[SOLVED] Taskbar not visible until I turn off "AppX Deployment Service" ?

[avrona]

For ages now I had a very strange issue, where my taskbar appears completely blank whenever I first turn on my PC. Restarting Windows Explorer, which should usually help, doesn't actually fix the issue. Instead what I have to do is first turn of AppX Deployment Service, then restart Windows Explorer, only then do I get my taskbar back. I have to do that every single time I turn my PC on, so it's pretty annoying. I've done all the basic troubleshooting and recently even did an in-place upgrade, though sadly nothing helped so far. So how can I fix this strange issue?

Now this doesn't seem to be just some Windows 11 bug, as I had this exact issue since the last few months of Windows 10 before the release of 11. In fact, Windows 11 made it better, as before, the entire desktop, not just the taskbar, would be gone. It would just flash gray constantly and not display anything until I've done those steps. So what could be causing this?

 

[Colif]

looks at what not to suggest - https://www.elevenforum.com/t/taskb...off-appx-deployment-service.6760/#post-130961

Could try making a new user and see if its the profile to blame. Profiles aren't perfect
make a local account - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-20de74e0-ac7f-3502-a866-32915af2a34d
make it admin
copy contents of c:/users/oldusername onto c:/users/newusername to get same amount of access (change user names to match what you have)
logon to new user and see if it is the same.
If a repair install didn't fix it, its possible the profile is to blame. It might even fix HDR at same time.



otherwise, Clean install windows 11 if its an inherited problem from windows 10.

 

[avrona]

looks at what not to suggest - https://www.elevenforum.com/t/taskb...off-appx-deployment-service.6760/#post-130961

Could try making a new user and see if its the profile to blame. Profiles aren't perfect
make a local account - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-20de74e0-ac7f-3502-a866-32915af2a34d
make it admin
copy contents of c:/users/oldusername onto c:/users/newusername to get same amount of access
logon to new user and see if it is the same.
If a repair install didn't fix it, its possible the profile is to blame. It might even fix HDR at same time.



otherwise, Clean install windows 11 if its an inherited problem from windows 10.

I did a repair install, though sadly this strange issue survived even that. Though at least the HDR is fixed now, the in-place upgrade didn't fix it though, it just kinda started working again out of nowhere all of a sudden after a spectacular game crash.

 

[Colif]

Try making a new user and see if that helps. if its not windows, it might be your user.

 

[avrona]

Try making a new user and see if that helps. if its not windows, it might be your user.

Sadly it didn't. Still got the same problem.

 

[Colif]

Now this doesn't seem to be just some Windows 11 bug, as I had this exact issue since the last few months of Windows 10 before the release of 11.

looks like only answer is a clean install and assume that fixes it. We have tried everything else.

 

[avrona]

looks like only answer is a clean install and assume that fixes it. We have tried everything else.

Can't really afford to have my PC down for so long though, so what else can I try that's not a clean install?

 

[Colif]

repair install didn't fix it
new user didn't fix it

could do a reset but its really no better than a clean install, you just get to keep users and settings.

does it happen in safe mode?
open power menu
while holding down shift, click restart button

1. this restarts PC in a blue menu
   
2. choose troubleshoot
   
3. choose advanced
   
4. choose startup options
   
5. click the restart button
   
6. choose a safe mode (it doesn't matter which) by using number associated with it.
   
7. Pc will restart and load safe mode
   

 

[Colif]

clean install isn't that bad if you know you have to do it

its not like you don't have any space
1TB Aorus PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
1TB Sabrent Rocket PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
2x1TB Seagate Barracuda HDD

you could copy all your library folders onto another drive
note: I always use this link as its instructions are clear: https://www.dummies.com/article/tec...ocation-of-user-folders-in-windows-10-140269/
you can move most game installs onto another drive, if they use Steam or origin or a few others.
it doesn't take that much time. Installing 11 onto an nvme is about 30 minutes, I do realise other things take time.

It might be only fix. I commented along those lines on 11 forums post.