Solved Missing Windows 11 Toolbar after Windows update.

Flashorn · Mar 4, 2024

BaJohn said:
Could you say which way is best for me to be able to download stuff from web to my Win 10 PC.
Then put it on a USB (what size) and use it on the Win 11 PC so that it boots from that USB to do the work.
Is that possible?

OK, when you come back, you can use the first method in the Repair Install from the tutorial that @Bree
has posted above.
But first, let's try a Reset PC from the Settings app.
You can open it by using the Control Panel in Task Manager method. (shell:AppsFolders) Enter key
Once the Control Panel is up, scroll down to Settings.
Click on it then, on System (left side)
Scroll down to Recovery. Click on that. Follow the prompts. This is what you'll see:
Read the instructions carefully as it will ask if you want to keep all files. Use the right
Radio button.

Just make sure that Zone Alarm is still disabled.
This might take a while so, be patient pls.

If this still doesn't get the task bar back then, you would continue to do a full reinstall
and Yes, all your apps and settings will be deleted.
AS @OAT said, get the Belarc log to your email client so it can be retrieved latter on.

You can use the first link I posted in post #137 to complete the reinstall.
The size of the .iso is 6.3GB. Just make sure you use the right version (64bit) and language (English).
The USB drive should be about 16 GB or more if you have one at hand.

Don't hesitate to ask questions if the need arises before you install if you don't understand a step.
I know it's allot to take in but, we did quite a bit yesterday and we did get results even though
they were not the ones we wanted.

Diplomat · Mar 5, 2024

I'm sorry to hijack this thread. I'm having precisely the same issue (taskbar missing, explorer crashing) with the same update installed.

I have tried everything in this thread already and tried to repair it from the ISO as well, but it did not help.

Edit: just booted into safe mode and everything is working perfectly there. The taskbar is there and working just fine.

Edit 2: It looks like the Windows Update page in Settings is messed up. Nothing can be done there.

BaJohn · Mar 5, 2024

Flashorn said:
OK, when you come back, you can use the first method in the Repair Install from the tutorial that @Bree
has posted above.
But first, let's try a Reset PC from the Settings app.

I can't do any work on this today, but will start tomorrow (Wed) in the morning, so I may ask some more questions late tonight (UK time),
when I have intermittent gaps in my home life to investigate a bit more.

BaJohn · Mar 5, 2024

Bree said:
Once you have downloaded the ISO you could try am in-place repair install. That will reinstall Windows, but keeps all your files and installed apps.

Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything. If you need to repair or create a new recovery partition or having problems with the Windows 11 operating system on your PC, and the usual solutions will not fix it...

www.elevenforum.com

The 'Reset PC' option actually throws my installed Apps away, but there is an option with 'Reinstall Windows' which allows the installed Apps to remain. Yet 'Reset' implies not as hash an action as 'Reinstall' (which I thought would be a last resort).
So I think I will go with the Reinstall with In Place Upgrade.
Since this problem seems like ONLY a Win 11 OS problem, it makes sense not to delete the Apps.

Edit:- Can I download the ISO on a Win 10 PC?

Bree · Mar 5, 2024

BaJohn said:
Edit:- Can I download the ISO on a Win 10 PC?

Yes. I'd use the last option, Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO), here:

Download Windows 11

hdmi · Mar 5, 2024

BaJohn said:
The 'Reset PC' option actually throws my installed Apps away, but there is an option with 'Reinstall Windows' which allows the installed Apps to remain. Yet 'Reset' implies not as hash an action as 'Reinstall' (which I thought would be a last resort).
So I think I will go with the Reinstall with In Place Upgrade.
Since this problem seems like ONLY a Win 11 OS problem, it makes sense not to delete the Apps.

Can't hurt to try it. Just remember that some of your settings in the Windows Settings app will be reset to their default setting (but most of them will still remain).

BaJohn said:
Edit:- Can I download the ISO on a Win 10 PC?

After the download is finished, be sure to copy the downloaded .iso file onto the Windows 11 computer's internal storage (don't just run the Windows repair via an in-place upgrade with the .iso file stored only on an external USB disk). Because, to stand a bigger chance of a successful Windows repair via an in-place upgrade, all USB devices excepting only the USB mouse and the USB keyboard (if that's what you have) should be physically unplugged from the computer's USB ports before the first automatic reboot occurs during the Windows repair via an in-place upgrade. (If you forget to do this, often times it will fail to complete the repair and you'll have to try again so, more time will be wasted as a result then.)

Delibrythe · Mar 5, 2024

Diplomat said:
I'm sorry to hijack this thread. I'm having precisely the same issue (taskbar missing, explorer crashing) with the same update installed.

I have tried everything in this thread already and tried to repair it from the ISO as well, but it did not help.

Edit: just booted into safe mode and everything is working perfectly there. The taskbar is there and working just fine.

Edit 2: It looks like the Windows Update page in Settings is messed up. Nothing can be done there.

I jumped in as well too and no one responded. I did an in place upgrade but that didn't work because it just updated me to the latest update that was causing the issue.

Do you have an installation USB or are you able to create one? What has worked for me was booting into the the advanced recovery options on my USB and uninstalling the updates. I then had to hide a few updates to make sure they did not get installed. However I am still experiencing a few glitches. The search bar in the start menu is not working and certain options in settings like "Display" won't open up for me.

Flashorn · Mar 5, 2024

Delibrythe said:
I jumped in as well too and no one responded. I did an in place upgrade but that didn't work because it just updated me to the latest update that was causing the issue.

Do you have an installation USB or are you able to create one? What has worked for me was booting into the the advanced recovery options on my USB and uninstalling the updates. I then had to hide a few updates to make sure they did not get installed. However I am still experiencing a few glitches. The search bar in the start menu is not working and certain options in settings like "Display" won't open up for me.

Probably doing a reinstall from scratch will solve your problems.
OR better yet, did you make a Recovery image of the original OS
that came with your Dell notebook? I'm sure that in the Dell app
you must have that function. Why contend with half working OS
when reinstalling would solve your problems. I know, lots of work
but,doing it Once instead of trying to fix it bit by bit is much more
efficient. Then , you can enjoy the fruits of your labor knowing that
all is finally fixed.
Make sure you have all your licenses and .exe for your paid programs
on a USB stick so, you can re-install them latter. The drivers should be
in the Recovery image from Dell. Once the re-installation done , you
can use the Dell app to update all of them.

Flashorn · Mar 5, 2024

Diplomat said:
I'm sorry to hijack this thread. I'm having precisely the same issue (taskbar missing, explorer crashing) with the same update installed.

I have tried everything in this thread already and tried to repair it from the ISO as well, but it did not help.

Edit: just booted into safe mode and everything is working perfectly there. The taskbar is there and working just fine.

Edit 2: It looks like the Windows Update page in Settings is messed up. Nothing can be done there.

Hi!
Sorry for the late response.
There are two updates that were installed on @BaJohn 's PC . which one are we taking about?
Have you tried a Restore Point from before this has happened?
Do you have the Restore app turned ON.
Since all was working in safe mode, I would suggest (if restore app is on) that you try one (from safe mode)
the day before the update installed. Do not use one that is say, a week old as there might be too much to restore.
Make sure to disable or exit (not uninstall) any security programs or suits that you might have installed
otherwise, the restore will fail to complete.

BaJohn · Mar 6, 2024

Flashorn said:
Just make sure you use the right version (64bit) and language (English).

That's a bit difficult as my PC is 'English (United Kingdom)' and the options are 'English (United States) or 'English International'.
Currently downloading both options and will wait for confirmation of which I should use.

The 'English (United Kingdom)' came from Control Panel => Clock and Region => Region => Format, which is probably not the correct place to check for the OS version of language.
Any thoughts please?

EDIT:- SORRY In my reading online, changing windows, reading different pieces of paper and trying to understand this, I have used the wrong download option at Download Windows 11.
I'll leave this here as a demonstration of how easy it is to be confused (well me anyway).

EDIT(2):- I have confirmed that my Win 11 PC does also use language for the OS as 'English (United Kingdom)', as well as the local format.
I think I will go ahead with using the international edition.

BaJohn · Mar 6, 2024

I'm stuck at the next simple thing, moving the ISO file from my Win 10 PC to the Win 11 PC.
I went out yesterday and bought 2 new USBs SanDiskUltra USB3.0 64GB.
I have tried both of them to transfer the 6.5GB ISO file, and my PC tells me the file is too big.
I also tried an older different USB size 32GB with the same result.
I don't think I have tried to move some a large file before, so can only assume that it might be a Win 10 thing in some way.
Please help me as it is now day 3 and many hours on this and not really started to get near fixing my problem.

Bree · Mar 6, 2024

BaJohn said:
I went out yesterday and bought 2 new USBs SanDiskUltra USB3.0 64GB.
I have tried both of them to transfer the 6.5GB ISO file, and my PC tells me the file is too big.
I also tried an older different USB size 32GB with the same result.

USBs usually come pre-formatted as Fat32, which has a 4GB maximum size limit for any individual file.

Reformat the USB as exFAT and you'll be able to copy any size of file to it (or NTFS, that would do too).

Try3 · Mar 6, 2024

Diplomat said:
I'm having precisely the same issue (taskbar missing, explorer crashing) with the same update installed.

...

Edit: just booted into safe mode and everything is working perfectly there. The taskbar is there and working just fine.

I suggest you reinstall your display driver.
Safe mode does not use the currently-installed one so its good behaviour points to that as the cause of your problem.
If it's not that it is some third-party application stopping Windows working properly. So you'd need to work through Clean boot procedures - see Clean Boot to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts - ElevenForumTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

BaJohn · Mar 6, 2024

This is what I have done today - In overview.

Download and Install Win 11 Vers 23H2 using ISO onto TOP-PANDA

On TOP-MOUSE (Win 10) Goto Download Windows 11 (microsoft.com)
Choose “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices”
Only option is “Windows 11 (Multi Edition ISO for x64 devices)”
This prompts for the language to be entered from a drop down which only has
“English (United States)” or “English International”
Choose “English International” and download it.
The file ‘Win11_23H2_EnglishInternational_x64v2.iso’ will appear in the download folder.
It’s size is 6,638,374 KB
Copy this to USB “BLUE_64GB” file size the same. (First quick format USB to exFat)
Copy this from USB to the G: drive on TOP-PANDA.
To install Windows 11 directly from the ISO file without using a DVD or USB flash drive, you can do so by mounting the ISO file.
This will perform an upgrade of the current operating system to Windows 11.
To mount the ISO file, go to the location where the ISO file was downloaded.
Then, right-click the ISO file and select  Properties .
On the "General" tab, click "Change…" where it says, “Opens with:" and select “Windows Explorer” for the program you would like to use to open ISO files and select  Apply .
Right-click the ISO file and select  Mount .
This will create a “virtual” bootable disc.
Double-click on it to view the files and double-click  setup.exe  to start Windows 11 setup.

This failed (eventually) with the desktop being there as normal without the TaskBar which is the problem I am having since Saturday 02/03/24.

Presumable an absolute "Clean Install" is now the only option, although I can't see how I can change anything with this download as it did not provide an option to choose. How should I proceed to do a "Clean Install"?

Try3 · Mar 6, 2024

I cannot make out from your earlier posts whether or not the Taskbar & Start menu were displayed when you were in Safe mode.

Denis

BaJohn · Mar 6, 2024

Ghot said:
Get the Windows 11 ISO (Option #2), and save it to your desktop...

I'm going to start again with the download mentioned in Ghot's post #36, but try to get a clean install from there.
At least I now know a lot more about ISO loading etc.

BaJohn · Mar 6, 2024

Try3 said:
I cannot make out from your earlier posts whether or not the Taskbar & Start menu were displayed when you were in Safe mode.

Denis

No there were not.

Try3 · Mar 6, 2024

BaJohn said:
but try to get a clean install from there

For a Clean install, you need to boot from the drive containing the extracted ISO file's contents.
Clean Install Windows 11 - ElevenForumTutorials

Your post #154 described a Repair install [aka In-place upgrade]. Despite its name, it is a repair procedure not an installation.
Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade - ElevenForumTutorials

Denis

BaJohn · Mar 6, 2024

Try3 said:
For a Clean install, you need to boot from the drive containing the extracted ISO file's contents.
Clean Install Windows 11 - ElevenForumTutorials

What I did was put the ISO on disc G:, used (windows explorer - the default) to run Setup.exe and took it from there.
I did not extract the ISO files contents anywhere.

Try3 · Mar 6, 2024

BaJohn said:
What I did was put the ISO on disc G:, used (windows explorer - the default) to run Setup.exe and took it from there.
I did not extract the ISO files contents anywhere.

Yes.
What you did was a Repair install procedure.

Denis

Solved Missing Windows 11 Toolbar after Windows update.

Well-known member

My Computers

New member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Jack of all trades – master of none

My Computers

Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Similar threads