Windows 10 – a 7-year-old OS – is still having problems with the desktop and taskbar

If your device is becoming unresponsive, there's a workaround

Microsoft has fixed yet another problem in some versions of Windows 10, a bug that makes the taskbar and desktop temporarily vanish or causes the system to ignore you.

According to Redmond, users "might experience an error in which the desktop or taskbar might momentarily disappear, or your device might become unresponsive." The issue affects PCs running Windows 10 versions 22H2, 21H2, 21H1, and 20H2, the company wrote on its Windows Health Dashboard.

Microsoft didn't outline the exact cause but notes it was related to the KB5016688 220820_03051 cumulative update and later.

The software giant is using its Known Issue Rollback (KIR) feature – which enables IT administrators to roll back the unwanted changes of an update – to resolve the problem, adding that it could take up to 24 hours for the fix to reach non-managed business systems and consumer devices. Restarting the device may accelerate the timeframe.

Organizations that use enterprise-managed devices can install and configure a special Group Policy by going to "Computer Configuration" and then "Administrative Templates" and "Group Policy name."

If the resolution doesn't work, users can try restarting the Windows device, according to Microsoft.

The latest fix comes after a number of other problems were resolved this week.

Microsoft over the last week addressed issues in Windows 10 and 11 systems caused when users installed the KB5019509 update, leaving some unable to reconnect to the Direct Access feature after temporarily losing connectivity with the network or transitioning between Wi-Fi network or access points.

The company also used the KIR tool for that fix.

In addition, updates issued November 8 or later for particular Windows Server systems caused problems with the Kerberos authentication protocol, including with Group Managed Service Accounts, domain user sign-ins, remote desktop connections using domain users, access share folders on workstations, file shares on servers, and printer connections. ®