File menu.
- Now, click on the Start Task Manager option on the File menu.
- This will open a Task Manager window, but it will not show you any task running in the background.
- Check if you can see the Task Manager window.
Run the registry cleaner
- 1. Open the Search bar, type regedit, and open it.
- 2. Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion - 3. Right-click the “Taskbar” key and select Permissions.
- 4. Click on “Advanced”.
- 5. In the “Permissions” tab, check “Allow” for both Administrators and SYSTEM.
- 6. Click “OK” to save changes.
Check for third-party software
- Press Windows Key + I to open Settings and go to Apps section.
- Now, locate any third-party software that could be causing conflicts and disable it.
