Cannot Open Apps from Taskbar in Windows 11: How to Fix

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar on your Windows 11 PC. The latest iteration of the OS has bought in quite a few intriguing changes to the fore. Among them, the taskbar seems to have taken the center stage, metamorphiclally and literally. However, more often than not it has been the news for all the wrong reasons.

The inability to change the size or position of the taskbar or drag items to it as well as the removal of the Never Combine functionality are just some of the noteworthy omissions. Adding to the user’s misery is the fact that it frequently gets bugged with quite a few issues as well. In this regard, numerous users have voiced their concern that they are unable to open apps from the taskbar on their Windows 11 PC. If you are also in the same boat, then this guide shall help you out. Follow along for the fixes.

Fix Cannot Open Apps from Taskbar in Windows 11

It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success for you. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Restart PC

In some cases, it might be just a minor glitch that is resulting in the inability of the taskbar to function properly. So before moving to any advanced fixes, you should first restart your PC. Do so and then check if fixes the underlying issue.

FIX 2: Using Keyboard Shortcut

More of a workaround rather than a fix, you could use the Alt-Tab shortcut to bring up the list of all the opened apps and then select the desired app window to open it. While this is best for a short-term respite, but if you are looking to permanently rectify this issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11, then refer to the fixes listed below.

FIX 3: Restart Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer houses the Taskbar, Start Menu, Action Center, and other related components. So if there’s an issue with the Explorer, then its repercussions are bound to be faced by its associated elements as well, which includes the Taskbar. Hence, you should consider restarting the Taskbar which could be done either by restarting Windows Explorer or ending the task of explorer.exe, both of which are explained below:

1. Use the Ctrl+Shift+Esc shortcut keys to open the Task Manager.
2. You will be taken to the Processes tab. Select Windows Explorer from there and click on the Restart button situated at the bottom.
   
3. After that, go to the Details tab, select explorer.exe, and hit the End Task button situated at the bottom right.
   
4. Now check if it fixes the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11.

FIX 4: Restart Windows Processes

Apart from Windows Explorer, there are a few other system processes keeping a tab on the Taskbar. In case any one of these processes isn’t functioning along the expected lines, then its consequences will be beard by the Taskbar as well. So the best bet, in this case, is to end the task of all these four processes so that they start off with a fresh instance from scratch. here’s how:

1. Bring up the Task Manager via the Ctrl+Shift+Esc shortcut keys.
2. Then go to the Details tab and End Task of the following four processes:

   ShellExperienceHost.exe
   SearchIndexer.exe
   SearchHost.exe
   RuntimeBroker.exe

   

3. Now check if it fixes the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11.

FIX 5: Use SFC and DISM Commands

System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management are two command-line utility tools that scan for corrupt Windows files and then replace them with their working counterpart. The major difference between the two is whereas the SFC replaces the corrupt files with the working ones from the cached directory on your PC, DISM does so by downloading the working files from the online Microsoft servers. And as of now, we would be making use of both these tools to fix the underlying issue. Follow along.

1. To begin with, right-click on the Start Menu and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. Then click on the down arrow present next to the new tab icon and select Command Prompt from the list.
3. Once the CMD window is opened, copy-paste the below command to open the SFC Tool:

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Once the SFC Scanning is complete, it’s time to use the DISM Tool. So copy-paste the below command:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

5. Once DISM finishes scanning, it is recommended to reboot your PC.
6. Then check if it fixes the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11.

FIX 6: Tweak Scale and Display Resolution

Temporarily changing the scale and the display resolution of your screen would end up refreshing its underlying settings and this in turn could well rectify the issue that we are currently dealing with. So let’s give it a try and check out the results. Here’s how it could be done:

1. Bring up the Settings menu via Windows+I shortcut keys.
2. Then select System from the left-hand side and go to Display.
3. Now change the Scale and Display resolution to any other value.
4. Let the new settings be implemented. Once done, revert to the original display settings.
5. Check if it fixes the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11.

FIX 7: Delete IRIS Service

There has always been this debate regarding the actual usage of this file (maybe related to Windows Spotlight ads?). But isn’t up for debate is the fact that it turns out to be the culprit behind most of the underlying issues, including the one that we are currently dealing with. Therefore, you should consider deleting this service. This could be done simply by executing a single line of command in the CMD window. So launch the Command Prompt as an admin from the Start Menu, copy-paste the below command, and hit Enter:

reg delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IrisService /f && shutdown -r -t 0

Once the command has been successfully executed, restart your PC (if that doesn’t happen automatically). Then check if it fixes the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11.

FIX 8: Change EnableXamlStartMenu Registry Value

In some instances, it could be the Start Menu that could be conflicting with the Taskbar’s normal functionalities. Since the former is designed in XAML language, tweaking its XAML settings by changing its Registry Editor value should be enough to rectify the underlying issue. So proceed ahead with the below steps to try it out:

1. Bring up the Run dialog box via the Windows+R shortcut keys.
2. Then type in the below command and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor:

   regedit

3. Now copy-paste the below location in the Registry Editor’s address bar and hit Enter:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

   

4. Once you reach the Advanced folder, right-click in an empty location on the right-hand side and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   
5. Name it EnableXamlStartMenu and double-click to open it. Now enter 0 in the Value Data field and hit OK to save it.
   
6. Once done, restart your PC, and then check if it fixes the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11.

FIX 9: Reset Taskbar

If none of the aforementioned methods managed to spell out success, then your last course of action should be to reset the taskbar back to its factory default state. Do note that all the apps that you have pinned to the taskbar or any UI changes that you have made will be removed. So if that’s well and good, then refer to the below instructions to reset the Windows 11 Taskbar:

1. Right-click in an empty location on the desktop and select New > Text Document.
2. Now open the file and copy-paste the below command in it:

   REG DELETE HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams\Desktop /F 
   taskkill /f /im explorer.exe 
   taskkill /f /im shellexperiencehost.exe
   del %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\TempState\* /q
   start explorer.exe

   

3. After that, go to File > Save As and change the Save As Type to All Files. Next up, name it rt.bat and hit Save.
   
4. Now open this batch file and it should reset the taskbar within seconds.
5. Once done, check if it fixes the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11.

That’s it. These were the nine different methods to fix the issue of being unable to open apps from the taskbar in Windows 11. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

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