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Some taskbar pinned app icons missing after returning from sleep

KC Way Down South 20 Reputation points
2026-06-13T11:14:39.84+00:00

The missing icons appear to be somewhat random when coming out of sleep mode. The only quick fix I have found is to open task manager and restart the Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) process. Other ways that also bring back the all the taskbar icons correctly is to either sign out then sign back in or restart the PC. This is very annoying when your laptop is running off of the battery as putting the computer to sleep saves a lot of power. Otherwise, when my laptop is plugged in to AC power, I have the power settings set to stay awake independently.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Sleep and Power on, off
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Answer accepted by question author

MUSTAFA SALAH 1,630 Reputation points
2026-06-13T14:56:18.5233333+00:00

Dear KC Way Down South,

I suggest trying the following fixes:

  1. Turn off Fast Startup
    Open Control Panel --> Go to Power Options -->Click Choose what the power buttons do -->Click Change settings that are currently unavailable -->Uncheck Turn on fast startup
    User's image
  2. Rebuild the icon cache
    Open Command Prompt (Admin) "as Administrator"
    Enter the Following Commands in Order

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

del /a /q "%localappdata%\IconCache.db"

del /a /f /q "%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache*"

start explorer.exe

Then, Restart your Device.

  1. Reset taskbar app pinning cache
    Press (Windows Key + R) to open Run dialog box and type the follow:
    %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar
    Check if shortcuts are missing or corrupted, You can re-pin apps cleanly after clearing that folder
  2. Update graphics + chipset drivers
    "From your device manufacturer website" / Better to update all your drivers.
  3. Repair system files (fun the following commands in CMD "as Admin"
    sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
    sfc /scannow
  4. Check for any recent (Third-party tools) you installed or MODs.
  5. Disable: USB selective suspend

Good Luck,

Best,

M.

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  1. Thomas4-N 17,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-14T09:33:28.0633333+00:00

    Hello KC Way Down South,

    Thanks for reporting. There are some things you could try next time, since it doesn't disturb your open windows the way a sign-out does:

    • Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, turn off "Show my taskbar on all displays," then turn it back on — that usually refreshes the icons on its own.
    • Rebuilding the icon cache occasionally helps it hold up longer between episodes, though results vary.

    Beyond those, this is OS-side behavior on resume rather than something fixable permanently at your end. The Microsoft Q&A forum isn't monitored for bug reports or feature feedback, so the right place to raise it is the Feedback Hub app (Win + F) — search there for an existing report about taskbar icons disappearing after sleep and upvote it if you find one, or file a fresh one under the Taskbar category. That's the channel that actually gets this in front of the engineering team.

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