The Windows updates from Patch Tuesday in February 2024 are causing headaches for some users. On computers with Windows 11 or Windows 10, the taskbar may disappear after installing the updates or may crash after users log in to Windows.
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In Windows 10 it is said to be the update KB5034763 that is causing the problem. On computers with Windows 11, KB5034765 causes this problem. The US IT news site Windowslatest claims to have learned from sources familiar with the development that Microsoft is already investigating the relevant user reports.
One user explained that after installing KB5034763, Windows 10 would not display the Windows security, sound, network icons (for example for Wi-Fi) or other icons that normally appear on the taskbar in the taskbar. Applications whose icons are pinned to the taskbar would not load. Switching between apps can therefore only be done using the ALT+TAB key combination. There are probably already a few such complaints in the Windows feedback hub.
Other Windows 10 users complain that the taskbar only loads with a long delay and that they can only enter their PIN on the login screen with a delay. Affected users tried to solve the problem by restarting File Explorer or by running various repair tools or by accessing the Windows registry, but this proved to be in vain. The problems still exist.
All of these complaints are also present in identical or similar form from Windows 11 users.
Some users then uninstalled KB5034765 from their Windows 11 computers, as you can read here on Reddit. After that, the taskbar problem no longer occurred. However, this is not an optimal solution because KB5034765 closes security gaps in Windows 11 and should therefore definitely be installed.
Possible emergency solution
However, uninstalling the patch in question KB5034765 and then immediately reinstalling the patch on Windows 11 PCs may solve the problem. So remove the patch KB5034765 in the Windows Settings in the Updates area, then restart the Windows computer and then start a new search for updates in the Windows Settings. If Windows then shows you the patch KB5034765 for installation again, install it. After restarting Windows 11, the problem could be solved, as Windowslatest found on an affected Windows 11 computer.
