Windows 11 Taskbar Notification Area/Bubble Tooltips don't overlay when hovered unless focused first

enaielei

Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2024
Messages
4
Current Behavior
  1. Launch any app/window and maximize it.
  2. Hover over to the Taskbar's Notification Area (Bottom-Right Part).
  3. The Tooltips (e.g. Audio Volume, Wifi Status, Datetime, etc.) don't show.
  4. Click on the Taskbar to focus on it.
  5. Repeat Step #2.
  6. The Tooltips now show.

Expected Behavior
Tested on a new Windows 11 Sandbox instance.
  1. Launch any app/window and maximize it.
  2. Hover over to the Taskbar's Notification Area (Bottom-Right Part).
  3. The Tooltips (e.g. Audio Volume, Wifi Status, Datetime, etc.) show.

System Information
Code: 
OS Name    Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
Version    10.0.22635 Build 22635
Other OS Description     Not Available
OS Manufacturer    Microsoft Corporation
System Name    PC-ENAIELEI
System Manufacturer    ASUS
System Model    System Product Name
System Type    x64-based PC
System SKU    SKU
Processor    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700K CPU @ 3.80GHz, 3792 Mhz, 8 Core(s), 16 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date    American Megatrends Inc. 1801, 26/12/2022
SMBIOS Version    3.3
Embedded Controller Version    255.255
BIOS Mode    UEFI
BaseBoard Manufacturer    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
BaseBoard Product    TUF GAMING Z590-PLUS WIFI
BaseBoard Version    Rev 1.xx
Platform Role    Desktop
Secure Boot State    Off
PCR7 Configuration    Elevation Required to View
Windows Directory    C:\WINDOWS
System Directory    C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device    \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale    United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer    Version = "10.0.22621.2706"
User Name    pc-enaielei\enaielei
Time Zone    Malay Peninsula Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM)    128 GB
Total Physical Memory    128 GB
Available Physical Memory    117 GB
Total Virtual Memory    136 GB
Available Virtual Memory    116 GB
Page File Space    8.00 GB
Page File    C:\pagefile.sys
Kernel DMA Protection    Off
Virtualization-based security    Running
Virtualization-based security Required Security Properties  
Virtualization-based security Available Security Properties    Base Virtualization Support, DMA Protection, UEFI Code Readonly, SMM Security Mitigations 1.0, Mode Based Execution Control, APIC Virtualization
Virtualization-based security Services Configured  
Virtualization-based security Services Running    Credential Guard
Windows Defender Application Control policy    Enforced
Windows Defender Application Control user mode policy    Off
Device Encryption Support    Elevation Required to View
A hypervisor has been detected. Features required for Hyper-V will not be displayed.

Notes
It wasn't always like this. When Windows 11 was freshly installed it acted like the latter one then it suddenly stopped for some reason. I reinstalled Windows 11 3x and it always ends up like that eventually.
 
Last edited:
Solution
It seems like you're experiencing a peculiar issue with the taskbar notification area tooltips in Windows 11, where they only appear after clicking to focus on the taskbar. Let's break down the details and explore possible solutions.

Current Behavior​

You've outlined that when you launch any app or window and maximize it, hovering over the taskbar's notification area doesn't display the tooltips for audio volume, Wi-Fi status, etc., unless you click on the taskbar first. This is not the expected behavior.

Expected Behavior​

In an ideal scenario (as demonstrated in your Sandbox test), hovering directly over the taskbar's notification area should display the tooltips immediately without needing to click first.

System...​

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It seems like you're experiencing a peculiar issue with the taskbar notification area tooltips in Windows 11, where they only appear after clicking to focus on the taskbar. Let's break down the details and explore possible solutions.

Current Behavior​

You've outlined that when you launch any app or window and maximize it, hovering over the taskbar's notification area doesn't display the tooltips for audio volume, Wi-Fi status, etc., unless you click on the taskbar first. This is not the expected behavior.

Expected Behavior​

In an ideal scenario (as demonstrated in your Sandbox test), hovering directly over the taskbar's notification area should display the tooltips immediately without needing to click first.

System Information​

Your system details indicate a robust setup:
  • OS: Windows 11 Pro, Build 22635.
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-10700K.
  • RAM: 128 GB.
  • BIOS: UEFI with secure boot off.

Notes​

The fact that this issue arose after the initial fresh installation, and persists through multiple reinstalls, suggests that it may not be an isolated bug but rather an interaction with specific configurations or third-party applications.

Possible Solutions​

Here’s a list of potential solutions you might explore:
  1. Check for Windows Updates: Ensure your system is fully updated, as Microsoft often rolls out fix patches for such issues.
  2. Graphics Drivers Update: Update your graphics drivers. Tooltips and overlays can sometimes have rendering issues tied to outdated or corrupted graphics drivers.
  3. Taskbar Settings:
    • Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
    • Explore various options, including turning off and on quick actions to see if it makes a difference.
  4. Notification Area Settings:
    • Go to Settings > System > Notifications & actions and check the settings related to notifications and taskbar interactions.
  5. Perform a System File Check:
    • Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run sfc /scannow. This command checks and repairs corrupted system files.
  6. Check for Third-Party Applications: Sometimes, third-party applications can interfere with native Windows functionalities. Consider disabling them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.
  7. Clean Boot: This involves starting Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs.
    • Press Win + R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
    • Under the General tab, select Selective startup and clear the Load startup items checkbox.
    • Restart and see if the issue persists.
  8. Registry Tweak: If you're comfortable with it:
    • Open the Registry Editor (regedit).
    • Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
    • Look for any keys related to taskbar behavior and modify them cautiously.
If none of these solutions work, you might want to consider providing feedback directly to Microsoft through the Feedback Hub. They can collect data and hopefully address any underlying issues with future updates.

Final Thoughts​

While it's frustrating to face such a persistent issue, especially with a fresh install, the solutions listed should guide you toward a resolution. If you find a fix that works for you, please share it back here; it might help others facing the same problem!
 
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Solution
enaielei said:
this. When Windows 11 was freshly installed it acted like
Click to expand...
Hmm, it is a long shot, but you could try upgrading to 24H2 - 26100.1882 and see if it still occurs.
 
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enaielei said:
Nevermind. Checked the instructions from the official page and no signs.

View attachment 65736
Click to expand...
You are on 23H2, but 24H2 was just recently released. It probably has not rolled out to your system yet. I would be hard pressed to think that it might solve this issue, but if I recall there were changes made to how the system tray is grouped, so there is a chance. You could do the update through Windows Installation Assistant or wait awhile:

 
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Good suggestion, Mike! Upgrading to a newer Windows 11 version (24H2 - 26100.1882) could indeed fix the issue, as newer builds often include bug fixes and UI behavior improvements.
To supplement your advice, I’d also recommend testing the following steps in addition to the upgrade:

Potential Fixes for Taskbar Tooltip Behavior​

  1. Restart Explorer.exe Process:
    • Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
    • Find Windows Explorer under Processes.
    • Right-click it and select Restart. This can resolve temporary UI glitches.
  2. Reset Taskbar Notifications via Settings:
    • Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
    • Turn off all Taskbar toggles (e.g., Widgets, Notifications) and restart the PC.
    • Turn them back on and check if tooltips behave as expected.
  3. Ensure Latest Graphics Drivers:
    • Outdated or corrupted GPU drivers can sometimes interfere with UI rendering:
      • Update the drivers via Device Manager or download the latest from your GPU vendor (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
  4. Try Safe Mode:
    • Boot into Safe Mode and test the tooltip behavior. If it functions correctly in Safe Mode, the issue might stem from third-party software or startup tasks.
  5. Create a New User Profile:
    • Create a fresh user account to test whether the problem is profile-specific:
      • Go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
      • Add a new local account and switch to it.
    • If the issue doesn’t persist, your primary user profile may have corrupted settings.
  6. Disable Virtualization-Based Security (Short-Term Test):
    • Since Credential Guard and VBS are running, try disabling them temporarily in Windows Security.
    • Though less likely, these advanced security features might inadvertently interfere with UI elements.

If Upgrading to 24H2 Doesn’t Work​

  • Clean Boot:
    • Disable third-party apps and services via msconfig to identify whether external software is causing the issue.
  • Revisit Known Bug Reports:

Why Reinstalling Didn’t Help Long-Term​

Reinstallations that temporarily fix this issue suggest:
  1. A patch or driver update post-installation introduces this behavior.
  2. Some user setting or software introduces the conflict after initial setup.
Hopefully, this combination of upgrading to 24H2 and refining taskbar settings helps resolve the tooltip issue! Let us know how it goes.
 
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