A frozen taskbar is one of the most common Windows annoyances: icons don't respond, the Start menu or search won't open, or the taskbar disappears entirely. In most cases restarting Windows Explorer fixes it in seconds. If it doesn't, keep going down this list.
1. Restart Windows Explorer
The taskbar, Start menu and File Explorer are all drawn by the Windows Explorer process. When it hangs, the taskbar hangs with it.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. This shortcut works even when the taskbar doesn't.
- On the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer. If you don't see it, open any File Explorer window first.
- Right-click it and choose Restart.
The screen flickers briefly and the taskbar comes back.
2. If the taskbar is gone completely
If Explorer was ended and didn't come back, start it yourself.
- In Task Manager, select Run new task at the top.
- Type
explorer.exeand select OK.
3. When only Start or search is broken
- In Task Manager, open the Details tab, right-click
StartMenuExperienceHost.exeand choose End task. Windows relaunches it automatically. - If search is the problem, do the same with
SearchHost.exe. - Still stuck? Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, choose Sign out, and sign back in.
4. Restart and update
If the freezes keep coming back, the bug may already be fixed in a newer update. Press Win + I to open Settings (it works without the taskbar), go to Windows Update > Check for updates, install everything and restart. If the problem started right after an update, you can remove the latest one under Update history > Uninstall updates.
5. Look for conflicting apps
Apps that restyle the taskbar or Start menu, outdated security software and some desktop customization tools can clash with Windows updates. If you installed something like that recently, remove it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps and restart.
6. Repair system files with DISM and SFC
Corrupted system files can also freeze the shell.
- In Task Manager, choose Run new task, type
cmd, tick Create this task with administrative privileges, and select OK. - Run these two commands in order:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannowRestart when both finish. Our Windows repair guide explains what the results mean.
Useful shortcuts when the taskbar is stuck
You can still get around without the taskbar:
- Win + I opens Settings.
- Win + E opens File Explorer.
- Win + R opens the Run box, where you can type commands like
cmdorservices.msc. - Alt + Tab switches between open windows.
- Ctrl + Alt + Delete gives you Task Manager, sign out and restart options.
If the keyboard itself seems unreliable, try our keyboard test to rule out a hardware problem.
7. Test with a new user account
Create a new account in Settings > Accounts > Other users and sign in to it. If the taskbar works there, the problem is limited to your original profile's settings. If it's broken everywhere, consider System Restore to roll back to a date before the problem began.
FAQ
Task Manager won't open either.
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and pick Task Manager from that screen. If even that fails, press the power button briefly to try a normal shutdown, and only hold it down if nothing responds.
My taskbar icons are blank or white.
That's usually the icon cache. Restarting Windows Explorer or the PC typically restores them.
Will restarting Explorer close my work?
No. Only open File Explorer windows close. Apps like Word or your browser stay open.
Does this apply to Windows 10 too?
Yes. The Explorer restart, Task Manager and SFC/DISM steps work the same way on Windows 10.