Windows 10 Taskbar Not Working: Fix With Practical Solutions

When Windows 10 taskbar not working, some of the icons will be missing from the taskbar. You won’t find the tabs opened on your PC in the taskbar. Some users are also complaining that the volume icon in the taskbar notification area fails to respond. The volume icon is a quick way to control the volume of audio while doing some other tasks on your PC. But, as the volume control doesn’t respond, nothing happens when you click on the speaker icon in the taskbar. Hence, it becomes an annoying issue and creates a lot of inconveniences. Therefore, keep reading this article and get the appropriate fixes.

 

 

Methods To Resolve Windows 10 Taskbar And Volume Control Not Working


Below are the most accessible ways to get you out of taskbar volume icon not working Windows 10.

Restart The Computer

 

This is the easiest method and often resolves such taskbar related issues. So you can try out this one before heading towards other solutions. If you have a laptop, then hold down the Power button for at least 5-10 seconds and perform a force restart. While in the case of desktops, press the ‘Restart’ button to reboot your PC. This method will fix the issue if there were minor errors in your computer otherwise, you will need to move your way to the next solution.

 

Restart Windows Explorer

 

Use ‘Ctrl+Shift+Esc’ combination to open the Task Manager window. Then, go to the ‘Processes’ tab and select ‘Windows Explorer.’ Right-click on Windows Explorer and select ‘Restart’ to reboot the taskbar.

 

Restart Audio Services

 

  1. Press Windows icon and ‘R’ at the same time to open the list of services running on your PC.
  2. Then locate ‘Windows Audio,’ right-click on it and select ‘Properties.’
  3.  Change the ‘Startup type’ to automatic and hit the ‘Stop’ button to disable the audio services.
  4.  After a few minutes, click on the ‘Start’ button to restart the audio services.
  5. Now check whether the volume icon in the taskbar is working or not.
     

Run Windows PowerShell

 

  • Windows PowerShell is a built-in tool in Windows 10 that you can use to fix an unresponsive taskbar and volume control.
  • Open Task Manager, click on the ‘File’ tab and choose ‘Run a New Task.’
  • Type ‘PowerShell’ in the space for a new task, check ‘Create this task with administrative privileges’ box and then hit ‘Next’.
  • Windows apps will reinstall automatically and may display some error messages that you have to ignore.
  • Exit ‘PowerShell’ and navigate to ‘C:/Users/{Your_Name}/AppData/Local’ directory.
  • Type ‘services’ in the search box and press ‘Enter’ to open the ‘Services’ dialog box.
  • Locate ‘Tile Data model server,’ right-click on it and select ‘Stop.’
  • If this method doesn’t work, then go back to Task Manager and select ‘Local Security Authority Process.’
  • Tap the ‘End Task’ button and check the ‘Abandoned unsaved data and shut down’ box.
  • Finally, click on the ‘Shutdown’ button to end the local security authority process.
     

Set Up A New User Account

 

  1. Open the Settings app, click on ‘Accounts’ and select ‘Family and Other Accounts.’
  2.  Tap ‘Someone else to this PC’ and choose the option, ‘I don’t have this person’s information.’
  3.  Then, select ‘Add User Without Microsoft Account’ and create a new account.
  4.  Navigate to ‘Other Users’ and choose the new user account you have created in the last step. Click on ‘Change Account Type,’ select ‘Administrator’ and click ‘OK.’
  5. Log in to your computer using the new account and ensure that it has fixed the issue.
     

Refresh Windows 10

 

  1. Press Windows logo key and ‘L’ at the same time to log out from your account.
  2.  Press and hold the ‘Shift’ key and select ‘Restart.’
  3.  Choose ‘Troubleshoot’ and select ‘Reset this PC’ to enter the troubleshooting mode.
  4. Select the ‘Keep my files’ option and follow the on-screen instructions to fix the unresponsive taskbar and Start menu.
     

Install The Pending Updates

 

  1. Go to ‘Settings’ and  select ‘Update And Security.’
  2.  Then, click on the ‘Check for updates’ button to look for the updates that are available.
  3. If you find any pending updates, then click on ‘Install’ to get these updates for your Windows 10 PC. 

Run Audio Troubleshooter

 

It is an inbuilt tool to fix several audio related issues. If the volume icon in the taskbar has an association with such audio issues, then this method will resolve this problem. Thus, open Settings window, navigate to the ‘Update and Security’ section, and select ‘Troubleshoot.’ Select ‘Playing Audio Troubleshooter’ and run it on your PC.

 

Update Audio Drivers

 

  1. Enter ‘mmsys.cpl’ in the Command Prompt to access the ‘Sound’ window.
  2.  Right-click on the ‘Sound’ icon, select ‘Playback Devices’ and click on the ‘OK’ button.
  3.  Verify which one is the default device for your system and return to your desktop.
  4. Open Device Manager and expand the ‘Monitors or Network Adapters’ category.
  5.  Locate your device, right-click on it and select ‘Update Driver.’ Then, click on the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ option.
  6. Windows will search for an updated and compatible driver for your Windows 10 PC and install it automatically.
  7.  If Windows fails to find such a driver, then repeat the first two steps. Now, choose the ‘Browse your computer for driver software’ option and click ‘OK.’
  8.  Click on ‘Browse’ to find the location of the downloaded driver file. Hit the ‘Next’ button to install the required driver.
     

Disable The Antivirus

 

Certain antivirus software is installed on your PC can make the taskbar unresponsive. So check out the steps mentioned below.

  1.  Open ‘Settings’ and select ‘Apps and Features.’
  2. Then, select the antivirus software installed on your PC and click on the ‘Uninstall’ button.
  3.  Select ‘Uninstall’ on the confirmation dialog box to continue the removal of this software.  

Perform A System Restore

 

  1. Type ‘System Restore’ in the search box and press the ‘Enter’ key.
  2.  Choose ‘Create a restore point’ to open the ‘System Properties’ window and tap ‘Next.’
  3. Check the ‘Show more restore points’ box, click on ‘Next’ and follow the on-screen instructions to create a restore point.  

Use The Local Group Policy Editor

 

  1. Type ‘gpedit.msc ‘ in the ‘Run’ dialog box and click ‘OK’ to launch the Group Policy Editor.
  2. Expand ‘User Configuration’ and then ‘administrative Templates’ located in the drop-down menu.
  3. Click on ‘Start menu and taskbar’ and double-click on ‘Remove the volume control icon.’
  4.  Check the ‘Disabled’ option and tap the ‘Apply’ button to confirm the activity.
  5. Then click on ‘OK’ to save the changes.
     

Remove The Problematic Applications

 

If the problem is arising due to one or more problematic applications installed on your PC, then the method will fix this issue.

  1. Open the ‘Settings’ app and click on ‘Apps and Features.’
  2.  Choose one app, right-click on it and select ‘Uninstall.’
  3. Restart your computer and check whether the taskbar is working properly or not. If the taskbar and volume control are responding, then the specified app was problematic.
  4. Otherwise, repeat the process for other apps installed on your PC and restart your PC after uninstalling each app.
  5. You will thereby be able to detect the problematic app that you will need to remove from your PC permanently.
     

Run Command Prompt

 

Type ‘cmd’ in the search box to launch the Command Prompt and select ‘Run as Administrator.’ Copy and paste ‘DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth’ command in the Command line and click ‘OK.’ The command scans your PC, fix the glitches and reset the working of the taskbar.

 

Run Windows System File Checker

 

  1. Insert Windows 10 installation media i.e, a USB installation drive or a DVD into your PC. Then, press any key on the keyboard to boot from that installation media.
  2.  Select a preferred language and your location and tap the ‘Next’ button. Click on ‘Repair your computer’ and select the ‘Troubleshoot’ option.
  3.  Type ‘cmd’ in the Run dialog box and open the Command Prompt. Type the ‘sfc/scannow’ command in the Command line and hit ‘Enter’ to launch the System File Checker.
  4.  This inbuilt tool begins to scan your PC and fixes the faults automatically.
  5.  Close the Command Prompt window and select ‘Turn off your PC’ option.
  6.  Finally, restart your system to ensure that it has resolved both the taskbar and volume control issue. 

Hope you won’t have to struggle further with Windows 10 taskbar and volume icon not working issue.

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Nathaniel Villa
Nathaniel Villa
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