Task View Not Opening in Windows 11? Try These Fixes

Quick Tips

• If “Win + Tab” opens Task View but the taskbar button doesn’t, the problem is the button, not the feature.
• If you have left dozens of virtual desktops open, you may need to close them entirely to make the feature work again.
• Third-party taskbar tools might interfere with Task View, so check their official updates for any possible fixes or bug notifications.

The Task View not showing Windows 11 users their open apps can be a bit difficult to troubleshoot. Usually, something is interfering with the taskbar or Windows Explorer, but the feature itself shouldn’t break outright. Here’s what to do with Task View Windows 11 not working.

Fix 1 – Check Whether the Button Is Simply Turned Off

Windows 11 lets you hide the Task View button, but the underlying feature should work.

Step 1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select “Taskbar settings.”

Step 2. Under “Taskbar items,” find the “Task View” toggle and turn it on.

Click on the icon to check if it works.

Fix 2 – Restart Windows Explorer

Task View may stop responding if Windows Explorer becomes unstable or unresponsive – for example, because of resource oveuse or another error

Step 1. Open Task Manager.

Step 2. On the “Processes” tab, sort by name and find “Windows Explorer.” If you don’t have a File Explorer tab open, it will be listed in Windows processes instead.

Step 3. Right-click on it and select “Restart.”

Step 4. The taskbar and desktop icons will flicker but should return within a few seconds.

Step 5. Try to open Task View again.

Fix 3 – Close Your Virtual Desktops if Task View Not Showing Windows 11

Virtual desktops accumulate over time, and having a very large number of them may slow Task View or make it less responsive. However, the underlying system that manages desktop creation and deletion should work.

Step 1. Press “Win + Ctrl + F4” to close the desktop you are currently on. Your open windows will move to the next desktop.

Step 2. Repeat until you’ve closed the unneeded virtual desktops, then test Task View again.

Fix 4 – Install Pending Windows Updates

Windows 11 might’ve shipped an update that inadvertently caused Task View or a utility used by it to not load properly. This is usually quickly fixed, so a subsequent update should work.

Step 1. Go to Windows Update.

Step 2. Click “Check for updates” and install any remaining updates.

Step 3. If updates are paused, resume them first.

Step 4. Restart and test Task View again.

Fix 5 – Repair System Files

Corrupted system files and components might break Task View. You can force Windows to retry installing them.

Step 1. Type “cmd” into the search bar and select “Run as administrator.”

Step 2. Run the following and wait for it to finish:

sfc /scannow

Step 3. Use the following command.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Fix 6 – Remove Third-Party Taskbar Tools

Utilities that redesign the taskbar to look like an older version might write over or disable parts of the new toolbar like Task View. Go to the official website or support page of your tool and check it for updates, or disable it entirely and try to run Task View again.

Fix 7 – Test a New User Account

If nothing above helps, the fault may be confined to your Windows profile rather than the installation.

Step 1. Go to “Settings,” then to “Accounts.” Go to “Other users” and click on “Add account.”

Step 2. Select “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information,” then “Add a user without a Microsoft account.”

Step 3. Create an account, sign out, and sign in to the new one.

Step 4. Test Task View there. If it works in the new profile, move your personal files and settings to the new account.