When I right-click an app icon pinned to the taskbar, the jump list doesn't appear.

UPDATE – October 16, 2026: KB5127648 and Windows 11 26H2 – Taskbar Jump List Freezing Persists

I have conducted further testing on my affected Windows 11 Pro desktop, including installing the October cumulative update (KB5127648) and upgrading to Windows 11 26H2.

Unfortunately, neither resolved the problem.

1. Windows 11 25H2 – Build 26200.9711 (KB5127648)

After installing KB5127648, right-clicking pinned taskbar applications once again caused the taskbar/Windows Explorer to freeze. Jump Lists failed to appear.

Interestingly, right-click menus for applications in the system tray, including hidden notification-area icons, continued to work normally. Task Manager also opened promptly using Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

2. Windows 11 26H2 Upgrade

Windows Update subsequently offered the 26H2 feature enablement package (KB5121794), which I installed.

The result was identical. Right-clicking pinned taskbar applications continued to freeze Explorer, and Jump Lists remained inaccessible.

3. Uninstalling KB5127648

I then uninstalled KB5127648 while the 26H2 enablement package was installed.

Following the restart, Windows reported:

Windows 11 Pro, Version 25H2, OS Build 26200.8037

Immediately, all pinned-taskbar right-click Jump Lists worked normally again, without any freezing.

Interestingly, uninstalling KB5127648 also returned Windows to reporting version 25H2 rather than 26H2.

Summary of Findings

I have now reproduced this regression on my desktop with builds 26200.8875, 26200.8894, 26200.8973, 26200.9278, 26200.9445, 26200.9457 and 26200.9711, as well as following the upgrade to Windows 11 26H2.

Every time I return to build 26200.8037, the problem disappears completely.

My other Windows 11 laptops continue to operate normally on newer builds.

This strongly suggests a Windows shell/taskbar compatibility regression affecting certain hardware or software configurations, rather than a general mouse or right-click issue.

I have also previously eliminated StartAllBack and investigated third-party shell extensions without resolving the problem.

I would appreciate Microsoft acknowledging and investigating this issue. The October cumulative update did not resolve it, nor did upgrading to 26H2.

Given the consistent and repeatable results, it would be particularly helpful to identify what changed in the Windows taskbar/Jump List implementation after build 26200.8037.

For now, I have again returned to build 26200.8037, where everything works normally.

Fletchesus