8 Fixes for Widgets Not Working on Windows 11

Widgets on Windows 11 are one of the most remarkable features on board. These widgets let you access information, news, weather updates, and incoming updates at a glance. However, some users took it to forums complaining about widgets not working on Windows 11, which literally takes the fun out of using Windows 11.

There are a million reasons why it would happen, such as malware attacks, internet issues, bugs, and issues preventing widgets from updating automatically and others. Here are some methods you can use to fix “widgets not working on Windows 11 issue”.

1. Turn the Widgets ON

For most of the users, widgets did not turn ON by default, So there may be a chance that’s the main reason why widgets are not showing or working.

1. Right-click on the taskbar and click on Taskbar Settings.
2. On the next windows, you will see the taskbar items list; turn the toggle ON for Widgets.

2. Restart Your Computer

As simple as it can get, restarting a PC will resolve widgets not working on Windows 11 for many users. This is because temporary software glitches or bugs can prevent a system from rendering widgets, and thus, a quick reboot takes all away and fixes this temporary glitch for good.

3. Restart Windows Explorer

Another potential method to fix the said issue is to restart Windows Explorer using Task Manager. Here’s how it goes.

1. First, press Ctrl + Alt + Del on the keyboard to summon Task Manager.
2. Proceed to the Processes tab on Task Manager.
3. Scroll to find Windows Explorer and tap on it to highlight it.
4. Next, press the Restart button on the bottom-right section.

4. Fix Corrupt System Files

Both Android and Windows OS have issues with corrupted files that you can end up with after installing a malicious application.

There was an issue with the software that corrupted some system files, prompting widgets to stop working for a while. Follow the instructions mentioned below to fix it up.

1. Search for the command cmd on Windows Search without using quotation marks.
2. Launch Command Prompt.
3. Next, use the command sfc/scannow and press enter.

The system will automatically search files for any degree of corruption due to XYZ reasons and fix it up. This method comes in handy if the problem with widgets on Windows 11 was actually triggered by corrupted system files. 

5. Update Windows OS

You are using Windows 11, which is the latest update available. However, Microsoft releases minor and incremental updates now and then to kill bugs and update OSes with new features.

You could be using an outdated version of Windows 11 which caused problems with widgets in the first place. Here are some instructions you need to follow to update the system.

1. Press Windows + I on the keyboard and go to Settings.
2. Next, scroll to find Windows Update on the bottom-right section of the screen.
3. You need to press the button that says Check for updates, which is when the system will scan for updates and return results accordingly.
4. If there’s an update available, tap on Download Now and install it.
5. Reboot the Windows PC and check if the “widgets not working on Windows 11” is fixed or not. 

6. Restart Widgets

Since restarting features that aren’t running as they should, why not restart widgets on your Windows 11 PC? Here’s how you can do it.

1. Hover on the taskbar and right-click on it.
2. Select Taskbar Settings.
3. Next, expand the list on the screen and check out the toggle against Widgets. Flick it to turn Widgets off. 
4. Wait for a few minutes and flick it again to turn it ON.
5. Go back to Widgets on PC and check if everything is working properly or not.

7. Use Your Microsoft Account

You can create a Microsoft and local account to use your PC with Windows 11. However, most of the features on Windows 11 require a Microsoft account and widgets are one of them.

If you haven’t signed in using a Microsoft account, you will face issues with widgets. If you have already signed in using a Microsoft account and yet facing the same issue, you can sign out and sign in again. That should do the trick.

1. First up, open Taskbar Settings using the same method you used initially before restarting widgets.
2. Tap on your profile. Go to Emails & accounts.
3. Tap on your Microsoft Account and sign out, only to sign in again after a few seconds.
4. If you haven’t signed up with a Microsoft account, to begin with, check out Add account button against Add a new account to add your new account.

8. Terminate Widgets Using Task Manager

This method lets you terminate or kill off a Widgets app right away so that whatever issues it was facing are killed off as well. There are higher chance that once the Widgets service is back online, it will work as usual.

1. Use the Ctrl + Alt + Del button to open Task Manager.
2. Under the Processes tab, search for Windows Widgets and press the End Task button.
3. When you want to restart the service, go to the Widgets Dashboard on the taskbar and restart it.

Closing Words

That’s the end of our post on how to fix the Widgets not working issue on Windows 11. You should try them one by one before ending up fixing widgets on your PC. If you have any other method for widget fix. let us know in the comment section.