Question Taskbar and File Explorer frequently not responding ?

[Koesminin]

After booting into Windows 11 normally, the Taskbar and File Explorer frequently become unresponsive (hang/not responding). However, when booting into Safe Mode, everything works fine without any issues.

The system also hangs when attempting to run certain commands. For example, pressing Win Key + R, typing "winver", and pressing Enter causes the Taskbar to freeze immediately.

Troubleshooting Steps Taken:

1. Booted into Safe Mode, and the issue did not occur.
2. Checked for problematic drivers using Device Manager and Event Viewer.
3. Performed a Clean Boot to disable third-party startup applications.
4. Ran SFC and DISM scans to repair system files.
5. Attempted display driver uninstallation.

Looking for further troubleshooting guidance to pinpoint the exact driver or software causing the issue and find a permanent fix.

Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions!

 

[Ralston18]

Use Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Process Explorer (Microsoft, free) to observe system performance.

Use all three tools but only one tool at a time. Open the tool window and keep it viewable.

Work as normal while watching the tool window. Look for what changes when the system becomes unresponsive.

Likely some background app doing something or trying to do something: backup, update, "phone home".....

May be being launched at startup: Task Manager > Startup or later triggered via Task Scheduler. You will need to look for any unknown or unexpected apps.

Check Update history for any failed or problem updates.

FYI:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Post accordingly.

 

[Koesminin]

Use Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Process Explorer (Microsoft, free) to observe system performance.

Use all three tools but only one tool at a time. Open the tool window and keep it viewable.

Work as normal while watching the tool window. Look for what changes when the system becomes unresponsive.

Likely some background app doing something or trying to do something: backup, update, "phone home".....

May be being launched at startup: Task Manager > Startup or later triggered via Task Scheduler. You will need to look for any unknown or unexpected apps.

Check Update history for any failed or problem updates.

FYI:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Post accordingly.

Thank you for the guidance. I followed your suggestions and took the time to investigate the issue further.

After analyzing the running processes, I found that the widget I disabled was the cause of my taskbar frequently freezing. It’s quite strange, as I hadn't enabled Widgets for years, but recently it led to this issue. When I tried disabling the Widgets feature again, the problem resurfaced. For now, I have kept the Widgets enabled, and everything is running smoothly without any issues.

So, if anyone else is experiencing a similar issue, I recommend checking your Widgets settings and trying to enable them.

 

[Ralston18]

👍

 

[SteJBorchard]

After booting into Windows 11 normally, the Taskbar and File Explorer frequently become unresponsive (hang/not responding). However, when booting into Safe Mode, everything works fine without any issues.

The system also hangs when attempting to run certain commands. For example, pressing Win Key + R, typing "winver", and pressing Enter causes the Taskbar to freeze immediately.

Troubleshooting Steps Taken:

1. Booted into Safe Mode, and the issue did not occur.
2. Checked for problematic drivers using Device Manager and Event Viewer.
3. Performed a Clean Boot to disable third-party startup applications.
4. Ran SFC and DISM scans to repair system files.
5. Attempted display driver uninstallation.

Looking for further troubleshooting guidance to pinpoint the exact driver or software causing the issue and find a permanent fix.

Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions!

Can you tell me what all of your advanced system settings are like page file, total RAM, all the advanced settings like windows security settings, all of your running services?