Fix Windows 11 Missing Taskbar Icons | 5 Fixes for Taskbar Icons Not Showing Issue

Windows is a great operating system, but it can also be frustrating when you notice missing taskbar icons. We’ve mentioned some ways to fix Windows 11 missing taskbar icons that you should try.

Users usually pin some icons (software shortcut icons) on their taskbars that they regularly use to enhance productivity.

Moreover, taskbars icons are the easiest way to launch any software in no time with just one click.

So, if your computer has a missing taskbar icon in Windows 11, there are several things you can do to get it back.

Here we’ll discuss the 5 easy ways to fix Windows 11 taskbar icons missing after sleep or restart or launch, including:

• Uninstall Recent Updates.
• Delete the Icon Cache File.
• Run Microsoft Store Troubleshooter.
• Re-Register Taskbar.
• Restart Windows Explorer.
• Re-pin Icons.

These are the ways that you can follow to windows 11 taskbar tray icons missing. Now, let’s see how to do it step-by-step.

5 Ways to Fix Windows 11 Missing Taskbar Icons

Below are the steps to fix Windows 11 taskbar icons missing after sleep, update, restart, or more.

#1. Uninstall Recent Updates to Fix Pinned Taskbar Icons Not Showing

The first way to fix Windows 11 missing taskbar icons is by uninstalling the Windows recent update.

In other words, if this problem has started since you updated your OS, you must uninstall it.

Here are the steps to uninstall Windows recent update:

• Launch system Settings (Press Windows + I).
• Go to Windows Update.
• Click on the Update History option in the new window.
• Here, you’ll find the Windows Recent Updates.
• Choose the most recent one and click Uninstall (check the date of the updates).  
• Now, the OS asks if you really want to uninstall it; click Uninstall again to confirm.

Thus, use the same update to uninstall more Windows updates and check if the problem gets solved.

#2. Delete the Icon Cache File to Fix Windows 11 Missing Taskbar Icons

The icon cache helps to speed up the process of running any program in Windows 11 as the OS need not scan the program every time you run it.

However, in some cases, the icons cache gets damaged or corrupted, and this may lead to Windows 11 missing taskbar icons issue.

Therefore, deleting or resetting the icons cache can fix the taskbar icons not showing problem.

Follow the steps mentioned below to delete the icon cache, including:

• Launch Run (press Windows + R).
• Type regedit in the Run window and click Ok.
• On the new page, double-click the HKEY_USERS option.
• After that, you’ll see some more options; double-click the value ending with 1001 (probably the second-last option).
• Now, follow the path; Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify.
• In the TrayNotify option, select IconStreams & PastIconStream (together).
• Lastly, hit the Delete button on your keyboard and then press Enter (or click Yes).

Moreover, after completing the steps, restart your computer. It’ll take a few minutes to rebuild the deleted registry entries.

So, have patience, and the Windows 11 taskbar not showing icons problem get resolved.

#3. Run Microsoft Store Troubleshooter to Fix Taskbar Icons Not Showing

Microsoft always provides some set of troubleshooting methods to fix Windows 11 common issues.

If the pinned taskbar icons not showing (the apps’ icons installed from the Microsoft store), here is a troubleshooting way to fix it.

Follow the instructions listed below to run Microsoft troubleshooter to fix Windows 11 missing taskbar icons issue:

• Launch system Settings (press Windows + I).
• Look for Find and fix problems with Windows Store apps (search it directly) and click the first option.
• In the pop-up window, click Next and follow the on-screen instruction.

Moreover, after completing the troubleshooting process, OS detects the problem and fixes it automatically, and notifies you at the same time.

You may also like: Feature of Windows 11 22h2 Version.

#4. Delete IconStreams Registry

The Registry Editor allows users to perform several functions, such as creating, manipulating, renaming, and deleting registry keys and more.

Moreover, deleting the IconStream registry from the editor can help you fix the icons disappearing from the taskbar windows 11 problem.

However, the official policy of Microsoft recommends being extremely careful while using Windows registry-editing software.

Therefore, we recommend not doing something other than what we mention in the instructions.

That said, here is the step-by-step guide to deleting IconStreams Registry to fix the taskbar icons not showing the issue.

• Search Registry Editor on the Windows search bar.
• Left-click on the Registry Editor app and click Run as Administrator to open it with admin rights.
• Press Crtl + F to open the find menu in the Registry Editor.
• In the Find window, search for iconstreams.
• From the search results (in the right window pane), select the iconstreams file and delete it.
• Again, search for pasticonstreams and delete that file too.
• Lastly, Restart your computer, and these two files get recreated automatically.

Note: It is recommended to try this way to fix Windows 11 missing taskbar icons in the last, i.e., after trying the other ones.

#5. Restart Windows Explorer to Fix Windows 11 Missing Taskbar Icons

All file resources on the pc can be explored and managed using Windows Explorer. Due to some glitch, taskbar icons not showing.

In that case, you can restart Windows Explorer to fix the icons that disappeared from the taskbar windows 11.

However, this isn’t a permanent fix but have helped many PC with Windows 11 OS.

Now, have a look at the steps to restart Windows explorer:

• Launch Task Manager (Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or left-click on the taskbar and choose task manager from the following options).
• Here, you’ll see a list of items, find and click on the Windows Explorer option from it.
• Look on the top of the page; there, you’ll see Restart Task; click on that.
• Ideally, the icons disappeared from the taskbar windows 11 issue gets solved in one go. If not, click on Restart Task again.

Note: Repeat the steps a few times (usually 2-3 times), and your taskbar icons will start showing again.

Hence, these are the 5 simple ways to fix Windows 11 missing taskbar icons issue.

Conclusion

One day when you start your PC, you find that all your pinned icons disappeared from the taskbar Windows 11.

However, you can also launch any program through the start menu, but that isn’t as quick as this.

Don’t panic! We’ve got you covered!

In the upper sections of this guide, we’ve discussed the 5 best ways to fix Windows 11 missing taskbar icons.

Follow the steps precisely, and you’ll get back your pinned icons and improve your productivity.

Hope you find this guide helpful and informative! Let us know if you have any queries in the comments below.