Question:

How can I fix the missing icons on the taskbar of my Windows laptop?

I have a Windows laptop that does not display the usual icons on the taskbar, such as the settings, Google, folders, and the time and date. I have checked the taskbar settings and the auto-hide option is off. I have also tried changing the display mode to PC only, but nothing works. I am not sure what is causing this problem or how to solve it. Can you please provide some guidance or suggestions?

Answer:

The taskbar is a useful feature of Windows that allows you to access your favorite and active applications quickly. However, sometimes the taskbar may not show the icons of the apps you have pinned or enabled, making it difficult to launch or switch between them. This can be frustrating and affect your productivity.

Fortunately, there are some simple and effective ways to fix the missing icons on the taskbar of your Windows laptop. In this article, we will show you six methods to restore the taskbar icons and explain why they may disappear in the first place.

Why Do Taskbar Icons Disappear?

There are several possible reasons why the taskbar icons may disappear on your Windows laptop, such as:

• You have enabled the tablet mode, which hides the taskbar and the icons.
• The Windows Explorer process, which manages the taskbar, has crashed or frozen.
• The icon cache, which stores the icons of the apps, has become corrupted or outdated.
• A recent Windows update has introduced a bug or a compatibility issue with the taskbar.
• A third-party program or service has interfered with the taskbar or the icons.
• The taskbar settings have changed or reset, disabling the icons you want to see.

How to Fix the Missing Icons on the Taskbar of Your Windows Laptop

Depending on the cause of the problem, you can try one or more of the following methods to fix the missing icons on the taskbar of your Windows laptop.

Method 1: Disable Tablet Mode

If you are using Windows 10, one of the reasons you may not see the taskbar and the icons is that you have enabled the tablet mode. This mode is designed for tablets running Windows, and it hides the taskbar to give you more screen space. To disable the tablet mode and bring back the taskbar and the icons, follow these steps:

• Press Windows + A to open the Action Center.
• Select Tablet mode in the menu to disable the mode.

If you don’t find the Tablet mode option in the Action Center, head into Settings > System > Tablet > Change additional tablet settings and turn off the Tablet mode option.

If you are using Windows 11, you don’t need to worry about this method, as Windows 11 does not have a tablet mode.

Method 2: Restart Windows Explorer

Another common reason for the missing icons on the taskbar is that the Windows Explorer process, which manages the taskbar, has crashed or frozen. In this case, you can restart the process to fix any minor issues and refresh the taskbar. To do this, follow these steps:

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
• Go to the Processes tab and locate Windows Explorer in the list of processes.
• Right-click on it and select Restart from the context menu.

This will restart Windows Explorer, and you should see your icons appear again on the taskbar.

Method 3: Enable Your App Icons in the Taskbar Settings

Windows allows you to choose the icons you want to display on the taskbar. If your taskbar is missing certain icons, you or someone else may have disabled those icons in the settings. To enable the icons you want to see on the taskbar, follow these steps:

• Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows + I.
• Select Personalization in the left sidebar and Taskbar on the right pane.
• Enable the toggles for the icons you want to see on the taskbar in the Taskbar items section.
• Review the Taskbar corner overflow section if you want to display your app icons there.

Your taskbar should now display your chosen icons.

Method 4: Clear Windows’ Corrupt Icon Cache

To save time and resources, Windows creates an icon cache, which is a database of icons for all the apps installed on your computer. This database allows Windows to display an app’s icon quickly. However, the icon cache can sometimes get corrupted or outdated, causing icons to display incorrectly or go missing. In this case, the solution is to clear the icon cache and rebuild it. To do this, follow these steps:

• Press Windows+E to open File Explorer.
• Click View in the top bar, hover Show, and check the Hidden items option.
• Navigate to the following location: `C:\Users\%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows`
• Right-click the Explorer folder and click Open in Terminal.
• In the Terminal window, type `dir` and hit Enter. This command will display the contents of the Explorer folder, which will include the icon cache and thumb cache files.
• Now, open Task Manager, right-click Windows Explorer, and click End task. This kills the Windows Explorer process, and the desktop will disappear.
• Next, close the Task Manager and make sure no other application is running in the background except for the Windows Terminal.
• In the Terminal window, type the following commands one by one and hit Enter after each command. These commands will delete the icon cache and thumb cache files.

“`

del iconcache_16.db

del iconcache_32.db

del iconcache_48.db

del iconcache_96.db

del iconcache_256.db

del iconcache_768.db

del iconcache_1280.db

del iconcache_1920.db

del iconcache_2560.db

del iconcache_exif.db

del iconcache_idx.db

del iconcache_sr.db

del iconcache_wide.db

del iconcache_wide_alternate.db

del thumbcache_16.db

del thumbcache_32.db

del thumbcache_48.db

del thumbcache_96.db

del thumbcache_256.db

del thumbcache_768.db

del thumbcache_1280.db

del thumbcache_1920.db

del thumbcache_2560.db

del thumbcache_exif.db

del thumbcache_idx.db

del thumbcache_sr.db

del thumbcache_wide.db

del thumbcache_wide_alternate.db

“`

• After deleting all the files, close the Terminal window and restart your computer.
• When your computer boots up, Windows will create a new icon cache, and your taskbar icons should be back to normal.

Method 5: Update Your Display Adapter Drivers

Sometimes, the missing icons on the taskbar may be caused by outdated or incompatible display adapter drivers. These drivers are responsible for the graphics output of your computer, and if they are not working properly, they may affect the taskbar and the icons. To update your display adapter drivers, follow these steps:

• Press Windows+X and select Device Manager from the menu.
• Expand the Display adapters category and right-click on your display adapter.
• Select Update driver from the context menu.
• Choose Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest driver.

If Windows does not find any updates, you can try downloading the driver from the manufacturer’s website and installing it manually.

Method 6: Uninstall a Recent Windows Update

If the taskbar icons disappeared after a recent Windows update, it is possible that the update has introduced a bug or a compatibility issue with the taskbar. In this case, you can try uninstalling the update and see if that fixes the problem. To uninstall a recent Windows update, follow these steps:

• Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows + I.
• Select Update & Security in the left sidebar and Windows Update on the right pane.
• Click View update history and then Uninstall updates.
• Find the update that you want to uninstall and right-click on it.
• Select Uninstall from the context menu and confirm your choice.

After uninstalling the update, restart your computer and check if the taskbar icons are back.

Conclusion

The

taskbar icons are an important part of the Windows user interface, and losing them can be annoying and inconvenient. However, you can easily fix the missing icons on the taskbar of your Windows laptop by following the methods we have shown in this article. We hope this article has helped you restore the taskbar icons and enjoy using Windows.