* Windows Latest article
Microsoft says latest Windows 11 issue crashes explorer.exe, makes taskbar disappear, but a fix is rolling out
https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/01/31/microsoft-says-latest-windows-11-issue-crashes-explorer-exe-makes-taskbar-disappear-but-a-fix-is-rolling-out/
# Part of the content was translated from Gemini 3.0 and then modified.
A bug in Windows 11 is causing Explorer.exe to crash, resulting in the disappearance of the desktop UI, including the taskbar. When the taskbar is invisible, the Start menu is also usually inaccessible.
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and confirmed that it included a fix in Windows 11 KB5074105 (January 2026 optional update).
As you know, explorer.exe is as crucial an element as the Windows Shell. If this process stops responding, the taskbar and desktop disappear or become unresponsive, making it impossible to use Windows 11 normally.
In such a situation, you need to manually run Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc). If explorer.exe is already running, restart the process; if not, start it as a new process to restore functionality.
https://x.com/WindowsLatest/status/2018011878577053825
