HELP NEEDED [Windows 11 task bar problem]

[Seamus X]

I recently upgraded to 12900k, and windows 11 to go with it. I did a fresh windows 11 intall, and activated windows 11 properly.

 

However, the task bar upon star up act weriedly. I can't open any native windows app from the task bar nor can I even access the windows file explore. When I plug in a usb c headphone, it does nothing.

I can't even get a response when I press win+R.

 

I am really confused to what has happened? I already upgraded all the updates,  install all the drivers, and upgraded the bios. 

 

Should I reinstall the windows? Or is there any easier fix?

[Seamus X]

[alwright]

I think this is a problem with the installation and you should either try a repair or reinstall it fully 

[GoodBytes]

Form what you are showing, I see explorer.exe crashing. They are many reasons why this might happen.

Anywhere from a faulty drivers, missing driver, software that added component(s) to explorer.exe, system tweak tool that has been used, non-responding drive, faulty RAM.

 

This is what I would do, in your situation:

• Being a new system, scan your RAM for errors. You can se memtest86 or Windows memory tester in the recovery tools. If all is good, then continue with the steps bellow.
   
• Check the health of your main drive (make sure that it is operating correctly).
   
• Backup all your data that you can, as we will wipe the drive and restart from scratch.
   
• Download once again Windows 11 setup from Microsoft web site (Media Creation Tool) on a computer that is operating correctly, and prepare your USB flash drive there.
   
• On our new PC, ensure that your drive is properly connected (NVMe or SATA)
   
• Make sure UEFI is properly configured for your system, and that you don't have any OC going on. (XMP is fine). You can OC, if you want, after, once your system has been proven to be stable,
   
• If you are using a SATA based drive, be sure that it is connected to SATA 0/1 port on the system, and refer to your motherboard manual to ensure that it is on the Intel SATA Controller. Also, ensure that your SATA controller is set to AHCI mode in your UEFI.
   
• Then, insert your prepared Windows 11 setup USB flash drive and processed to boot from it to install Windows 11.
   
• If your main drive is SATA based: At the drive partition/drive selection screen, pick "Load drivers", and you want to load your SATA controller drivers (nothing to do for M.2 NVMe drives) or chipset drivers (chipset contains the SATA controller, so the SATA controller drivers are inside those drivers). If you need to remove your USB flash drive to use another computer to get the drivers (be sure that the drivers that you get are the extracted kind, typically referred as: "*.inf", as Windows installed, and is in no position to run executable files or extract zip files). Once done, delete all partitions, pick the drive, and proceed to install Windows.
   
• Once Windows 11 is installed, Check for updates, and let Windows install everything, and restart when required. Once done, check for updates again. 
   
• Then be sure to install the latest drivers for everything essentials to the core system operation. Graphics cards, Chipset, audio, wireless, Ethernet. Leave keyboard and mouse, printer, USB accessories including USB headsets drivers out. Restart when needed. PLEASE install ONLY the core drivers. Avoid installing extra fluff.. you install them later if you want (example, do not install GeForce Experience)
   
• Once done, open the Store app, go to Library, and hit Check for Updates. Let all the apps, and more importantly: Windows add-ons and components update. If nothing was found, then that occurred before, and you are good.
   
• Do not install any security software, do not install any other software. Not right now. Use Edge for web surfing (It's Chrome, its the same). Why? Because you need to ensure that your system is working fine. If your system is working correctly, and your sure your problem is gone, then you install your printer drivers, keyboard, mouse and any other accessories. See how the system behaves. If all is still good. THEN you can start installing Chrome and the rest of your stuff. If it behaves strangely, you should have a better idea of the culprit. At this point on, we can dive in deeper.

 

So what is the point of the above?

We want to rule out:

• Check if the basic components of your system are working fine. It is a new system after all, so we need to confirm that at least RAM and Storage are good. Manufacture errors is a thing, bad luck is a thing.
• Cover the rare case of a faulty download/install (it is unlikely that it happens a second time)
• Ensure that Windows 11 is fully up-to-date including it's components delivered via the Store.
• Ensure that we install the essential drivers, and just the drivers (without any extra applications) to ensure that the system is functioning properly.
• Security software such as Anti-Virus may interfere with the OS, Windows 11 should be still considered "new", and not all software have been updated for it. This should be kept in mind for at least a year. This should be plenty for not only have apps be Windows 11 ready, but also fix any discovered issues. We want those out for now. We want to reduce noise in our troubleshooting steps.