I'm using Windows 11 on an Acer Nitro 5 that's about two years old. While watching YouTube, I tried to disable Bluetooth and noticed that the network panel would flash open and immediately close. The widgets panel, clock/calendar, and date menu behave the same way. The Start menu stays open long enough for me to click one item before closing too. Other parts of the computer seem to work normally, and I haven't installed anything recently, so malware seems unlikely.
Restarting the computer didn't help. Windows Update briefly worked after I managed to access it, but the problem returned after the restart. I found a possible PowerShell fix, but I can't open PowerShell normally because the Start menu and keyboard shortcuts aren't working properly. Is there another way to repair the taskbar or run the fix?
3 Answers
Because the issue affects the Windows shell rather than just one panel, repairing or reinstalling the shell components may be necessary. You can often open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc, choose Run new task, and launch PowerShell or Command Prompt from there, even when Start is broken. Run repair commands only after checking the exact instructions and backing up anything important.
Try using System Restore and choose a restore point from before the taskbar problem began. You can access it through the recovery options if the normal Start menu is unusable. This may roll back the shell-related change without deleting your personal files.
Just to clarify, restarting is not the same as resetting Windows. If you only shut the computer down and turned it back on, that would not repair corrupted system files. A full reset or clean reinstall is a last resort, so try System Restore and built-in repair tools first, but make sure important files are backed up before considering it.
Could you explain how to reach System Restore when the Start menu and most taskbar controls close immediately?