Microsoft warns that KB5037853 update can break the taskbar in Windows 11

After the release of the KB5037853 update for Windows 11 a few days ago, Microsoft has acknowledged that it can cause glitching in the taskbar. What this means in practice is that the task bar can disappear or become unresponsive.

The company's "fix" for the problem is to use a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) to recall the update, and while this will be performed automatically for most people, some will have to take manual action.

See also:

• Microsoft is cleaving vestiges of the past from Windows 11 24H2
• Microsoft releases the surprisingly feature-packed KB5037853 update for Windows 11
• Microsoft starts the rollout of Windows 11 24H2 -- install it now!

In the known issues for the KB5037853 update, Microsoft now says: "After installing this update, you might face issues using the taskbar. You might notice the taskbar temporarily glitching, not responding, disappearing, and reappearing automatically".

The company goes on to warn users:

Additionally, this issue might be reflected in the Event Viewer with Application Error ‘Event ID 1000’ under Windows Logs, listing 'Explorer.EXE' as the 'Faulting application name' and 'Taskbar.View.dll' as the 'Faulting module name'. 

As this is an optional, non-security, preview update, the fact that there is not a proper fix available should not be too concerning. Microsoft explains the action it is taking:

This issue is resolved using Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Please note that it might take up to 24 hours for the resolution to propagate automatically to Home and Pro devices and non-managed business devices. If you have a Windows Home or Pro edition device or a device not managed by an organization’s IT department, you must restart your device to receive the resolution.

Enterprise users can follow Microsoft instructions for using a special Group Policy; details are available here.

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