The taskbar or desktop icons disappeared

A quick fix when the bottom bar, Start button or icons vanish.

Updated September 21, 2026

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Find Windows Explorer in the list, select it and choose Restart.
  3. If you cannot find it, restart the computer.
Good to know

If your desktop icons are missing but the taskbar works, right-click the desktop, choose View, and make sure Show desktop icons is ticked.