Windows 11 taskbar issue

snikr · Oct 9, 2023

For some reason after Windows 11 did the Windows Configuration Update (KB5030509) my task bar is all changed and I can't get it back to what is was when I first got my new computer in February. I had it with the start button in the middle and on the right was my loaded program icons (like CCleaner as others). What did Microsoft do???

Spunk · Oct 9, 2023

Right click the Taskbar/Taskbar Settings. Take the drop down arrow for Taskbar Behaviors and check where you want to align your taskbar, and other behaviors.

snikr · Oct 9, 2023

I just checked and it is set on Center. But the Start button is on the left of the task bar. Time to uninstall that update?? And even my clock is missing

Ghot · Oct 9, 2023

snikr said:
I just checked and it is set on Center. But the Start button is on the left of the task bar. Time to uninstall that update?? And even my clock is missing

It's not the update... there's some setting(s) you are missing.
Maybe if you post a screen shot of ALL of your Taskbar, we could be of more help...

To post a screenshot on this forum...

1. Take the screenshot, edit it as desired, save to your desktop as .png or .jpg (max. size = 2MB)
2. Left click in your post, where you want to place the screenshot.
3. Click the Attach Files button at lower left, browse to your pic and click Insert.
4. After clicking Insert, I usually choose the Thumbnail option.

For example...

All I did was switch it to "Center" in settings...

You might want to open a command prompt as Admin and run this command... sfc /scannow
If... SFC finds any errors, repaired or not, then run this command... Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Both of these commands will attempt to "repair" any broken Windows files.
If SFC finds NO errors... then you won't need to run the 2nd command.

snikr · Oct 9, 2023

OK, here is the screen shot of my desktop and taskbar as it is now.

Spunk · Oct 9, 2023

Try a System Restore to a time before the Update

Ghot · Oct 9, 2023

snikr said:
OK, here is the screen shot of my desktop and taskbar as it is now.

Yeah... I'd run those two commands first... and see if that helps.

If that still doesn't fix things, you might want to consider an In-Place upgrade, which REALLY fixes Windows issues.

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

Power from weakest to strongest ----->
SFC ---> DISM (restore health) ---> In-Place Upgrade

They all pretty much do the same thing... repair Windows.
Because they take progressively more time (left to right), we generally do them in the order I listed.

I just ran the first two commands, so I could take this screen shot...

snikr · Oct 9, 2023

Weill I ran both those programs and restarted Windows. Still the same. I'm about done for today but I might have to try the In-Place Upgrade. Thanks for everyone's help so far.

Spunk · Oct 9, 2023

You did not fill out the My Computer link under the Forum Profile?
Is this a laptop? Or a Desktop?

What is the Make and Model# of the computer or motherboard?
if a Desktop, are you using a GPU? (Video Card)? Or the onboard video?
You can try downloading your GPU driver from the Manufacturer.

Did you do a System Restore?
The other option is to Move the taskbar to the Left, Restart the computer, and then Move it back to Center.

Ghot · Oct 9, 2023

snikr said:
Weill I ran both those programs and restarted Windows. Still the same. I'm about done for today but I might have to try the In-Place Upgrade. Thanks for everyone's help so far.

Tomorrow is patch Tuesday... maybe that will fix things?
I doubt it... but ya never know.

Also... as @Spunk mentioned... you could try a System Restore to a date before the update that broke your Taskbar.
Then see what happens after tomorrow's update.

csun · Oct 10, 2023

snikr said:
For some reason after Windows 11 did the Windows Configuration Update (KB5030509) my task bar is all changed and I can't get it back to what is was when I first got my new computer in February. I had it with the start button in the middle and on the right was my loaded program icons (like CCleaner as others). What did Microsoft do???

On my system, the Start button is on the far left and can't be moved within the taskbar.

Is this standard for Win 11 ? iirc, there were recent updates which affected the taskbar. Perhaps you were able to move the Start button prior to the update.

snikr · Oct 11, 2023

csun said:
On my system, the Start button is on the far left and can't be moved within the taskbar.

Is this standard for Win 11 ? iirc, there were recent updates which affected the taskbar. Perhaps you were able to move the Start button prior to the update.

Before the update I was able to move the Start Button. It was either aligned left or center. Now I can NOT move the Start button no matter who I have it in the taskbar settings (mine is stuck on the left align). Plus I do NOT have a clock in the bottom right hand part of the taskbar like I used to. Looks like Microsoft "mucked" up a update.

snikr · Nov 28, 2023

Ghot said:
Yeah... I'd run those two commands first... and see if that helps.

If that still doesn't fix things, you might want to consider an In-Place upgrade, which REALLY fixes Windows issues.

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

Power from weakest to strongest ----->
SFC ---> DISM (restore health) ---> In-Place Upgrade

They all pretty much do the same thing... repair Windows.
Because they take progressively more time (left to right), we generally do them in the order I listed.

I just ran the first two commands, so I could take this screen shot...

View attachment 73566

GHOT I tried the in place upgrade after I tried the first two you told me about and the in-place upgrade just exited after I hit NEXT in the Making sure you're ready to install. WTF??????? Looks like I'm stuck with a broken taskbar.

Ghot · Nov 28, 2023

snikr said:
GHOT I tried the in place upgrade after I tried the first two you told me about and the in-place upgrade just exited after I hit NEXT in the Making sure you're ready to install. WTF??????? Looks like I'm stuck with a broken taskbar.

Do you have any 3rd party AV, firewall, encryption software running?

Option #2, the ISO method is the one we want... you need to follow ALL the directions, exactly...

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

In short... you have to have the "right" ISO image, and then you need make sure that Bitlocker is turned OFF and that no 3rd party programs interfere with the Repair Install.

snikr · Nov 28, 2023

GHOT I did Option 2 and made sure I had turned off my AV program, plus I do not have Bitlocker on my version of 11 so I should have been good. Plus the downloads didn't give me a choice of which build of Windows 11. All I got was a Windows 11 ISO file on my USB drive. Maybe I got the wrong version???

Spunk · Nov 28, 2023

snikr said:
Plus the downloads didn't give me a choice of which build of Windows 11. All I got was a Windows 11 ISO file on my USB drive. Maybe I got the wrong version???

You do not save the downloaded ISO file to your USB Flash drive, you save it to a computer, then you will Burn the ISO Image with the Media Creation Tool if you want a bootable Windows Installer. Download Windows 11 Once you have Burned the ISO, Boot the troubled computer with the Windows 11 Installer USB.

Or if you can still boot into Windows, you can Right click the ISO image you saved on your computer and choose Mount. Which will create a Virtual DVD drive, which you can browse and double click Setup.exe and do Step 4 to do a Repair Install, Keeping Files.

The Version of Windows 11 you download (ie) Pro or Home is dependent on the Product key that is saved in your Bios on your computer.

snikr · Nov 29, 2023

Spunk said:
You do not save the downloaded ISO file to your USB Flash drive, you save it to a computer, then you will Burn the ISO Image with the Media Creation Tool if you want a bootable Windows Installer. Download Windows 11 Once you have Burned the ISO, Boot the troubled computer with the Windows 11 Installer USB.

Or if you can still boot into Windows, you can Right click the ISO image you saved on your computer and choose Mount. Which will create a Virtual DVD drive, which you can browse and double click Setup.exe and do Step 4 to do a Repair Install, Keeping Files.

The Version of Windows 11 you download (ie) Pro or Home is dependent on the Product key that is saved in your Bios on your computer.

Spunk.....I posted that wrong. I downloaded and ran the Media Cessation Tool and got the ISO on my flash drive. I was in a hurry and got the download part messed up. I'll have to take another look and see what is going on. Thanks for the help.

Spunk · Nov 30, 2023

If you have burned the Windows ISO image to the USB Flash Drive using the Media Creation Tool, then place the Flash drive into the troubled computer and Restart the computer pressing F12. Choose the Flash Drive to boot to.
Choose your Language, then in the Next window choose Repair Your Computer. This will start the Troubleshooting menu. Choose Advanced.
Here you have several options, first try a Startup Repair. You can also try System Restore. As well as Advanced Startup with several options like Safe Mode etc.

snikr · Jan 5, 2025

Just an update to my Windows 11 taskbar "issue". After doing an update in December the "issue" solved itself. Looks like Microsoft finally figured out they messed up my Windows 11. All is good now.

Windows 11 taskbar issue

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