How to Fix Windows 11 Widgets if not Working

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By Oluwaseun Bamisile

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Are the widgets on your Windows 11 PC not working? You should read this guide as it contains multiple fixes for this problem.

Solution 1: Re-enable Widgets

The easiest and fastest way to fix this problem is to disable and re-enable Widgets on your Windows 11 PC. To do that, follow the steps below.

  1. Right-click a free area on your Windows 11 taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
  1. Following that, turn off and turn on the Widgets toggle on the Settings window’s right pane. After doing that, check if the problem has been fixed.

    If it hasn’t been fixed, try the other solutions below.
Fix Windows 11 Widgets If Not Working By Re-enabling Widgets

Solution 2: Restart Windows Widgets and Windows Explorer Processes

Another way to fix this problem is to restart the Windows Widgets and Windows Explorer processes on your Windows 11 PC. Follow the procedures below to accomplish that.

  1. Right-click your Windows 11 Start menu button and select Task Manager from the displayed options. Alternatively, you can also use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut to open Task Manager.
Fix Windows 11 Widgets If Not Working By Restarting Windows Widgets And Windows Explorer Processes
  1. Under the Background processes section in the Processes tab in Task Manager, right-click Windows Widgets and select End task.
  1. After doing that, right-click Windows Explorer under the Windows processes section and select Restart.
Fix Windows 11 Widgets If Not Working By Restarting Windows Widgets And Windows Explorer Processes
  1. After doing all that, check if your Windows 11 widgets are working again. If they are working, cheers!

    However, if they still aren’t working, check out the last solution of this guide below.

Solution 3: Update Graphics Driver

In some instances, an outdated graphics driver can cause the widgets on your Windows 11 PC not to work. If that’s the case, updating the graphics driver on your PC should resolve the issue.

The following steps demonstrate how to update the graphics driver in Windows 11.

  1. On your Windows 11 taskbar, right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager from the options that appear.
Fix Windows 11 Widgets If Not Working By Updating Graphics Driver
  1. Following that, double-click Display adapters on the Device Manager window to expand it.
  1. Under Display adapters, right-click your PC’s graphics driver and select Update driver.
Fix Windows 11 Widgets If Not Working By Updating Graphics Driver
  1. After that, click Search automatically for drivers on the Update Drivers window.
  1. Consequently, Windows will start searching online for the latest graphics driver and automatically install it on your PC. Hence, ensure your Windows 11 PC is connected to the internet during this process.
Fix Windows 11 Widgets If Not Working By Updating Graphics Driver
  1. After updating your computer’s graphics driver, reboot your PC. Optimistically, the problem will be solved, and the widgets will start working again.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are Microsoft widgets?

On your Windows 11 PC, widgets are cards that display information from your favorite programs and services.

2. What is the shortcut to open the widgets panel in Windows 11?

The keyboard shortcut to launch the widgets panel in Windows 11 is the Windows key + W.

3. Can I remove the widgets button in Windows 11?

Yes, you can remove the widgets button on your Windows 11 taskbar. To do that, read How To Remove Widgets Button From Windows 11.

4. Are widgets enabled in Windows 11 by default?

Yes, widgets are enabled in Windows 11 by default.

5. Are widgets free in Windows 11?

Absolutely, widgets are free in the Windows 11 operating system.

Conclusion

Widgets are interesting and useful features in the Windows 11 operating system that offers content from your favorite apps and services. Thus, if you use the widgets on your PC regularly, it can be bothersome when they stop working.

Fortunately, this guide included multiple possible solutions for this problem. Specifically, we learned how to fix the problem by re-enabling widgets in this guide.

This guide also taught us how to solve the problem by restarting the Windows Widget and Windows Explorer processes. That’s not all; this guide also provided steps to update the graphics driver in Windows 11 so as to fix the issue.

I hope one of the solutions included in this Windows 11 guide was able to fix your PC’s problem. If it was, click on “Yes” beside the “Was this page helpful” question below.

You may also express your thoughts and opinions by using the “Leave a Comment” form at the bottom of this page.

Finally, visit our Windows 11 Fix Guides page for more Windows 11 fix guides.

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About the Author

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Oluwaseun Bamisile

Oluwaseun is the Lead Content Editor at Itechguides.com. He holds a National Diploma in Computer Science (currently studying part-time for his Higher National Diploma). An internet geek with a love for automobiles, he writes product reviews, tech articles, and how-to guides on the site.

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