Taskbar Not Working

[Eman2point0]

It's been a while since I changed my cpu and my motherboard. I currently have an AMD FX 8350 8-core processor along with an ASUS M5A78L-M PLUS. Windows does not seem to be activated ever since I changed my hardware and I don't have a key because I got the free upgrade to Windows 10 a while ago. I can't even click on the windows logo on the bottom left to open up settings and such. I've tried many solutions and I just can't seem to fix it. Please help.

 

[Barty1884]

What was your prior hardware? Did you just connect an HDD/SSD with Windows installed on it to this new system?
Changing motherboards etc, can cause all sorts of potential driver conflicts - likely what's happened here.

You should really clean install your OS.

As a side note, I don't think the VRMs are too great on that motherboard and you may have issues running the 125W TDP FX8350 on it, stable.

 

[Eman2point0]

What was your prior hardware? Did you just connect an HDD/SSD with Windows installed on it to this new system?
Changing motherboards etc, can cause all sorts of potential driver conflicts - likely what's happened here.

You should really clean install your OS.

As a side note, I don't think the VRMs are too great on that motherboard and you may have issues running the 125W TDP FX8350 on it, stable.

I have no idea what I did but i was going to show my friend on Discord that the taskbar wasn't working anymore when all of a sudden it now works? I am completely baffled as to why it is now working but concerning your comment about clean installing my OS, yeah I need to do that ASAP.

 

[photonboy]

1) it's a common problem, even for people who do a CLEAN INSTALL to new hardware

2) one quick fix is to do an "In Place W10 Upgrade" which basically is:
a) add an 8GB+ USB stick
b) download and run the MS Media Creation Tool https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10
c) run "setup.exe" from it while still in Windows after its been created
d) let finish

3) CLEAN INSTALL and LICENSE:
If you upgraded to W10, then swapped the CPU/mobo then you have no license. You can also end up with various issues by swapping the mobo/cpu to an existing Windows install.

So you should always do a CLEAN INSTALL of Windows when you swap to a new motherboard (exceptions exist but the more different the mobo is the more likely problems will crop up).

Summary:
a) In-Place Upgrade is a quick and easy first step. May actually work as good as a clean install but hard to say.
b) License probably needs to be purchased to activate (forget what NOT activating causes now... just reminders?)
c) CLEAN INSTALL is recommended but plan carefully (games? Passwords? Windows login? e-mail?)

Just FYI, but Steam games can be moved fairly easily. For example, let's say you buy an SSD to put a clean install of Windows on (min 120GB). You could then make the folder "E:\STEAM" on the same HDD (if that's what you had already... a single hard drive) then cut/paste your entire "Steamapps" folder from its location at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam

I would make other folders too so you can move important files too including the entire "Documents" folder as most SAVE GAMES exist there so you can move them back as needed (if not on Steam cloud)... then DELETE all the Windows folders on the HDD.

Finally if you go with a new SSD/HDD for Windows I'd backup the C-drive with a tool like Acronis True Image once it's all configured correctly.