Fix: ‘Taskbar Icons Not Showing’ issue on Windows 11/10

There is no question that Windows 11 is an outstanding desktop operating system. However, some classic Windows problems do appear fairly frequently, and for the average user, this can make the experience feel jarring and unstable. Recent findings have shown that Windows 11 is giving some users issues with the Start Menu and Wi-Fi connectivity. Other users have reported that the Start Menu is completely inoperable for them. If you want to know how to Fix ‘Taskbar Icons Not Showing’ issue on Windows 11/10.

Now that we are hearing reports of problems with taskbar icons, we have decided to write this guide to explain how to fix the problem of missing taskbar icons on Windows 11. To restore the Taskbar icons, we covered everything from the most basic solutions to the most advanced methods. If you are experiencing the same problem on your Windows 11 computer and are missing Taskbar icons, then you should follow our guide to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Why ‘Taskbar Icons Not Showing’ issue on Windows 11/10

• Problem with the icon cache: The icon cache may be broken. You can fix this by getting rid of the icon cache file. To do this, press Windows+R to bring up the Run box. Type “appdata” and hit tab or enter. And then go to “Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer.” Get rid of the file “IconCache.db” that you find. Start up your computer again and check to see if the taskbar icons now show up.
• Question about File Explorer: File Explorer might not be working right. Start up File Explorer again to fix this. To get to Task Manager, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Go to the “Processes” tab and look for “explorer.exe.” Press and hold on it for a moment, then click “Restart.”
• System file corruption: It’s possible that some system files are broken. You can use the System File Checker (SFC) tool to fix this. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator to do this. To scan, type “sfc /scannow” and press Next. Your system files will be checked for damage by the SFC tool, and any problems it finds will be fixed.
• Third-party software: The taskbar might not work properly because of third-party software. To see if this is the case, turn off any new third-party software that you installed.
• Updates for Windows: The taskbar icons might be going away because of a bug in a recent Windows update. If you just put in some Windows updates, you can try taking them off to see if that fixes the issue.

Fix: ‘Taskbar Icons Not Showing’ issue on Windows 11/10

Exit tablet mode

In Windows 10, tablet mode makes your device touch-enabled so you can use your computer without a keyboard or mouse. Even if your device doesn’t come with touch capabilities, tablet mode still influences how your computer works. By default, Windows will hide taskbar icons when tablet mode is enabled. Fortunately, you can easily turn off tablet mode from Windows settings or Action Center.

Restart Windows Explorer

1. Right click Start and select Task Manager. Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Open the Processes tab and right-click in Windows Explorer.
3. Click Restart.

Check taskbar settings

1. Click Start, then go to Settings > Personalization.
2. From the menu on the left, select Taskbar.
3. Disable the toggle button below Auto-hide the taskbar in tablet mode.
4. In the Notification section, click Select the icons that appear on the taskbar.
5. Turn on the toggle for the icons you want to appear on the taskbar.

Update the display driver

1. In the Start menu search bar, search for device manager and select Best Match.
2. Expand the list of display adapters
3. Right click on the driver and select Update Driver.

Run the Disk Cleanup tool

1. Right click Start and select File Explorer. Or use the keyboard shortcut Win + E.
2. Select the drive (C:).
3. Open the Tools tab in Drive and click the Clean icon.
4. Run the tool with its default settings to avoid other problems.
5. Click the Clean system files button to start the process.

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