Settings and Taskbar not responding (Windows 11)

Question

Settings and Taskbar not responding (Windows 11)

Felix Hu 75

Hi everyone, I’m experiencing issues with both the taskbar and the Settings app, and I’m not sure if they’re related.

Taskbar issue: When I click the Windows Start button (on the taskbar or keyboard), the cursor shows a brief loading icon, but the Start menu doesn’t open. I have to use right-click to search for apps. Other features like volume, calendar, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth also don’t open their panels. However, pinned apps, the system tray, and language options work normally.

Settings app issue: The Settings app crashes shortly after launch. It opens for 2–3 seconds showing only the Settings logo, then closes.

I’ve restarted Windows Explorer, run sfc /scannow in admin PowerShell with no errors found, and rebooted the PC multiple times. Are there any other solutions that don’t require resetting Windows or losing files?

hn 0 Reputation points

2026-02-28T14:06:55.1833333+00:00

have you managed to get it fixed?

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hn 0 Reputation points

2026-02-28T14:06:55.1833333+00:00

have you managed to get it fixed?

Answer 1

Jason Nguyen Tran 12,640 Independent Advisor

Hi Felix Hu,

As a first step, I recommend running the DISM tool to repair the Windows image. Open PowerShell as administrator and run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This often resolves deeper issues that sfc /scannow alone cannot fix.

If the problem persists, you can re-register the Start menu and Settings components by running the following command in PowerShell (admin):

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"}

For the Settings app, you can similarly re-register with:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.immersivecontrolpanel | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"}

Additionally, please ensure that the latest cumulative updates for Windows 11 are installed, as Microsoft has released fixes for Start menu and Settings reliability in recent patches. If these steps don’t resolve the issue, creating a new local user profile can help determine if the problem is account-specific.

I hope these steps help restore full functionality to your taskbar and Settings app without requiring a reset. If you find this answer helpful, please consider clicking Accept Answer so others can benefit too.

Jason.

hn 0 Reputation points

2026-02-28T14:06:02.8566667+00:00

hi i'm having the exact same problems as Felix and upon entering the prompts on cmd, it says "'Get-AppxPackage' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

operable program or batch file." how can this be solved?
Jason Nguyen Tran 12,640 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-02-28T15:08:30.84+00:00

Hi hn,

The error you’re seeing happens because Get-AppxPackage is a PowerShell command, not something that works in Command Prompt. If you run it inside CMD, Windows won’t recognize it, which is why you’re getting that message. To fix this, please open Windows PowerShell (or Windows Terminal with PowerShell selected) as an administrator, then re‑enter the commands. That environment understands Get-AppxPackage and will let you re‑register the Start menu and Settings components properly.

Here’s a quick way to do it: press Win + X, choose Windows PowerShell (Admin), then paste the command exactly as provided. If you’re on Windows 11, you may see Windows Terminal (Admin) instead, just make sure PowerShell is the active shell inside it. After running the commands, restart Windows Explorer or reboot the PC to apply the changes.

In short, the commands won’t work in CMD, but they will in PowerShell.
hn 0 Reputation points

2026-02-28T18:59:07.92+00:00

Thankyou for clarifying.
However, my settings still refuses to open. I already did DISM, SFC, and resetting the system with only my files intact. And yet, the issue persists. I have the same Taskbar issue Felix mentioned aswell.

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Settings and Taskbar not responding (Windows 11)

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