How to Fix: Missing Taskbar, Start Menu and Other UI Elements on Windows Startup

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In This Guide

How to Fix Windows 11 startup issues with the Taskbar, Start Menu, and other user interface aspects that are missing

1. Do a System Restore

2. Be Sure To Update Your Windows System

3. Scan Using System File Checker (SFC) to Fix Faulty Files

4. Re-start Explorer.exe Process Again

5. Create a New User Account

Let’s Wrap Up

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The newest Windows operating system, Windows 11, has a more polished and contemporary user interface but still has its share of bugs.

Essential user interface components, including the taskbar and start menu, may vanish upon launch, which is a bothersome problem for some users. Worry not, however; there are measures you may take to fix this issue, which can interrupt workflow and reduce productivity.

Moreover, if you got some UI elements missing, sometimes you can get certain HDD drives missing as well, like C: or D: drive missing.
Another common ones are — Brightness Slider missing error and unavailable Bluetooth icon.

When Windows 11 starts, you may see missing the taskbar, start menu, and other user interface components. To solve this, we’ll go over different troubleshooting options. A thorough explanation is provided for each stage to ensure 100% effective fix.

How to Fix Windows 11 startup issues with the Taskbar, Start Menu, and other user interface aspects that are missing

1. Do a System Restore

It’s a simple step to do if you had a previous version of Windows (prior to the update, system modification or etc.) working fine.
Here’s how you roll back:

• To do this, use ‘Win + S’, then search for “System Restore”, as seen in the results.
• Then, choose “Open” and finally, “Next”.

• Pick a previous backup from the list; ideally, it should be from before the problem began.

• To finish the recovery procedure, follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Be Sure To Update Your Windows System

Microsoft often rolls out updates to fix issues and make the system more stable. Missing UI components may no longer be a problem if your system is up-to-date.
Here’s how you do it:

• Access the “Settings” app by pressing the ‘Windows key’ plus the initials “I”.
• Scroll down to “Update & Security”.
• Select “Windows Update” from the menu on the left.
• Navigate to “Check for updates” and apply any available updates.

3. Scan Using System File Checker (SFC) to Fix Faulty Files

The built-in Windows application known as System File Checker (SFC) can detect and fix damaged system files. No need to say that damaged ones can cause UI errors.
Here’s how to perform it:

• Select “Power User” from the option that appears when you press ‘Win + X’.
• Navigate to the menu and choose “Windows Terminal (Admin)” to launch “Command Prompt” with administrator rights. On the other hand, you may go to the “Start” menu, look for “Command Prompt”, and then choose “Run as administrator” when you right-click on it.
• Enter sfc /scannow into the “Command Prompt” after typing it. The SFC scan is about to start. Depending on your computer’s speed and the amount of your system files, this procedure might take a while to finish.
• A notice stating the status of any corrected corrupted files will be sent to you after the scan is complete. When the scanning is finished, restart your computer and see whether the missing UI components are back.

4. Re-start Explorer.exe Process Again

Problems with the Explorer.exe process may occur for a variety of reasons, including program conflicts and system failures, and cause the taskbar and start menu to vanish from the user interface.
Just follow the next steps to reboot it:

• Start “Task Manager” by pressing ‘Ctrl + Shift + Esc’. Another option is to access the task manager by right-clicking on the taskbar and choosing “Task Manager.”
• Navigate to the “Explorer.exe” or “Windows Explorer” folder, then click on the “Restart” option from the context menu.
• Allow the process to refresh the UI components after resuming it. “Verify” that the user interface components (such as the taskbar, start menu, etc.) return to their normal positions.

5. Create a New User Account

Creating a new user account allows you to identify whether the problem is system-wide or profile-specific. The fault may be in your old user profile if the missing UI components return to the new account. 

• Open “Settings” by pressing ‘Win + I’ or selecting “Settings” from the ‘Start’ menu.
• Select “Accounts” under Settings.
• Choose “Family & other users” from the left sidebar.

• On the “Other users” page, click “Add account”.
• Create a local account using the on-screen prompts. Complete system access by selecting “Administrator” as the account type.

• Log out of your existing account and log in to the new one.
• Check the new account for missing UI components. Such a situation indicates a systemic concern. If not, the issue is with your original user profile.

Let’s Wrap Up

We hope that our 5 comprehensive fix steps helped you resolve the issues with your Windows UI.

Useful: another common issue that comes along with these UI errors is not working Quick Settings menu.

Lastly, it is very important to note that you should always create a backup of your data before making any modifications to your system in order to avoid a crashed system without a fall back point.