Can't Right Click on Windows 10 Taskbar Icons

On my Windows 7 computer, I was able to right click on icons on my taskbar to unpin them.

I just upgraded to Windows 10, and I could have sworn the right click menu was working when I first installed it, but now when I right click on taskbar icons (or click and drag upward, which used to work on windows 7) no menu appears.

Everything remains perfectly responsive, I can open and close applications lightning fast, and I can right click on the taskbar itself to change the properties for example, but just not on the icons themselves.

Did I break something? How can I get it back?

windows-10

Entity

Posted 2015-07-30T18:59:11.427

Reputation: 1 097

1It's working for me in Windows 10. That's strange behavior...have you tried restarting? – MC10 – 2015-07-30T19:01:09.143

1I've restarted multiple times today and it wasn't working... but I just restarted after your comment and now it is... – Entity – 2015-07-30T19:09:40.780

1Even weirder...although that also seems to be the case when I help my parents with their tech issues :P – MC10 – 2015-07-30T19:20:22.167

I had this problem as well. It's intermittent. Restarting fixed it for me. – HansA – 2015-07-31T02:30:00.373

I've found restarting the "Tile Data model server" service restores the functionality, but it fails again fairly quickly for me. I have the XMouse equivalent setting (which was faithfully kept in the Windows 10 upgrade) and there are some issues with it on the Taskbar and its various features. – Mark Hurd – 2015-08-01T08:43:03.447

I'm having the same issue except it only happens when I try right clicking on the Excel button in the taskbar. If I close out Excel then the right click functionality is immediately restored (even for other Office applications). – blizz – 2016-01-10T14:37:53.013

@blizz did you solve this? – Sosi – 2016-06-20T14:21:22.560

Do you have a Group Policy that is preventing you from doing this? A system I used to work with would not allow some users to right-click on the taskbar, icons, almost anything... – InterLinked – 2016-09-13T20:22:09.430

Answers

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc then locate Windows Explorer in the windows processes. Right click it then select restart.

Raghav Sharma

Posted 2015-07-30T18:59:11.427

Reputation: 480

3I just did exactly this and it solved the problem. – Charles Roper – 2015-08-02T22:29:54.067

9I just did that and have the same problem. :-/ – CreatedByBrett – 2016-03-14T01:42:59.663

2Doesn't work :) – woohoo – 2017-01-27T15:11:08.060

3That is not a solution, at best a workaround AFTER one hasn't found a solution. – j riv – 2017-02-13T10:43:42.770

2This did not work for me. – Xavierjazz – 2017-08-15T19:39:08.690

2This did not work for me – Sasha Bond – 2018-07-04T20:54:16.820

it's not the solution bro. – Umair Idrees – 2019-01-07T14:08:58.517

(Upped my comment to an answer because the current alternate answer kills Explorer windows in the default configuration.)

I've found restarting the "Tile Data model server" service restores the functionality, but it fails again somewhat quickly for me. It seems like it is best to try right clicking on another taskbar button first, before attempting to get the menu you wanted.

Choosing this service was based upon a Microsoft forum post, but I can't find it again at the moment.

(I have the XMouse equivalent setting, which was faithfully kept in the Windows 10 upgrade except for the Desktop registry entry "ActiveWndTrkTimeout", which caused some issues with moving from the Taskbar itself to its various "menus" other than the start menu.)

And since a Windows Update, although it's still happening, you can simply click on the Start menu and all seemingly blocked right-click menus, and the Action Centre notifications, appear with the Start menu behind.

Mark Hurd

Posted 2015-07-30T18:59:11.427

Reputation: 379

2This is a much better solution than restarting Windows Explorer in my opinion - and I've tried it. It is a shame that this is still an issue after the 1511 update though :/ – misterjaytee – 2015-12-29T18:20:12.523

1I know this is a very old post, but the same problem exists in Windows 10. Restarting the Tile Data Model Service" did not work for me, unfortunately. In fact, neither does restarting Windows Explorer.:-/ – lurker – 2016-06-12T02:46:28.847

1@lurker As I mentioned, the problem does seem to come back rather quickly sometimes, and, with the latest updates, I've found even clicking on the Start menu either doesn't work at all or takes a couple of attempts to display the "waiting" right-click menus or notifications. – Mark Hurd – 2016-06-12T02:58:41.550

@MarkHurd yep, understood. I wasn't wanting to contradict your answer, but just indicate for others having the same problem that it can be quite stubborn and it's been months since you noted it here, and it still exists. – lurker – 2016-06-12T03:01:09.663

@lurker And I should add the problem only happens rarely for me now - less than once a week, compared to at least twice a day across both a 64-bit and 32-bit Win10. – Mark Hurd – 2016-06-12T09:27:34.747

@MarkHurd Nothing solved my problem, not even restarting Windows Explorer, or disabling all non-Microsoft context menu options. Any ideas? – Sosi – 2016-06-20T14:23:48.933

I am having no luck either. – Xavierjazz – 2017-08-15T19:39:58.837

Just found shift/ rt click. Works for me. – Xavierjazz – 2017-08-15T19:48:27.083