Windows 10: Windows 11 laptop Icons disappeared from task bar, file explorer won't open and alt + Tab...

My Windows 11 laptop had a problem with all the icons going missing from the task bar and file explorer would take 2-4 minutes to fully open then when open I couldn't right-click on anything. I have been through lots of problem solving including the scs scannow function but nothing showed up. i tried a heap of things and nothing worked so I did a total reset. The reset was ok until I got to setting up the PIN and it failed I also couldn't set the PIN later on, the same error message. After resetting I still have the same issues.No icons on the taskbarfile explorer takes an age to fully loadAlt

:)

 

Internet Explorer Icon disappeared from my Task Bar

Dave; the only thing that comes up on add a feature is a long list of foreign languages. I have previously reinstalled IE 11.

Larry

Hello Dave; I just got my IE Icon back on my task bar. Here is how I got it back: In the search window: C:\Program Files (86) Click on that and a new window opens. Scroll down and click on "internet explorer" and click on "open" in the tool bar, a new window
will open then click on "iexplore.exe" then click on open in the tool bar tab. IE will open on the screen with the icon in the Task Bar. Right Click on the icon and pin it. There may be a better way to do this but it worked for me.

Have a good day, Larry

 

Cannot open "File Explorer" from the Task Bar of Windows 11

I've pinned the File Explorer to the Task Bar of Windows 11. When clicking that icon, the whole desktop seems reloaded but the File Explorer won't be open. I can open it from the search icon or "Window button + E".

What's wrong with the task bar?

My Windows 11 Version 21H2 (OS Build 22000.348) was upgraded from Windows 10.

 

Win 11 File Explorer tabs not opening

Hello. I'm Douglas, here to help you with this.

For this situation, I recommend that you test the steps in the order they are listed below:

1. Install Windows Updates

File Explorer tabs are only available on computers running Windows 11 22H2 or later. So your first step is to determine which version of Windows your computer is running. If your system is running an older version, use the following steps to update to the latest version.

Step 1: Click the Windows button on the taskbar to open the Start menu and click the gear icon to launch the Settings app.

Step 2: Click on the Windows Update option on the left sidebar and click on the Check for Updates button on the top right corner.

After updating Windows to the latest version, File Explorer tabs will appear.

2. Restart the Windows Explorer process

Windows Explorer is a system process that manages the graphical user interface (GUI) for File Explorer. If this process is not running correctly, File Explorer may not display the tabs on your computer. Most of the time, you can fix problems with the Windows Explorer process simply by restarting it. Here are the steps for the same.

Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard to open Task Manager.

Step 2: On the Processes tab, find the Windows Explorer process. Right-click and select Restart.

Your taskbar will disappear for a few seconds and reappear. After that, open File Explorer on your PC and check if you can access the tabs.

3. Clear File Explorer history

Windows File Explorer keeps a record of your previous activities and searches to better serve you. If Windows is having trouble accessing this data for some reason, File Explorer may malfunction. You can try clearing the existing File Explorer history and see if that helps.

Step 1: Click the Windows Search icon on the taskbar, type file explorer options and press Enter.

Step 2: On the General tab, click on the Clear button next to Clear File Explorer History.

4. Run the System Maintenance Troubleshooter

Your Windows computer runs the System Maintenance Troubleshooter regularly to clean up unused files, desktop shortcuts, and perform other maintenance tasks. This tool can help fix any irregularities with File Explorer and restore missing tabs. See how to run it.

Step 1: Press Windows keys + S to open Windows Search, type control panel and press Enter.

Step 2: In the Control Panel window, use the drop-down menu in the upper-right corner to select Large Icons. Then click on the Troubleshooting menu in the list of icons.

Step 3: In the System and Security section, select the Perform maintenance tasks option.

Step 4: Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter. After that, check if the problem persists.

5. Check for corrupted system files

Another reason File Explorer may not show tabs is if some of the system files on your PC are corrupt or missing. SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) are two Windows tools that can help detect and repair any damaged system files. See how to run them.

Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon to open the Power User menu and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.

Step 2: Select Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.

Step 3: In the console, type the following command and press Enter.

SFC/scannow

After the scan completes, you will see a message indicating whether or not you found any errors. You will also receive instructions for correcting the error if there is a problem.

Then run the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scan by typing the following commands and pressing Enter after each one:

DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/CheckHealth

DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/ScanHealth

DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth

Note that DISM can connect to Windows servers to download system files if needed. So make sure you have an active internet connection.

Restart your PC after the scan completes and check if File Explorer shows tabs.

I hope this information helps you, post the results again, I'm available.

Thanks.