Solved Missing Windows 11 Toolbar after Windows update.

Flashorn · Mar 7, 2024

BaJohn said:
Thank you everybody for all your help so far, this has been a challenging process for me and quite stressful and time consuming.
I'm off for a while to check the PC for any other quirks and finish my late lunch here over the pond in UK.
Hopefully there is a permanent solution for the future lurking somewhere!

It was a hard fought battle @BaJohn but, you overcame the difficulties at hand.
Glad to see a resolution to this.
Now, if you take a look at my post #15 I usually recommend Not installing the
Preview updates for a good reason.

Even if you click on the Get the Latest as they .... in Windows update you will
still be offered the Preview updates. Please do not install them.

Bree · Mar 7, 2024

Flashorn said:
Even if you click on the Get the Latest as they .... in Windows update you will still be offered the Preview updates. Pleas do not install them.

Yes, @BaJohn will still see them in Windows Update, but they won't install unless you tell them to, and it won't stop other updates installing if you don't install a Preview CU. You just have to resist the temptation to click 'Download & install'. :wink:

Flashorn · Mar 7, 2024

Bree said:
Yes, @BaJohn will still see them in Windows Update, but they won't install unless you tell them to. You just have to resist the temptation to click 'Download & install'.

View attachment 89431

Thank you for that screen shot. I usually pause mine after the latest round if all is well.
Like i said before, I was caught last year and did have to do a re-install. in my case, I
have a Recovery USB from MSI that I keep in a secure place. Makes it easier than having
to go through a clean install.

Bree · Mar 7, 2024

Flashorn said:
Thank you for that screen shot.

I have a W11 Pro VM in Hyper-V. I just had to set it back to a checkpoint from before the Preview update to get that screenshot.

BaJohn · Mar 7, 2024

Flashorn said:
I have a Recovery USB from MSI that I keep in a secure place
Makes it easier than having to go through a clean install.

I had a Recovery USB for my PC but it was very old, so did not think it would be much use.
How often would you suggest making a Recovery USB?

Flashorn · Mar 7, 2024

BaJohn said:
I had a Recovery USB for my PC but it was very old, so did not think it would be much use.
How often would you suggest making a Recovery USB?

Hi @BaJohn
Am glad to see you are back up and running.
The recovery USB is the original OS from MSI.
You only make one of these.
You OTH, should be making Images of the OS when your PC is in
good working order. Those are simple enough to make and in a
situation where you are in a pinch like this one, you can simply
reinstate the image you took from say a week back and in no time
you are back to where you left off.
Macrium Reflect is what "most members " here use. I'm not that familiar
with this program as I use it to only clone SSDs but, it would be wise
to have it on hand.
You can still download the Free version for this purpose from here.

Download Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - MajorGeeks

With Macrium Reflect Free Edition you'll be able to easily make an accurate and reliable image of your HDD or individual partitions. Using this image you can restore the entire disk, partition or...

www.majorgeeks.com

I believe there are tutorials here on how to use this software.
IF you cannot understand the workings of it in a tutorial then, start a
new thread and I'm sure the members who are familiar with it will
come to the rescue.

Did you get your Wife's PC to work again?

Flashorn · Mar 7, 2024

Here is a video from Ask Leo

Bree · Mar 7, 2024

BaJohn said:
I had a Recovery USB for my PC but it was very old, so did not think it would be much use.
How often would you suggest making a Recovery USB?

Flashorn said:
Hi @BaJohn
Am glad to see you are back up and running. The recovery USB is the original OS from MSI. You only make one of these.

A recovery USB will reinstall Windows and, if your Windows was an OEM install that came with the PC, all the OEM utilities, drivers, etc. What it won't do is reinstall any software you installed yourself, that you would have to reinstall from scratch.

Flashorn said:
You OTH, should be making Images of the OS when your PC is in good working order. Those are simple enough to make and in asituation where you are in a pinch like this one, you can simply reinstate the image you took from say a week back and in no time you are back to where you left off.

Macrium Reflect is what "most members " here use. I'm not that familiar with this program as I use it to only clone SSDs but, it would be wise
to have it on hand.
You can still download the Free version for this purpose from here.

A system image is a snapshot of the PC at a point in time. Restore an image and you will have it exactly as it was when you made the image, all your files and all your installed apps that you had at that time. You would only loose anything you had done after the image was made, so make sure you take copies of any user files added or modified later before starting a restore.

If you want to get Macrium Reflect Free direct from Macrium, then there's a link at the bottom of Post #1 here:

Latest Macrium Reflect updates

Latest Update v8.1.7909 - 11th March 2024 Release notes: Macrium Reflect Patch Details Previous Update v8.1.7847 - 30th January 2024 It is often the case that a new release takes a while to propagate out to the CDN servers. It usually becomes available within 24 hours of release...

www.elevenforum.com

BaJohn · Mar 7, 2024

My Win 11 Update page looks like this

... and as a thankyou to all you Techies here's a picture I took in India a few years ago (It was one of the random ones on the screen a few moments ago and it seemed appropriate). Enjoy.

If I remember correctly, I believe it was in New Delhi. I liked the bird keeping it's feet warm.

Flashorn · Mar 7, 2024

It's not so much the bird as the porcelain insulators that caught my eye.
They don't seem to used at all. See how far you get trying that in North America.

You're welcome and if something else comes up well....

Flashorn · Mar 7, 2024

Thanks @Bree . I knew someone would fill in the blanks.

BaJohn · Mar 9, 2024

Things have moved on a bit in the last 2 days. First of all my wife's Win 11 had the same symptoms as me quite sporadically it seems, correctable by one or more reboots (to answer a question from @Flashorn).

As for my Win11 PC, yes it had the Menu and TaskBar return, BUT ...
1. Task Manager would not close, and on second attempt comes up with 'not responding' and options include 'close', which works.
Can move, resize, minimise but not close it.
2. The windows search bar bottom left near the start icon is inaccessible, as I cannot click in it.
3. Belarc tells me that I have a missing security update KB5034765.

I investigate the KB5034765, a security update and decide to install it.
Download it from the catalogue (deleting C:\$WinReAgent first and a restart) and run it which completes okay.
Da da .... my Menu and TaskBar have disappeared again.
So I uninstall KB5034765 and I am back to where I was earlier this morning with Menu and TaskBar, and 1,2,3 above.

Hold on ... not quite, as Belarc also tells me that I installed KB5033375 TODAY, even though I still have Updates turned off.
That KB (a security update) was released 12/12/23 (UK date).

Am I now in the situation where I should stay as I am until after next Tuesday, then do a complete clean install with the latest updates?
If it helps my C: drive is an SSD with over 300GB free space and mainly OS , as all my data goes on other drives.
I don't want to go down that route, but maybe that would avoid messing up my system anymore (which takes time, not only from me but you guys (for which I am really grateful), and we haven't really got to a good conclusion. I'm now failing to see much light at the end of the tunnel.
Please give me your honest opinions

Flashorn · Mar 9, 2024

BaJohn said:
Things have moved on a bit in the last 2 days. First of all my wife's Win 11 had the same symptoms as me quite sporadically it seems, correctable by one or more reboots (to answer a question from @Flashorn).

As for my Win11 PC, yes it had the Menu and TaskBar return, BUT ...
1. Task Manager would not close, and on second attempt comes up with 'not responding' and options include 'close', which works.
Can move, resize, minimise but not close it.
2. The windows search bar bottom left near the start icon is inaccessible, as I cannot click in it.
3. Belarc tells me that I have a missing security update KB5034765.

I investigate the KB5034765, a security update and decide to install it.
Download it from the catalogue (deleting C:\$WinReAgent first and a restart) and run it which completes okay.
Da da .... my Menu and TaskBar have disappeared again.
So I uninstall KB5034765 and I am back to where I was earlier this morning with Menu and TaskBar, and 1,2,3 above.

Hold on ... not quite, as Belarc also tells me that I installed KB5033375 TODAY, even though I still have Updates turned off.
That KB (a security update) was released 12/12/23 (UK date).

Am I now in the situation where I should stay as I am until after next Tuesday, then do a complete clean install with the latest updates?
If it helps my C: drive is an SSD with over 300GB free space and mainly OS , as all my data goes on other drives.
I don't want to go down that route, but maybe that would avoid messing up my system anymore (which takes time, not only from me but you guys (for which I am really grateful), and we haven't really got to a good conclusion. I'm now failing to see much light at the end of the tunnel.
Please give me your honest opinions

Well, that's some development we have here. Not the one I was expecting. We didn't do anything with tools that would
result in this kind of situation. I myself use those tools and have not had any side effects.

Now, my post #181, did you Pause the updates. IF not, do it for three weeks which would bring you to about the 29th or 30th
of March. Also, slide that slider to OFF just under the Updates. Those updates are really wreaking havoc.
As for the CU from December , I have that as well and it didn't cause any disturbances in the force.
Have you verified this update install with the update History in Settings / Windows Update / History?

As a prevention, I Always Pause the updates until the end of each months and never install previews for good reasons.

Now, for your situation about the search. If you right click on the Start button, do you see the Search near the bottom?

If you click on it, does it come up and can you type in the search box?

Task Manager would not close

Does this happen all the time?

OK, for now, maybe answer my questions and we might have to go the route you're not gonna like but...

I'll see about getting others involved like @Bree and @OAT if they are around.

BaJohn · Mar 9, 2024

Flashorn said:
my post #181, did you Pause the updates

Yes, and checked that they were still paused after the reinstall of the KB5033375.

Flashorn said:
Have you verified this update install with the update History in Settings / Windows Update / History?

KB5033375 is NOT listed as having been installed at this moment, probably because I uninstalled it to get my TaskBar and Menu back.
I would supply some pictures, but the Snipping Tool, (which I love bye the way) does not work, as well as other symptoms mentioned.
Update history currently lists KB5034765 as being installed today, and Belarc shows it as Q5034765.
However, the only item installed today from the PowerShell 'get-hotfix etc' tells me that KB5033375 was installed by 'NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

Flashorn said:
If you right click on the Start button, do you see the Search near the bottom?

Yes, but clicking on it does nothing, the same as the box next to start icon and search box which appears on top of windows when clicking the start icon.

Flashorn said:
Does this happen all the time?

Correct - The Task Manager has NOT closed properly ever since this problem started a week ago.
After 2 attempts it usually comes up with 'Not responding' and offers some options including closing it, which then works.

Thank you for helping again, I have to go out to our eldest daughter's tomorrow, as it is Mothers Day (a different day to yours, as our other daughter in NY NY told us earlier), so what with the time difference my replies may be intermittent.

Flashorn · Mar 9, 2024

BaJohn said:
KB5033375

That KB was not the offending update. it's the KB5034765 & KB5034848.
KB5033375 should have been installed in Dec. of 2023.
Since almost nothing works properly, I do believe that a Clean install would be in order.
Do you have a disc (DVD or a USB drive) that came with the PC to recover the original OS?

If you can get to the Disk management with the tweak shell:appsfolder , you would be able
to screen shot the program so we can see the partitions on your SSD.
Just open MyPC and at the top highlight MyPC and hit backspace to clear the box and type
the tweak. This should bring up all the apps and folders on your PC. From there, you can access
Disk Management.
As for not being able to take screen shots with Snipping Tool, I have a alternative.
Press on Shift + PRT SCR then open Paint. click on edit and then, Paste. Save as to your Desktop.
OR you can download and try to install this little app that I have been using as backup for about
10 years. Very simple to use. Place one corner to where you want the capture to start and Stretch the lower
corner to the size you want. Double click on the + in blue at the center of the screen capture.

Cropper

Point and shoot screen captures

cropper.en.softonic.com

BaJohn · Mar 9, 2024

I realized that the Snipping tool put the image on the Clipboard now. It used to show a little window bottom right, which it stopped doing on 02/03/24 (UK), hence I thought it was broken completely.
So I have snipped some bits just to be certain and here they are.
1. Windows Update History

2. Belarc Missing Security Updates

3. Belarc Installed Microsoft Hotfixes

4. Information from PowerShell 'get-hotfix'.

I refreshed these items about 22:30 Sat 09/03/24 (UK time).

BaJohn · Mar 9, 2024

Flashorn said:
If you can get to the Disk management

I'd already been looking at this and here it is:-

Good night - will manage a quick look at this post tomorrow morning (UK)

Flashorn · Mar 9, 2024

So, the Disk Management looks OK except that you have unallocated space on both Disk 0 & 1. Was that intentional?
On Disk 0 nothing can be done with it now as it is to the right of the Windows recovery partition. Disk 1 could be annexed
to the G partition unless you want it to be free.
I would not let belarc install the updates for you. This might be why those new updates appeared this morning as belarc
seems to bypass the update cmd. The KB5034848 is a Preview and is wreaking havoc on allot of systems. Uninstall KB5034765
& KB5034848 and disable Belarc for now. Reboot and see what happens making sure to have the updates Paused and the slider
under updates Off.
Can you get to the CMD by way of tweak and if so, run :
CMD as Admin
SFC /scannow
Then run, no matter what sfc /scannow finds:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Reboot having Belarc still disabled and updates paused.
Take screen shots if anything comes up in either of these tools.

BTW, you can access those snipping tool screen shots By looking in Navigation Pane under ScreenShots.

glasskuter · Mar 9, 2024

I've tried to follow this thread and have to admit I have had difficulty. If issues remain after uninstalling the offending update, and running
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth as @Flashorn suggested doesn't fix those issues, one could first try a repair install. If still no joy, a clean install is all that's left.

Sidenote: I may have overlooked it, but did anyone mention to the OP not only should he not manually tell WU to download an update preview but should also go to windows update>toggle off get latest updates as soon as they're available.