The most recent cumulative update for Windows 11 has an unusual bug causing the taskbar to disappear or turn into blank space. This issue is related to the February patch (KB5034765) for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2. Many users have reported this frustrating glitch affecting their desktops, as highlighted on Microsoft’s Feedback Hub and Reddit threads.
Users raised concerns about missing taskbars, making launching pinned apps, viewing the system tray, or accessing Quick Settings very challenging. The basic functionality of seeing running apps and switching between them on the taskbar is also unavailable for those affected. Some users have found a temporary fix by uninstalling the problematic update.
It’s worth saying that some users speculate that the taskbar disappearance is linked to EU policy updates, suggesting it may be a normal occurrence lasting up to 10 minutes after applying the update. This theory is based on significant modifications to the taskbar related to EU regulations, such as separating Bing from the search box. However, given the many reports of issues and the lack of a consistent reappearance of the taskbar, it remains uncertain if this explanation is true.
Microsoft has not officially confirmed the problem in its known issues list. Even though there are many mitigations for this issue on the Reddit thread, the best one is to uninstall the KB5034765 which will restore the taskbar to its normal state.