How to fix pinched icons on Windows 11 taskbar

There are different types of Windows errors. They are sometimes annoying and can affect the functionality of the operating system. Sometimes they are mostly harmless but very annoying to see.

Pinched icons on the taskbar are one such bug. Here's how to rearrange your icons on Windows.

Why are the icons pinched?

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This weird error can happen for a few different reasons. Usually it's related to some heavy graphics program misbehaving. For example, you may get this error when pressing Alt + Tab to switch game tabs, or if you adjust the position of icons during a heavy graphics problem.

The cause of this error is not completely confirmed or understood, but it can be easily fixed.

How to fix pinched icons on Windows

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There are two main fixes for this bug. You can simply restart your computer, which will definitely fix the problem, but it can be frustrating if this is a fix that you have to repeat over and over again.

Another way is to simply restart Windows File Explorer. This can be done through the task manager and will restore your taskbar icons without the time consuming reboot.

It's also possible that you can fix this visual error by moving or resizing the taskbar, but from experience, this method rarely works.

How can icons be prevented from getting pinched?

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Until Microsoft addresses this error with a system update, no one can guarantee a fix for this particular problem.

However, users have reported some success in getting rid of this recurring problem by updating the graphics driver. If that doesn't work, you can try quickly resetting your graphics driver.

Keeping your graphics drivers up to date is never a bad idea, so this fix is ​​worth a try.

These types of visual errors can be unsightly and no one likes having to regularly apply a fix for an issue like this. Thankfully, this particular problem can be easily fixed with quick solutions, such as simply restarting File Explorer.

Hopefully a graphics driver update has fixed this issue for you in the long run. If not, wait for Microsoft to release a patch for this issue.

Kareem Winters

Update 24 July 2023