Windows
Taskbar disappeared after a Windows feature update
A recent Windows feature update left the taskbar missing. The fix was to roll back that feature update and reboot; after restart, the taskbar was back.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2025-12-01.
Affects
Versions
- Windows
Hardware
- laptop
What you see
- Desktop loads but the taskbar does not appear after a Windows update.
Why it happens
Likely Likely the recent Windows feature update left the shell/taskbar in a bad state.
When it shows up
A computer loses its taskbar right after a recent Windows feature update.
You are in this case if:
- Windows Update history shows a recent feature update was installed.
- The desktop appears, but the taskbar is missing after sign-in.
1 fix below
The steps that killed it
The steps are behind a quick check
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Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2025-12-01. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.