How To Fix Windows 10 Taskbar Icons Missing?

The Windows Taskbar is an application launcher that includes a taskbar on the bottom edge of the screen. It also provides notifications of applications' or device events and disturbances in an unobtrusive way. Each application icon on the taskbar represents a window, a shortcut to an application or device. When these icons disappear or change their position, it may cause problems when using the computer. The following article shows you 6 ways to fix Windows 10 taskbar icons missing problems at once.

The Windows 10 OS has revolutionized desktop systems, allowing the use of a computer easier with better and efficient features. However, Windows 10 can still experience various problems including missing icons on the taskbar.

Icons might be missing from the taskbar because of many reasons. When this happens, you may find it extremely hard to use your Windows 10 computer. Fortunately, simple issues like this are fixable by restarting your computer while others need more technical solutions.

Below are easy ways you can fix icon missing problems in Windows 10.

Method 1: Restart Windows Explorer

This is the first method because it is the easiest and a common fix to many computer problems. Before doing anything else, try restarting your computer.

Follow these steps to restart your windows explorer:

1. Press CTRL + Shift + ESC to open task manager.
2. Once open, go to the Processes tab.
3. Click Windows Explorer.
4. Then select Restart.

Method 2: Update your Windows

Updating your computer also fixes a lot of problems for your Windows 10 system. Windows regularly provide users with the latest system updates, but it's up to the user to choose to update. Hence, the need to check for updates regularly and install them.

To update Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + S simultaneously.
2. In the search bar, type Windows update to open Windows Update settings.
3. Scroll down and click Check for updates. Windows will automatically check for updates.
4. Install the updates and restart your computer.

Method 3: Use command prompt

To do this:

1. Press Windows key + X simultaneously. This will open the Command Prompt.
2. Click Command Prompt (Admin).
3. Run the command: DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth.
4. Hit Enter.

Method 4: Reinstall Windows Application

Taskbars cannot be uninstalled directly. You need to use PowerShell cmdlet for that. To reinstall Windows applications, simply follow these steps:

1. Go to Start Menu and type PowerShell.
2. Right-click PowerShell and then select Run as Administrator.
3. Type or copy and paste the command: Get-AppxPackage-AllUsers/ Foreach {Add-AppxPackage DisableDevelepmentMode-Register “$($_. InstallLocation) /AppXManifest.xml”}
4. Hit Enter.
5. Restart your computer when the process is complete.

Method 5: Turn off Controlled Folder Access

1. Go to Start Menu, click Settings, and select Update and Security.
2. Click Windows Security.
3. Select Virus and Threat Protection settings.
4. Scroll down and turn off Controlled folder access.

Method 6: Remove Temporary Files

To do this:

1. Press Windows Key+ R. This will open a run command box.
2. Type %temp% in it and click OK.
3. Delete everything to clear the temp files.

Method 7: Create a New User

This should be the last resort because it is a very inconvenient process. Only use this fix if the other fixes did not solve the problem. Creating a new user often solves the problem.

To create a new user:

1. Go to Start Menu and search User Accounts.
2. In the user accounts box, select Manage another account.
3. Select Add a user account at the bottom of the page.
4. Select sign in without a Microsoft account and choose Local account.
5. In the resulting dialogue box, enter a new username and new passwords and click Finish.
6. Convert the new account to a guest account.
   To do this:
   *  Press Windows Key+ R and type in netplwiz and then click enter.*  In the Advanced User Accounts Window, scroll down and choose the new account and click on Properties.
   *  Select Other as the account type and Guest as the user group.
   *  Click Ok to save changes
   

Summary: Fix Windows 10 Taskbar Icons Missing

• Check For Hidden Icons
• Restart Windows Explorer To Display Taskbar Icons
• Repair Taskbar Using DISM Command
• Run SFC Scan To Replace Missing Taskbar Icons With Correct Ones

Conclusion

These are the simple ways you can fix Windows 10 when it experiences missing icons in the taskbar. However, you can avoid getting these problems in the first place by regularly installing updates. If these fixes do not work or the problem still persists, look for a computer technician to help you out.