How to Get the Taskbar Back on Windows 10

To get a missing taskbar back on Windows 10, first move your pointer to the very bottom edge of the screen. If the taskbar slides up, it is only set to hide: press Windows logo key + I, select Personalization > Taskbar, and turn off Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode. If nothing appears at any edge, the usual causes are tablet mode, the taskbar sitting on another display, or a frozen Windows Explorer process, and each has a quick fix below.

Applies to: Windows 10. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and only PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates still get security fixes, through October 12, 2027.

First, figure out which kind of “missing” you have

A taskbar that is gone can be in one of four states, and the fix depends on which one you see:

• Hidden: the taskbar appears when you point at or touch the edge of the screen, then disappears again. That is the auto-hide setting.
• Moved: the taskbar is at the top, left, or right edge instead of the bottom, or it is on your other monitor.
• Squashed: only a thin strip is visible because the taskbar was dragged to a very small size, or it is hidden behind a full-screen app.
• Not running: nothing appears anywhere, pressing the Windows logo key does not open the Start menu, and desktop icons may be gone too. That points to Windows Explorer, the process that draws the taskbar and desktop.

A quick test: press the Windows logo key. This key opens or closes the Start menu, so if Start opens, the shell is running and the problem is almost always a setting.

Turn off auto-hide and put the taskbar back at the bottom

This is the fix for most people. You do not need the taskbar to reach its settings, because you can open them from the keyboard.

1. Press Windows logo key + I to open Settings. If the taskbar is visible when you point at the bottom of the screen, you can instead right-click (or press and hold) an empty space on it and select Taskbar settings.
2. Select Personalization, then select Taskbar. The taskbar settings page opens.
3. Turn off Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode. The taskbar should slide back into view right away and stay there.
4. If you use a touch device, also turn off Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode, so the taskbar stays visible in both modes.
5. Scroll down to Taskbar location on screen and choose Bottom (the other options are Left, Top, and Right). The taskbar moves to the bottom edge.
6. Turn on Lock the taskbar so it cannot be dragged to another edge or resized by accident. If you have more than one monitor showing a taskbar, the option is called Lock all taskbars.

Shortcut for keyboard users: press Windows logo key + R to open the Run box, type ms-settings:taskbar, and press Enter. This address is the direct link to the taskbar settings page, so it lands you exactly where the steps above end up.

Want the taskbar on a different edge? Moving the taskbar in Windows 10 and back to the bottom covers each position. Every taskbar setting is described on Microsoft’s Customize the taskbar in Windows page.

Make a squashed taskbar full size again

If you see only a thin line along one edge, the taskbar was probably dragged almost closed. Resizing only works while it is unlocked.

1. Open the taskbar settings page as described above and turn off Lock the taskbar.
2. Move the pointer over the inner border of the taskbar until it turns into a double arrow.
3. Drag the border toward the middle of the screen until the taskbar is the size you want, then release.
4. Turn Lock the taskbar back on.

If the taskbar looks too thin even at normal size, check whether Use small taskbar buttons is turned on in the same settings page. Both options are explained further in changing the taskbar size in Windows 10.

Leave tablet mode

Tablet mode is built for touch screens. If it is on and Automatically hide the taskbar in tablet mode is also turned on, the taskbar can seem to disappear completely.

1. Select the action center icon at the right end of the taskbar, next to the date and time. If the taskbar is hidden, point at or touch the bottom edge first to reveal it.
2. Select the Tablet mode tile to turn it off. Your normal desktop and taskbar return.

If you cannot reach the action center, press Windows logo key + R, type ms-settings:tabletmode, and press Enter to open the tablet mode settings page directly, then choose the option that keeps the PC in desktop mode. If tablet mode keeps switching on by itself, turning off tablet mode in Windows 10 shows the settings that stop it.

Check your other display

When a PC has been connected to a second monitor, TV, or projector, the taskbar can end up on a screen you are not looking at, or Windows may still be sending the picture to a display that is no longer plugged in.

1. Press Windows logo key + P. This opens the projection settings, where you choose a presentation display mode.
2. Choose the option that shows the picture on your PC screen only. Windows switches to the built-in or main display, and the taskbar appears there.
3. If you use two monitors on purpose, open the taskbar settings page and scroll to the Multiple displays section, which controls how taskbars behave on your extra screens.

Restart Windows Explorer when the taskbar has vanished completely

Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) draws the taskbar, Start menu, and desktop. If it freezes or crashes, the taskbar can disappear while the rest of Windows keeps running. Restarting just that process usually takes a few seconds and is quicker than rebooting.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. On the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer.
3. Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart. The screen may flicker while the taskbar and desktop reload.

If Windows Explorer is not in the list at all, it is not running. In Task Manager, select File > Run new task, type explorer.exe, and press Enter to start it again. If Ctrl + Shift + Esc does nothing, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose Task Manager from the screen that appears. More ways are in restarting Windows Explorer in Windows 10. If restarting Explorer does not help, restart the whole PC from the Start menu’s power options before moving on.

Repair Windows if the taskbar keeps disappearing

A taskbar that vanishes again after every restart can be a sign of damaged system files. Windows includes two repair tools that run from an administrator Command Prompt. Save your work first, because the scan can take a while.

1. Type cmd in the search box. In the results, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Approve the permission prompt.
2. Type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter. This can take several minutes.
3. When it finishes, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Do not close the window until verification reaches 100%.
4. Read the result. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations means the system files are fine. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them means you should restart and check the taskbar again.

Any other message is explained on Microsoft’s Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files page.

Troubleshooting

You cannot move or resize the taskbar on a work or school PC

On a work or school PC, an administrator can apply a policy called Lock the Taskbar. It stops you from moving or resizing the taskbar, although auto-hide and other taskbar options stay available. If the location or size settings will not change on a managed PC, contact your IT department rather than trying to work around it.

The taskbar shows up only over some apps

Games, video players, and browsers in full-screen mode cover the taskbar on purpose. Exit full screen using the app’s own control, and the taskbar returns. This is normal behavior, not a fault.

The taskbar is there, but icons are missing

If the bar is visible but the icons near the clock are gone, open the taskbar settings page and choose Select which icons appear on the taskbar. Icons set to On always show on the taskbar. Icons set to Off move to the hidden icons area, which opens when you select Show hidden icons (the up arrow) on the taskbar.

The taskbar disappeared after installing a customization tool

Apps that restyle the taskbar or Start menu can hide or replace it. Turn off or uninstall the tool, then restart Windows Explorer as described above.

You were looking for a toolbar, not the taskbar

Some people say “toolbar” when they mean the taskbar, but Windows 10 also lets you add extra toolbars, such as an address box or a set of links, to the taskbar itself. If one of those is what you are trying to change, removing a toolbar from the Windows 10 taskbar explains where those toolbars are switched on and off.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my taskbar keep disappearing?

The most common reason is that Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode is turned on, so the taskbar slides away whenever the pointer leaves it. Tablet mode with its own auto-hide option, a full-screen app, or a crashed Windows Explorer process are the next most likely causes.

How do I get to the taskbar without a mouse?

Press Windows logo key + T to move through the apps on the taskbar, and Windows logo key + B to jump to the first icon in the notification area. The Windows logo key on its own opens the Start menu.

How do I hide the taskbar again later?

Turn Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode back on. To bring it up when you need it, follow the tips in hiding the taskbar in Windows 10.

Are the steps the same in Windows 11?

Not quite. In Windows 11, the auto-hide switch is called Automatically hide the taskbar and sits under Taskbar behaviors in taskbar settings. Newer Windows 11 updates add a Taskbar position setting in the same section for moving the taskbar to the top or side, but it is rolling out gradually, so some PCs don’t have it yet. Windows 11 has no manual tablet mode switch.

Start with the auto-hide setting and the Windows logo key test; together they solve most missing-taskbar problems in under a minute.