Struggling with the scary Windows 11 Ghost Box issue? Here’s how to fix it | How-to

Struggling with the scary Windows 11 Ghost Box issue? Here’s how to fix it

Many Windows 11 users are struggling with the Ghost Box issue in the search bar widget. Follow our guide to fix the issue.

By: SHAURYA TOMER
| Updated on: Aug 31 2022, 13:30 IST
Windows 11 widgets: Look what is coming to your computer
Windows 11
1/5 Microsoft made the announcement at the Build 2022 developer conference. According to Windows Latest, Microsoft’s Adaptive Cards platform will power the third-party apps. (HT_PRINT)
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2/5 Panos Panay, head of devices and Windows at Microsoft said “We’re energized by the customer feedback on Widgets to date, people are enjoying the quick access to content most important to them in a way that is seamless without breaking their flow,” (HT_PRINT)
Windows 11
3/5 He further added that, “Beginning later this year you’ll be able to start building Widgets as companion experiences for your Win32 and PWA apps on Windows 11, powered by the Adaptive Cards platform.” (Microsoft)
Windows 11
4/5 The third-party widget support will let the apps display their widgets even when closed. This is a welcome move for people who regularly customize their desktops and have to choose from the limited To Do and Outlook widgets. The feature will arrive soon via an update. (HT Tech)
Windows 11
5/5 According to Windows Latest, Microsoft has also announced the pending arrival of apps restore feature which will allow users to restore apps when moving onto a new PC instead of manually installing them. (Microsoft)
Windows 11
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Search widget Ghost Box giving you problems? Check out our guide below to fix the Ghost Box issue on Windows 11. (HT_PRINT)

Windows 11 was launched on October 5 last year, bringing a host of new features and improving on previous ones. Microsoft brought a new redesigned UI with a centered Taskbar and Start Menu, new widgets and rounded corners on tabs. However, all that glitters is not gold. Although most of these improvements were welcome, Microsoft also got rid of some essential features which were present in Windows 10 such as the drag and drop feature which had made moving content across documents way easier. Windows 11 users have also been suffering from a few other issues, one main one being the Search Widget Ghost Box issue.

What is the Search widget Ghost Box issue?

Windows 11 users have reported a "Ghost Box" stuck on the bottom of their screen above the search feature in Windows 11. This happens when the search widget gets stuck finding a result and fails. This Ghost Box or Ghost Window makes everything behind it inaccessible. Fortunately, there are temporary as well permanent fixes for the issue. Here's how you can fix the issue, according to computerhope.com.

How to fix “Ghost Box” issue on Windows 11 without restarting your PC

Step 1:

Close any File Explorer windows that are open. 

Step 2:

Open Task Manager by pressing Control+Shift+Escape key combination.

Step 3:

On the Processes tab, scroll down the list of running processes until you find the Windows Explorer process. 

Step 4:

Select the Windows Explorer process and click the Restart button at the bottom-right corner of the Task Manager window. 

Step 5:

However, know that this is only a temporary fix and the Ghost Box issue could rise up again. 

How to permanently fix “Ghost Box” issue on Windows 11

1. Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.

2. Expand the Taskbar items option.

3. Click the Search toggle to switch it to the OFF position.

4. The search widget will disappear altogether from the Windows 11 taskbar, getting rid of the issue permanently.

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First Published Date: 31 Aug, 13:30 IST
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