TaskBar not working on Windows Vista

[WarRen!]

I am using Windows Vista. It is working fine and there is no issue with that. But there is some issue with the system recently. I cannot run Task Manager. When I right click on the Task Bar it shows a grayed out button. After a few while the Task Bar stopped working. There is no response on it. It looks like it is complicated locked. I cannot click on Start Menu. The desktop works fine. I can open My Computer and check internal files.

[Gregoryl]

There can be virus in your system due to which you are getting this issue. Task Bar works on default settings. You can add icons on it, or simply pin a applications. But if that is disabled then there can be internal theming bug also. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and see whether you can access Task Manager or not. If it is disabled or not working then here is virus. I had faced this on XP a number of time. I got a error message on my screen that Task Manager is disabled by Administrator. You can fix the problem by running a Repair Setup of Vista and then check back.

[shawntae]

There is no internal settings in Windows Vista that allows you to enable or disable Task Bar. Try to run Windows Update and see whether you get any kind of fix. Also try to change your themes. Task Bar is one of the most basic things on Windows Desktop and it is freezing I think. So it can be theme bug or some missing system component. Can you see the Start Menu when you press the Start Key from keyboard. If not then it is problem with Vista. Run system restore and then repair setup if it does not works.

[NMTP]

There can be some components that are causing this issue. In my system when I turn on Windows Preview I am getting exactly the same issue. But when I turn it off the task bar works properly. Windows Preview is a small utility that allows you to get a small glimpse of working view or image on the desktop. For that press Ctrl + R and type GPEdit.msc and hit enter. In that go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu > Taskbar. At the right side you can find Turn of Task bar thumbnails. Enable that and restart your system once. Then see whether the task bar loads proper or not.