• Taskbar Is Not Working

A Simple Solution from Our ReadersSometimes, the best solutions are those that seem too simple to be true. But in tech, that’s often the case, so kudos to our reader nico for leaving a comment with a solution that several other readers have reported back as working.Here’s the fix:1. Click the Start button, right-click the cog icon that would normally lead to the Settings apps, then click More and “App settings”.2. Finally, scroll down in the new window until you see the Reset button, then click Reset.Settings reset, job done (hopefully). Net user newusername newpassword /addYou should see the message “The command completed successfully” to inform you that the account has been created.2. Next, go to “Control Panel - User Accounts - User Accounts - Manage another account.”3. Select the new account you just created, “Change the account type,” then click “Administrator” in the new window, followed by “Change Account Type.”The new user is now the administrator.4.

Sign out of your current account and into the new user account. Try accessing the Settings app, and it should now be working.The next step is to transfer your files from your old Windows account to your new one.Go to the system hard drive (where Windows is installed) in File Explorer, click View in the tab at the top, then tick the “Hidden items” box.Navigate to your old user account in File Explorer (C:/Users/old account name by default) and double-click it. You’ll see the following prompt.Click Continue, enter your account password when prompted, then copy and paste all the files from that account to your new one (located at C:/Users/newusername by default).

Enable Windows 10 Desktop Peek. First, right-click the taskbar and select Settings. Then select Taskbar from the list on the left. Now, on the right, toggle the Peek option on. If you’re still on Version 10586 you can use the following steps: To turn it back on, right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select Properties.

You’ll see a message asking if you want to merge the folders from your old account to your new one. ConclusionIt’s not simple, but creating a new Windows account is sadly the best workaround to this problem that’s managed to persist for some despite patches that have been released to tackle it. It’s worth stressing again that you should try the two simpler solutions at the start of this article before going through the hassle of creating a new account.This article was first published in September 2016 and was updated in April 2019. I have been having problems with windows 10 since I installed it, or Microsoft Middle East installed it.Please understand that I am not biased but I can’t understand them when the talk to me. I have been on the phone about 10 times with Microsoft for hours on end. The first time being when my windows 7 pro all of a sudden decided it wasn’t genuine anymore.

And then they said that the product key was on a different computer and was transferred to the computer I put the product key into 2 years ago. Then I called again and they said that it wasn’t activated. Then they upgraded me to windows 10 and I was doing fine for about 3 days and yesterday I right click on the desktop to go to display settings and settings pops up and then closes, and I go to the search bar on the desktop and it doesn’t bring up anything where I can type. Then Cortana isn’t responding. Then whenever I open up google, the desktop goes black for a second.I then try to reinstall windows by USB and I boot with the right drive, and it comes up with a screen where the windows 10 icon is and does nothing.I then restart going back to the non working so, and somehow after like 20 minutes finally get to settings- updates- reset computer and it installed and says it had a problem or something. Then I finally get into the computer and its doing the same thing as it was last time.

I am fed up at this point and call tech support for the unteenth time and they send me to the wrong department, the rep says to hold for 3-4 minutes- 30 minutes later he comes back on the line and says thank you for holding, please hold for 3-4 minutes not caring that I was on hold for 30 minutes at all. And I asked for compensation for all the inconvenience and they told me that they don’t compensate for inconvenience. Post number 2:I then got hung up on by Microsoft Middle East and called back and they told me that they can set up an appointment to have windows fully wiped and then reinstalled on the system. So I go to the Microsoft store an hour away to have them tell me since it is a custom built computer, they have to run diagnostics on it to make sure that everything is ok with hardware before they reinstall windows. So I left my $1000 gaming computer with Microsoft to have them diag the hardware and the wipe the drive clean and then they are going to reinstall windows.

Oh and by the way, they said they can’t guarantee anything since it’s a custom built computer. I was able to resolve the issue by using the Windows Media Creation Tool.

Before doing anything, make sure you are logged into the PC locally with admin rights. Download the tool here:the.exe and create an ISO file on your desktop. Right click on the file and select “open with Windows Explorer”Right click on the.exe file and select “run as Administrator”Takes about an hour for the total process. I’ve successfully used this on several PCs that had the same error. A workaround to create a new user and copy data over to profile is NOT an answer.

This problem is and has been persistent for over 3 years. It is obvious that something within the Microsoft code is BREAKING this functionality.The disaster that is windows 10 is very apparent, but moving back to windows 7 won’t help much either considering the monthly 300mb patches that are needed and host of other daily patches.The most widely used software is also the most dysfunctional software. Moving to an Apple with OSx is NOT an option (yes it has problems too)Personally screw all this GUI crap and lets just go back to old dot-matrix style command line service!!!!!!. I had this problem just a couple of days ago and creating a new user account worked for me, but I had to deal with different storage locations for the new user account. But suddenly it re-occurred again after a drive.bat virus infected my PC.

So I had to do an offline scan using Windows Defender and suddenly the problem was gone.I would have tried this one (from Nico)if I had read it earlier or if it re-occurs.open start menuright click settings iconmore app settingsreset confirmworking again!there is always a simpler way to do things.

XML During sysprep I am using copy profile, everything goes through fine but When i login after sysprep, my custom start menu is fine but my taskbar icons are still default (store, explorer and Edge). I am not sure what am I doing wrong here. Can i some please help. ThanksEdited May 12, 2017 at 15:48 UTC.

The way I have solved a similar problem is to add my layout here:C:UsersDefaultAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsShellLayoutModification.xmlThis will set the layout in your XML file for the Start Menu, for any user accounts added in the future. This worked well in my environment but may not be what you're looking for.Empty the start menu completely using this layoutmodification.xml. This is my working LayoutModification.xml file. I used mount-windowsimage and dismount-windowsimage (with save) to mount my working image, and place it intoUsersDefaultAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsShell. Ditto.Taskbar is working and start layout is not using the same procedure that workedfor us in 1511 and 1607 (using Import-startlayout).Here are somethings I tried and the results:1) Create a custom start layout on computer running 1703 andexport it.

Taskbar Is Not Working

This custom start layoutincludes both the start layout and taskbar customizations. Call that export CustomLayout.xml.2) Build a new image that sets up CustomLayout.xml through anSCCM imaging task sequence that runs the%u201CImport-StartLayout%u201D command.3) When I log onto the imaged computer, I see that c:usersdefaultappdatalocalmicrosoftwindowsshelllayoutmodification.xmlhas my custom layout information; however, new users do not get the customstart layout. The custom taskbar iconsare there though.I tried creating new images using a start layout XML filesthat had worked for us in 1511 and one that had worked for Windows Server 2016. Those also did not work (but I could see thatc:usersdefaultappdatalocalmicrosoftwindowsshelllayoutmodification.xmlhad the data I would expect).

I alsotried exporting a start layout in 1703 that just had Edge (call this layout%u201CJustEdge.xml%u201D)in the start layout and I did not add any of the lines for customizing thetaskbar. Exporting that layout and usingit in our SCCM task sequence also did not result in an image where the start layoutwas customized.I then wanted to know if I could get any custom start layoutto work by setting it up through Group Policy. So, I did this:4) Setup%u201CJustEdge.xml%u201D (that I had created before and wasnot working) in Group Policy - ComputerConfigurationPoliciesAdministrative TemplatesStartMenu and TaskbarStartLayout).5) Apply the policy to a computer that had CustomLayout.xml importedvia an SCCM imaging task sequence (but the custom layout was not showing upunder multiple accounts.)6) The JustEdge.xml policy enforced through Group Policyworked. An account that was not pickingup the custom layout I had setup with Import-startlayout from an SCCM tasksequence, was picking up the JustEdge Group Policy layout.So, this told me that custom layouts worked with Group Policyand that my test.xml file was ok. ThenI happened to do this and had interesting results:7) Remove the policy that enforced JustEdge.xml.8) When I did that, the user that was logged in when theGroup Policy with JustEdge.xml was enforced then started using theCustomLayout.xml start layout I had originally setup through the SCCM imagingtask sequence.

Other users that hadpreviously logged on before the Group Policy had been setup and who did notlogin while the Group Policy was in effect did not have the original customlayout (they had the default layout).Also, logging in as a user that had not logged in before did not pick upthe custom layout either.So, it seems that applying any start layout through GroupPolicy and then removing it can%u201Cfix%u201D accounts.I tried comparing a%u201Cfixed%u201D profile with one that was not fixed. I didn%u2019t look into this super-thoroughly, buthere is what I noticed:1) C:usersappdatalocal appeared the sameexcept the%u201Cfixed%u201D account had an%u201CApps%u201D folder. I%u2019m not sure if that is related at all orwhen it got added. It just had emptyfolders in it though.2) Both had a%u201CTileDataLayer%u201D folder, but different times.3) Both had the same files and dates in c:usersdefaultappdatalocalmicrosoftwindowsshell4) I tried copying the%u201CApps%u201D folder and the%u201CTileDataLayer%u201Dfolder from the fixed account into an account that was not fixed, but that didn%u2019tdo anything.That is where I%u2019m at now.I%u2019m actually thinking of using partial start layouts through GroupPolicy because I need to get our images done.Enforcing custom layouts through Group Policy is not our preferencethough.

At least with partial layouts,users can edit the start layout. Theycan%u2019t make changes to the groups setup via the custom layout though.

We would really like to have our users startwith our default custom layout, but allow them to make whatever changes theywant. We don%u2019t want to lock any groupson them. Sorry to jump onto this thread, im building some new pc's onto windows 10 for the first time here at the school, im using MDT 2013 & WDS, ive just created exported a custom xml file and saved it in sysvol scripts location on domain server, ive configured GPO to copy files to C:layout1.xml and to use the custom start menu by setting it to enable and pointing it to C:layout1.xmlHow it looks configured on capture pc.The exported xml filegpo settingsanyone any idea why the start menu is not deploying / working ive spent days trying testing / configuring etc. I successfully got this working on Windows 10 1703 by exporting the layout on a test machine, then applying it during OSD using SCCM.These are the steps I took:1. On a test machine, pin the Start Menu and Taskbar to your liking2.

Open Powershell, being sure to 'Run as administrator' and use Export-StartLayout to generate an XML fileFor example, to generate an XML file and place it on C: the command is: Export-StartLayout -Path C:Layout.xml3. In my experience the generated file is not ready for importing as-is (thanks Microsoft!).

Change the main header to:4. Add the Taskbar XML block after the  tag:NOTE: I added PinListPlacement='Replace' to the header so it would remove the default pinned apps.5.

Add a tag for each pinned app you want: NOTE: The application path can be easily found by pinning the app to the Start Menu, then running Export-StartLayout again.6. In SCCM, add your source files to a Package then add a Run Command Line step that references the Package.The command I use is: Powershell.exe Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath StartMenuWorkstationStartMenu.xml -MountPath C:7. If it still isn't working, double check your XML file to make sure the headers and syntax are all correct.Here is a complete example of one layout I use. Text The.xml file with the Start and taskbar layout must be located on shared network storage that is available to the users’ computers when they sign in and the users must have Read-only access to the file.

If the file is not available when the first user signs in, Start and the taskbar are not customized during the session, but the user will be prevented from making changes to Start. On subsequent sign-ins, if the file is available at sign-in, the layout it contains will be applied to the user's Start and taskbar.