Win 11 issues...

so I upgraded from Win 10 Pro to Win 11 Pro several months ago. 21H2 22000.856.
I am having issues that I can't explain.
1. If a Windows update is available for installation, many programs won't start and other issues that make the computer unusable. This started in Win 10.
2. A few apps won't close in taskbar. I can close the app, but the icon remains in the taskbar and does not function. Reliability monitor shows the app as shut down unexpectedly. No evidence of it in Task Manager processes. Restarting computer restores taskbar to normal.
Having the icon in the taskbar may affect other icons... right clicking does nothing.
Also right clicking the Start menu does nothing. Also CTL-ALT-DEL does not bring up that screen with Task Mgr, etc.
3. Time and date sometimes wrong in taskbar. Tried some online recommendations but no help. Restarting resets to proper date/time.

You can also perform in-place upgrade of Windows 11. In-place upgrade is to use to replace the current operating system files on your computer. Unlike a clean installation of Windows, you can start a Windows in-place upgrade when your OS is still running. And an in-place upgrade can keep your files, settings, & apps during the upgrade process. You can perform a Windows 11 in-place upgrade is to use the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool. Make sure to select Upgrade this PC now and click Next. Follow the on-screen guide to perform a Windows 11 in-place upgrade.

@FreeBooter , will the in-place repair/upgrade work using the MCT? Pretty sure MS gives you build 22000.318 with the MCT. From the tutorial:



I think it might work if in step 10 he chooses to Download updates.



@Brink , will it work using the MCT and choosing to download updates?

Hello Scott,

Yes, it should normally, but better to use the exact same version and build if able to make sure it will keep everything.

I am having a similar issue with apps minimized to the task bar. My experience differs a little from other descriptions. I very seldom shut down my computer. I keep projects going for days, weeks. So, I will keep apps (especially Edge and Chrome and folders) minimized in the task bar.

I noticed, a few months after I had upgraded to Windows 11, that occasionally the thumbnail (when you hover over the minimized app's icon) would only show the title bar and when I would click the icon to restore the app to the desktop, I would see the animation (of the app moving from the task bar) go up to the upper left corner of the desktop and disappear.

Clicking the task tray icon again would generate the animation of the app moving from the upper right corner to the tray again. The dimensions of the moving thumbnail indicated a window minimized to the min-width, min-height parameters. I have seen only one YouTube video that addressed this problem and the author suggested 1. restart the windows explorer from the task manager, or 2. right click the icon and select Restore (which I have never seen as an option)

How to Fix Window Not Minimize Maximize in Windows 11 - Bing video

What I was doing was close the app and then open it again. Kind of a bummer with the browsers because you lose all your opened tabs. But then I noticed, recently, that after I clicked the task bar icon, and the animation played showing the app moving to the upper left corner and then disappearing, that a small vertical line would show up on the very right hand side of the task bar, 15-20 pixels from the right, and when I click on that vertical line, the app would suddenly appear, minimized, in the upper left corner. Then I would have to resize them with the mouse. An interesting feature to say the least.

But normal behavior for a window, is that the x, y, width and height of the window are written to the registry when it is minimized to the task tray and recalled when restored. That [the registry write] appears to be interrupted from time to time and when you go to restore the app, there is no location and size information for the windows explorer tries it's best to oblige your request.

I apologize for rambling on, but I was wondering if anyone else had seen the same behavior.

Thanks

Well, after looking at MANY recommendations, I realized my issue is not limited to a very few. The idea of reloading the OS is scary to me, even tho I make regular image backups of my boot drive.
I found one solution that has really helped, so far... as a matter of fact I have not had these issues since I changed it about a week ago. If you to to Personalization>Start, there is an option in the list titled "Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer." It was listed in a site as a possible option to check among many others. By default, it is ON. Switching it to OFF has stopped the time freeze and apps not closing in taskbar behavior. I hope this is a long-term fix, and hope it works for others.

Thanks, I have changed the setting. Let's see if it works. It [the behavior] was never a gamechanger, just a slightly annoying quirk.