Can't activate context menu items for taskbar icons - WIndows 10 Pro

Apr 22, 2018
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When I right-click an icon on the taskbar, the context menu appears, but when I try to move the mouse cursor into the context menu to select an item, the context menu disappears. So I can't select anything, or unpin icons.

I have a similar problem with left-click if there is more than one instance of a program running. If I left-click the icon, I see 2 instances, but when I try to move the mouse cursor to select the one I want, the previews both disappear, and I can't select the one I want. But... if I don't click the icon and just hover over it long enough, the previews automatically appear and I CAN select the one I want.

It's doing that on both my new PC and my old one. On my new PC, it worked properly while I was logging in using a local account, but when I switched to use my MS account instead, it started happening on the new PC, too. When I changed back to the local account, the problem didn't go away. But a NEW local account works properly.

Is there some setting in my MS account that I need to change?

P.S. It's been driving me nuts since I installed the Win10v1709 update. It didn't do it on 1703. But it still does it under the insider 1803 update on both PC's. OOPS... It might have started with 1703 & might have been OK under 1607.

P.P.S. Context menus in start menu & on the desktop work properly. The problems are ONLY for pinned taskbar items & in the tray by the clock.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
it sounds like your Microsoft account is corrupted. And probably the roaming profile as well - I don't know how to reset it as its saved on Microsoft servers. All I know what to do is how to avoid it. I would set up local accounts on both PC, you can easily copy the contents of c:/users/username folder of old user onto new to give them same access - you already know new users don't have the same problems.

The problem arose on 2nd PC cause win 10 is set to sync settings for users by default. you can turn sync off but if you don't know that, it will copy settings across like this. I don't know if by turning it off on one PC will stop it on others (as I only have 1 PC). It shows in settings/accounts/sync you settings. Its off for all local accounts.

only 2 ways to fix a corrupted user, the hard way or the easy. Hard is edit registry, easy is just make a new local account - https://www.techbout.com/fix-corrupt-user-profile-windows-10-9139/