Forum Discussion
When I right-click an app icon pinned to the taskbar, the jump list doesn't appear.
You’re losing the recent-file Jump List when right-clicking pinned taskbar apps, and restarting Explorer restores it only temporarily. The taskbar can build the menu, but the recent-items setting, an app-specific list, policy, or Windows component may be interfering. Open Settings > Personalization > Start and enable Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer. If already enabled, turn it off, restart Windows, then enable it and open several files in an affected app. Test multiple apps: if only one fails, use Settings > Apps > Installed apps > that app > Advanced options > Repair, where available. If every app fails, install Windows updates, restart, then run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth followed by sfc /scannow in an administrator Command Prompt. On managed PCs, ask IT whether Hide recent jumplists policy is applied. If it returns, report it in Feedback Hub with the Windows build and reproduction steps.
I have what appears to be a reproducible regression affecting the taskbar Jump List/right-click menu on one Windows 11 25H2 desktop.
Symptom:
Right-clicking any pinned taskbar application causes Explorer to freeze for approximately 30 seconds. During the freeze, the Jump List does not appear (or appears only after a long delay). Left-clicking the pinned app generally works normally.
What does work normally:
- Right-click on the Start menu.
- Normal Explorer context menus (desktop/files/folders).
- General system stability.
Testing performed:
- Build 26200.8037: problem does not occur.
- Build 26200.8875 (KB5101650): problem occurs immediately.
- Build 26200.8894: same problem.
- Build 26200.8973 (KB5101684 Preview): same problem, despite release notes mentioning Explorer/Jump List reliability improvements.
- Rolling back to 26200.8037 restores normal operation every time.
Comparison with another PC:
I have a second Windows 11 machine (laptop) running 26200.8973. It does not exhibit this problem. Right-clicking pinned taskbar apps works normally there.
Other observations:
- Restarting Explorer does not permanently resolve the issue.
- Armoury Crate has been removed/reinstalled without changing the behaviour.
- The problem is isolated to the desktop PC and is reproducible across multiple post-8037 cumulative updates.
Has anyone else seen this behaviour, particularly where only the pinned taskbar right-click/Jump List freezes while the rest of Explorer functions normally? If so, were you able to identify a particular shell extension, driver, or application that conflicts with the newer Windows builds?
This issue is 100% reproducible on my desktop and 100% reversible by rolling back from 8875/8894/8973 to 8037.
26200.9168 reproduces the exact same regression, while the same 9168 update works normally on multiple other PCs
Exact same issue following download and installing .26200.9278 while the same update works normally on multiple other PCs
Update – September 10, 2026 – KB5124008 / Build 26200.9445
I tested the September Patch Tuesday update, KB5124008 (Windows 11 25H2, OS Build 26200.9445), to determine whether it resolves the taskbar/Jump List regression I have previously reported.
Unfortunately, the problem remains in 26200.9445.
After installing 9445 and rebooting:
- Left-clicking pinned taskbar applications continued to work normally.
• Right-clicking a pinned taskbar application caused Windows Explorer/taskbar to freeze, exactly as with the previous affected builds. And, no jump lists appear
• I also tested the keyboard method for invoking a Jump List: Win + Alt + [taskbar number]. This also failed and caused Explorer to freeze. And, no jump lists appear
The Win+Alt+number result seems significant because it demonstrates that this is not simply a mouse/right-click problem. Invoking the Jump List by keyboard produces the same Explorer/taskbar hang.
I then uninstalled KB5124008 / 26200.9445 and rolled back to my known-good build 26200.8037. After rollback, everything immediately returned to normal, including pinned-taskbar right-click/Jump Lists and normal Explorer responsiveness.
So on this system the reproducible result remains:
26200.8037 — works normally
Post-8037 affected builds — pinned-app Jump Lists hang Explorer
26200.9445 — still affected
Rollback to 26200.8037 — immediately resolves the problemThis has now survived multiple update/rollback tests and is reproducible on the same hardware and Windows installation. I would be very interested to know whether Microsoft is investigating a change to the taskbar/Jump List shell handling introduced after 26200.8037, particularly since both mouse right-click and the Win+Alt+number keyboard invocation trigger the same failure.
Can Microsoft please confirm whether this regression is known or under investigation?
Thanks
- Left-clicking pinned taskbar applications continued to work normally.