[SOLVED] Win11 icon display on taskbar issue

[rapiddecline]

Win11 shows icons on taskbar but several icons will not display but a placemarker exists on the taskbar, the icon remains invisible. When an invisible icon is selected the systems places an underscore below that space. Attached image:

https://imgur.com/a/udlRo0C

View: https://imgur.com/a/udlRo0C

Also the placeholder can be moved around on the taskbar but remains invisible. Further removing the invisible icon and re-installing onto the taskbar it remains invisible, ie., Mail, Calculator, Snip & sketch. There are other icons on the taskbar that show a visble item.

I posted this issue on Ms Community and a response was to clear IrisService in the registry, reboot the system. There is singular IrisService in the registry, only item found was Global.IrisService.

Does anyone know how to display the invisible icons on the taskbar?

 

[Colif]

Didn't they show you instructions?

I don't know whether clear means delete. I found this from a previous problem it caused with taskbar, but I don't know if it is what they want you to do.

If you do any of the advice below, make sure to backup registry first - https://neosmart.net/wiki/backup-restore-registry/

If you were affected by this issue, you can follow the steps below to return to a working state on your computer.
Step 1: Use CTRL-ALT-DEL and choose to open the Task Manager.
Step 2: Choose "More Details" at the bottom of the Task Manager to expand the Task Manager.
Step 3: Go to "File" and choose "Run New Task".
Step 4: Type "Regedit" in the "Open" field. Note: From this step forward, you will be very careful. Any error, entry, or deletion of any of those registries or records can make your computer malfunction worse than it is.
Step 5: Using the registry editor browsing window, you will find the following address: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IrisService. HKCU stand for Hive Key (HK) Current User (CU)
Step 6: Once you find the IrisService folder, left-click on the IrisService folder and choose Delete.
Step 7: When you are asked if you want to delete this key and subkeys, you will choose yes. After deletion…
Step 8: Restart your computer. After restarting, everything should return to normal.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...050-update-bugged-big-time/m-p/2714599/page/2

More likely solution
https://www.technipages.com/fix-taskbar-icons-missing-in-windows-11

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...1/9b580be3-080b-4897-a091-8aefdb6f5b6c?auth=1

 

[rapiddecline]

Didn't they show you instructions?

I don't know whether clear means delete. I found this from a previous problem it caused with taskbar, but I don't know if it is what they want you to do.

If you do any of the advice below, make sure to backup registry first - https://neosmart.net/wiki/backup-restore-registry/


https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...050-update-bugged-big-time/m-p/2714599/page/2

More likely solution
https://www.technipages.com/fix-taskbar-icons-missing-in-windows-11

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...1/9b580be3-080b-4897-a091-8aefdb6f5b6c?auth=1

I made several attempts to correct this issue, but nothing works.
I did however notice many Icons displaying on the task bar such as opening "OpenOffice" the icon image displays, whereas some other icons- that appear to be system generate don't have an image.
Further looking at the start folder the icon that have a place holder but appear invisible on the taskbar do have an Icon image in the start folder.

So it appears there is a system issue by not copying the icon image.

Any other ideas how to fix this issue?

 

[Colif]

I guess they suggested this at some stage

right click start button

choose powershell (admin)

copy/paste this command into window:

Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth and press enter

Then type SFC /scannow and press enter

First command repairs the files SFC uses to clean files, and SFC fixes system files

I don't know if this works on Windows 11, but it might be what you need - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html

another thought is make a new account and see if it happens on it as well - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-20de74e0-ac7f-3502-a866-32915af2a34d as it could be a corrupted profile.

 

[rapiddecline]

I guess they suggested this at some stage

right click start button

choose powershell (admin)

copy/paste this command into window:

Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth and press enter

Then type SFC /scannow and press enter

First command repairs the files SFC uses to clean files, and SFC fixes system files

I don't know if this works on Windows 11, but it might be what you need - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html

another thought is make a new account and see if it happens on it as well - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-20de74e0-ac7f-3502-a866-32915af2a34d as it could be a corrupted profile.

Thank you- The one step I didn't try until today was creating a new user. This resolved the issue for the taskbar icon display. Btw the issue began with the update to Win11, I didn't observe if there were update to the Win11 installation, but I imagine there were.

This question may not be in the correct forum location. When I created the new user I noticed bitlocker for a partition was already unlocked.
The occurence related to logging out from another user then logging in to the new user.
Does logging out not reset bitlocker or only upon rebooting?

Thank you again for the great help!

 

[Colif]

i haven't ever had Bitlocker so I am not sure about answer to that.

Best I can find is this about auto unlocking at logon, not at logout
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/37662-turn-off-auto-unlock-bitlocker-drive-windows-10-a.html

did you make local or admin account?
can copy contents of old user onto new to give it same access to folders etc.
on old user, go to C:/users/old user name
copy contents of this folder onto the folder for the new user name.
should have same access as old user, I don't believe it copies settings like this one though.