Windows 7 search bar missing start menu

Where it should appear on the menu is blank, empty space. I followed the instructions found elsewhere on this forum to add the "Run" prompt but all I got was another blank line. Antivirus scan Kaspersky found nothing. This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. Threats include any threat of suicide, violence, or harm to another. Any content of an adult theme or inappropriate to a community web site.

Any image, link, or discussion of nudity. Any behavior that is insulting, rude, vulgar, desecrating, or showing disrespect. Any behavior that appears to violate End user license agreements, including providing product keys or links to pirated software.

Unsolicited bulk mail or bulk advertising. Any link to or advocacy of virus, spyware, malware, or phishing sites. The cause of this problem for me was the computer thinking I had two monitors installed. I believe that this happened because I had used a utility that created multiple virtual desktops.

This page was very helpful to me in identifying the problem. If you have two screens, you might accidentally drag your taskbar into the other screen. To get it back. Posted by: Richie at July 27, AM. Whenever i maximize a screen, the task bar disappears. So i have to make the screen smaller again to see it. Any button i can press ect. Hi, i downloaded a media file about a week ago and had to ask for a codec file, I have AVG running and nothing was alerted, however I seem to have picked up a virus which has completely taken away my desktop icons and toolbar.

I have to use Task manager to do anything and I have scanned the computer umpteen times, the AVG finds items but cant do anything with them, including a file called a. Im at a loss, any help much appreciated.

Made a new string there named explorer, with the value of C:Windowsexplorer. I tried all the above… no avail. Ours was a different kind of problem.

Maybe yours changed by accident or by the gamers in your family. I have fought the missing task bar for months, tried everything! Finally got it fixed, go to the following website:. Something to add to your list of things to try.

After closing the Explorer that I just started I noticed in my task list which was sorted by task name that there was still an Explorer running. With very little to loose I killed it, and than started another Explorer, and I got my Task bar back! Just had a histerical call from a user about this. He said his task bar was missing but he was on dual monitors and his second monitor which had his taskbar was turned off. I just installed the latest updates using Windows 7 and this is happening every time my PC goes to sleep.

Should I try to do a scan? Any idea why it does this? Thanks for your help. God bless you in these End of Days. Once it does you can then change this switch back to whatever you like. I tried the articles way of trying to fix it, although, when I read the comments, someone mentioned that the computer might think 2 monitors are installed, and the task bar is on the other monitor.

Lol Though that was my problem. Silly not-so-technology-savvy-parents. I have been messing with this computer I just reimaged for about an hour and a half.

The problem started after I installed the video card driver and service pack 2. I thought it was a problem with the install. I installed SP3 and still no Task Bar.

I read the comments and saw that it might think there are two monitors. That was it ;? Thanks Sigourney…for making me feel like a noob. A month of hassel for a one minute fix.

Please add this soultion to your page please. Went into control panel, display, settings, and then highlighted a second monitor that was listed. Clicked ok and the taskbar appeared. Hope this helps someone! For a week I had a similar problem with both my task bar and desktop icons disappearing. Everything was ok operating in Safe Mode. Not sure if the same for others but my problem was that in display properties multiple displays was selected but make this main display not selected.

It appears, I am not sure what was triggering it, that the task bar and icons were being directed to a non existent alternative display. The Start button remains, but my taskbar disappears when the screen goes to sleep. The pop-up that appeared while I was looking at your article was not expected or appreciated, but the info is. A followup to my previous comment. I am running Windows 7.

My Start Button remains. I do, and check for explorer. It is running. If I select explorer. I suspect that it moves to the background and is behind my screen background. This ought to be an easy fix, but no such option appears when I right click, as would be reasonable. However, sooner or later I will find it, because I know it exists. I had the same issue on my laptop. I found and tried a lot of suggestions myself. Then, I just restarted my laptop that worked out well.

I checked my desktop full keyboard that turn out to be correct keys for that issue. That was the first time it ever happened. And then I went into Safe mode, did a few scans got 7 viruses, deleted those. It worked fine for 2 more days.. F11 full screen got pushed by my toddler and made the taskbar disappear when in IE mode, push it again and taskbar returns…. Urgent, this has never happened before.

Please help! Thank You Peter Mundreon. I tried everything as well and nothing seemed to work, i tried the start task manager and even that would not show up. Is there anything else i can do to get my menu bar back, cause now i am not able to use my p. This Is what I did. First Start Task manager. Then Click Processes And Find explorer. Right click it and click end process.

Then go to file new task and type explorer. My bar and those desktop icons were disappeared due to a virus or something. This fixed my problem.

Hope it helps! I was cleaning my keyboard and suddenly the task bar and tabs all disappeared, and a window I had open was showing full screen. I discovered I had hit the F11 button, and pressing F11 again brought everything back to normal, so you may want to try pressing F11 if your task bar disappears.

Had problem with no start menu. Two bits that helped. I did not have the run option in TaskManager so created a new shortcut. I stopped Explorer process, then started it again but typing explorer in my cmd window. I still have lots of problems to sort but making a little progress. But if the Taskbar went missing due to virus infection, its difficult to restore it. The virus will also block upgrade installation.

The final option is to format your hard drive containing the OS and re-install a fresh one. Ok, so earlier this week my open icons on my task bar when I rolled my mouse over them showed little boxes so I could get a quick visual glance at what was open in that program. About Wednesday, that changed on me and when I scroll over them, they just give a list of the open programs.

I must have done some keyboard shortcut. How do I get the little pictures back? The virus will also block upgrade installation to repair the Operating System. First preferred option would be to connect your hard drive to another computer as Slave Drive and scan it for virus infection. Never connect to the net or use removeable drives without installing a good antivirus or internet security. No point in taking risks. Excellent, thanks very much.

In my case, the explorer. Thanks again. Hi Leo, I tried everything I can to follow your advice here but not seems working on my computer. What else should I do? Thank you so much Leo. It was fixed in less than 30 seconds!!! Last week my computer got some malware and it was a nightmare. I thought that it was back!! I just installed Firefox last night. My tool bar across the top is gone, the File Menu that lists Save, send, print, etc is missing.

Arl, Just hold down the Alt key for a second and it will pop up. Seems odd to have it hidden that way until you get used to it. My explorer kept crashing and leaving me without a start button or any windows. I had an not responding explorer. Run cmd. When it asks if you want to execute, type Y and hit enter. I understand it was a simple task, and even as someone who knows my way around an OS, this is absolutely the only solution that actually solved anything for me, whether it was from Microsoft, or users.

I wanted to thank you for the help, even though this is an old answer, and it worked on Windows 8 for me. Thank you very much, Chaz. After you have ended the explorer. This should bring up the taskbar also. I suddenly started getting the same problem about two days ago. When I start my laptop the taskbar is there, but as soon as I start IE 11, it goes totally full screen and covers everything.

I figured the problem was in IE Tried looking for some settings but found nothing relevant. Decided to just hit the maximize button so I could grab and drag the edges of the four sides of the window.

Dragged them to the best fit and exited IE Restarted IE11 and it did not smother the taskbar anymore. Hope this helps. Click OK to save changes. Step 6: Close the Registry Editor and then restart your computer to check if the Windows 10 search bar missing error is fixed. If none of the methods can fix the Windows 10 search bar missing error, then you should use the Registry Editor to disable Cortana.

Then, name the newly created Dword AllowCortana. Then, click OK to save changes. Step 5: Right-click the Taskbar and then click Search to choose Show search box. Click to tweet. As you can see, you may suffer the Windows 10 search bar missing issue. And sometimes you may even suffer system crashes. For users who keep asking how to recover data from hard disk without OS, this post is enough to help them get rid of data loss troubles.

You can restore your data and system easily when your files lose or system crashes if you have backed up them. Free Download. Step 2: Click Connect under This Computer to get into the main interface. Step 3: Navigate to the Backup page.

MiniTool ShadowMaker backs up your operating system and chooses the destination by default. But if you want to change the source and destination, you can click Source and Destination. Step 4: After you have confirmed the backup source and backup destination, click Back up Now to start the backup.

Besides, you should make a backup to protect your computer. If you have other methods to fix the Windows 10 search bar missing error or have any confusion about the methods, leave a comment below or send an email to [email protected]. There are 5 methods for you to repair your Windows Download Shadowmaker. Summary : Windows 10 search bar missing? Read More. Is Windows 10 Stuck in Tablet Mode? Full Solutions Are Here! Note: You can also right-click the Taskbar and then choose Taskbar settings.

Note: If you want to use Cortana again, then go back to the location of the AlloCortana value in Registry Editor , and then set the Value data to 1 or delete it altogether. Note: You can manage the remote computer if you have the IP address of the remote computer and the computers are on the same LAN.