Ever since a recent Windows update, a lot of folks have been whining about not being able to see the Calendar when clicking on the date/time on their Taskbar. It’s kind of weird because normally, just clicking that little corner pops up the system calendar, quick and easy. But sometimes it’s like Windows decided to be stubborn, or maybe some setting got messed up. If clicking doesn’t do anything, or if the calendar just isn’t showing up, there are a few tricks that might get that feature back without needing a full reinstall or tearing your hair out. These steps help reset some settings, restart services, or even tweak the registry — all with the goal of bringing that handy calendar back under your control.
How to Fix the Missing Calendar on Windows 11 Taskbar
Fix 1 – Make sure the Notification Center isn’t turned off manually
Yeah, sometimes Windows has this weird habit of hiding features if certain policies are enabled or disabled. The Calendar might not show up because the Notification Center is turned off via a registry tweak. So, let’s check if that’s happening. Doing this helps because it can re-enable the notification area and make your calendar pop out again. Expect to see the calendar appearing when you click the date/time after changing the registry, but note that on some setups the change might not take effect immediately, so a reboot might be necessary.
Open Registry Editor by searching for regedit in the start menu. Navigate to:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\
Look for a DWORD named DisableNotificationCenter. If it’s there, double-click it and set the value to 0. If you don’t see it, right-click on the Explorer key, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it DisableNotificationCenter, then set it to 0.
Now, go just a bit higher in the registry hierarchy and check under:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\
If that key exists, do the same—ensure DisableNotificationCenter is set to 0 there too. If you don’t find the key, don’t freak out—just create the Explorer sub-key if needed, then create the DWORD value inside it.
Close the editor, reboot your PC, and see if clicking the date now brings up the calendar. Sometimes Windows needs a full restart to pick up registry tweaks like this, so don’t skip that.
Alternative – Use a batch file to toggle the Notification Center
Not a big fan of messing with the registry? There’s a quick workaround—use a batch file that sets that registry key for you. You can download a ready-made script (like the Winhance batch fix) and merge it into your system registry. Just right-click the script file, hit Merge, and confirm the prompts. After that, a restart is usually recommended—because Windows has to process those changes. If that didn’t help immediately, try rebooting and then clicking the clock again.
Fix 2 – Make sure the Windows Push Notifications Service is running properly
This one caught a lot of folks off guard—seems Windows relies on the Push Notifications service to manage some taskbar features, including the Calendar. If the service isn’t running properly, clicking on the taskbar clock may do nada.
Open the Services utility by pressing Win + R, then typing services.msc and hitting Enter. Search down the list for Windows Push Notifications System Service. If it’s not set to Automatic, right-click, choose Properties, then change the Startup type to Automatic. Click Start if it isn’t already running, then hit OK.
Reboot the machine and test. Sometimes, that service needs a kickstart to keep notifications and calendar popups healthy. On some setups, this service might not start automatically after updates, so it’s worth double-checking.
Fix 3 – Restart File Explorer to refresh UI elements
If the calendar still isn’t showing up after a reboot, restarting File Explorer can sometimes do the trick. It’s kind of like giving Windows a little slap on the wrist, forcing it to refresh those UI components.
Hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Find Windows Explorer in the list of processes, right-click it, then pick Restart. This isn’t a full reboot, but it forces Explorer to reload its interface, which can fix display glitches related to the calendar popup.
Once the process restarts, click the date/time again and see if the calendar shows up as it should. On some setups, this fix is enough to solve a simple glitch that cropped up after updates or system tweaks.
Overall, these fixes are pretty straightforward, but yeah—Windows likes to throw curveballs just when you need that quick glance at your schedule. Often, a combination of registry tweaks, service checks, and explorer restarts can get that calendar to behave again. Fingers crossed this helps get your calendar back to normal so you don’t have to go digging through endless settings or reinstalling Windows.
Summary
- Check if the DisableNotificationCenter registry key is set correctly
- Ensure the Windows Push Notifications System Service runs and is set to automatic
- Restart File Explorer to refresh Taskbar UI components
- Try the batch script workaround if Registry editing isn’t your thing
Wrap-up
Hopefully, this nudge in the right direction helps bring back your calendar. Sometimes Windows throws cryptic errors, but most of the time, a quick registry check or service restart does the trick. Keep in mind, if nothing works after a reboot, it might be worth waiting for another update or doing a system scan for corruption. Good luck, and may your taskbar stay functional!