Fix: 'Get Windows 10 App' Icon Disappears

9 min. read

Updated on October 4, 2023

updated on October 4, 2023

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Microsoft released Get Windows 10 app for all genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8 users to reserve a free copy of Windows 10 for themselves. But what if somehow ‘Get Windows 10’ icon disappears from the taskbar? Don’t worry, there are a couple of solutions that could fix this issue.

Get Windows 10 App Icon is missing, here’s how to restore it

Many users reported that Get Windows 10 app is missing on their PC, and in this article we’ll show you how to fix the following problems:

Windows 10 update icon not showing – Many users reported that Windows 10 update icon isn’t showing at all on their PC. If you’re having this problem, you might be able to fix it by using one of our solutions.
Get Windows 10 app icon not working, appearing, visible, loading, opening, displayed, currently active – Users reported various problems with Get Windows 10 app, and according to them, the app isn’t working at all on their PC.
Get Windows 10 icon missing, disappeared – Several users reported that Get Windows 10 icon is missing from their PC. According to users, it seems that the icon has disappeared completely.
Get Windows 10 app white screen – Several users reported only a white screen while using Get Windows 10 app. This is a big problem that will prevent you from upgrading to Windows 10.
Get Windows 10 app taking a long time – Many users reported that Get Windows 10 app is rather slow on their PC. If you have this problem, you might want to try some of our solutions.
Get Windows 10 app opens then closes – Users reported that Get Windows 10 app crashes on their PC. This can be a big problem and prevent you from upgrading to Windows 10.

Solution 1 – Show all icons on the taskbar

There’s a possibility that Get Windows 10 icon is still there, but hidden. To check if this icon is hidden, do the following:

Right-click on date/time section in the right corner of taskbar.
Select Customize notification icons.
Check Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar.

If your Get Windows 10 icon is hidden, it will show up now, otherwise try some other solutions listed below.

Solution 2 – Enable Get Windows 10 in Registry Editor

There’s a registry tweak which enables or disables Get Windows 10 app and its icon. It might be that a registry settings on your computer is set to hide the icon. To perform this registry tweak, follow the instructions listed below:

Press Windows Key + R. Enter regedit and press Enter or click OK.
Navigate to the following path:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsGWX
Find DWORD named DisableGWX and set its value to 0. Click OK to save changes.
You maybe don’t have GWX folder in your Registry, in that case go to the following path:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionAppCompatFlagsUpgradeExperienceIndicators
Find UpgEx and UpgExU and make sure their values are set to Green.
Also make sure that the value of Genuine is set to 1.
Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer

Solution 3 – Manually Run Get Windows 10 App

If none of above workarounds did the job, you can try to manually run Get Windows 10 App. Here’s what you need to do:

Press Windows Key + R and enter cmd. Press Enter or click OK.
Enter the following command and press Enter:
- C:WindowsSystem32GWXGWXConfigManager.exe /RefreshConfig
Now add this command and press Enter:
- C:WindowsSystem32GWXGWX.exe /taskLaunch

READ ALSO: Fix: Keep Your PC on Until This is Done: Computer Freezes While Configuring Updates

Solution 4 – Make sure that your Windows is compatible for Windows 10 upgrade

If Get Windows 10 App icon is missing from your Taskbar, you need to be sure that your Windows is eligible for Windows 10 upgrade. In order to upgrade to Windows 10, you need to have a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8. If your Windows isn’t genuine, you won’t see Get Windows 10 App icon at all.

In addition to having a genuine Windows, you need to have the latest major update installed. If you’re on Windows 7, you need to have Service Pack 1 installed in order to upgrade. As for Windows 8, you’ll need to install Windows 8.1 upgrade before you can upgrade to Windows 10.

If your Windows is genuine and you have Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1, the Get Windows 10 App icon should appear soon.

Solution 5 – Download the latest updates

If Get Windows 10 App is missing, that might be due to missing updates. As previously mentioned, in order to upgrade to Windows 10, you need to have Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 installed.

However, that’s only one requirement. Get Windows 10 App is distributed via Windows Update, and in order to install it, you need to download and install the latest Windows updates.

If your Windows isn’t up to date, be sure to download the latest updates. After installing the missing updates, restart your PC and check if the Get Windows 10 App icon appears.

Solution 6 – Check your hardware

Windows 10 has certain software requirements, but there are also hardware requirements you need to fulfill in order to upgrade to Windows 10. If Get Windows 10 App icon is missing, the reason might be your hardware.

READ ALSO: Fix: High Latency/Ping in Games After Windows 10 Upgrade

According to users, Get Windows 10 App icon won’t appear unless your PC meets the hardware requirements. If your PC doesn’t meet the hardware requirements, you might not be able to upgrade. If that’s the case, you might want to consider upgrading your hardware.

Few users also reported that Get Windows 10 App icon will become available even if your hardware isn’t fully compatible, so you just have to be patient.

Solution 7 – Install the latest version of Internet Explorer

Many users reported that Get Windows 10 App icon is missing from their Taskbar. If you have the same problem, the issue might be Internet Explorer. If you’re using Windows 7, you need to install Internet Explorer 11 before you can upgrade to Windows 10.

If you don’t have the latest version of Internet Explorer, be sure to download it and check if that solves the problem. Keep in mind that this issue affects only Windows 7 users. If you’re using Windows 8.1, you already have Internet Explorer 11, so there’s no need to update it.

Solution 8 – Check if Internet Explorer is enabled

As previously mentioned, Get Windows 10 App requires Internet Explorer, and if Internet Explorer is disabled, you won’t be able to upgrade. To check if Internet Explorer is enabled on your PC, you need to do the following:

Open Control Panel.
Once Control Panel opens, navigate to Programs and Features.
When Programs and Features window opens, click on Turn Windows features on or off from the menu on the left.
When Windows Features window opens, locate Internet Explorer and make sure that it’s checked. Now click on OK to save changes.

After making these changes, be sure to run Windows Update in order to update Internet Explorer to the latest version. Once Internet Explorer is updated, check if the issue appears.

READ ALSO: Windows 10 upgrade via WSUS gets stuck at 0% [FIX]

Solution 9 – Install the required updates manually

If Get Windows 10 App is still missing, you might be able to fix the problem simply by manually installing the required updates. In order to upgrade to Windows 10, you need to download KB3035583 update first.

The update is available for free, and you can download it right from the Microsoft’s website. There are two versions available, for Windows 7 and Windows 8. In addition, both versions are available for 32-bit and 64-bit systems, so be sure to download the version that matches your system’s architecture.

If you already have this update installed on your PC, be sure to reinstall it and check if that solves the problem.

Solution 10 – Use Get Windows 10 App Troubleshooter

If the Get Windows 10 App doesn’t appear on your PC, you might be able to fix the problem by using the Get Windows 10 Troubleshooter. Microsoft is aware of this problem, and it has released a troubleshooter that can help you to diagnose and fix the issue. To use the troubleshooter, do the following:

Download Get Windows 10 App Troubleshooter.
Once you download the file, double click it to run it.
When the troubleshooter opens, click on Next.
Troubleshooter will now scan for problems and try to fix them.

After the troubleshooting process is finished, check if the issue still appears.

Solution 13 – Create a Command Prompt script

If the issue still appears, you might be able to solve it simply by creating a Command Prompt script. To do that, just do the following:

Open Notepad.
Paste the following lines:
- REG QUERY “HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionAppCompatFlagsUpgradeExperienceIndicators” /v UpgEx | findstr UpgEx
- if “%errorlevel%” == “0” GOTO RunGWX
- reg add “HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionAppCompatFlagsAppraiser” /v UtcOnetimeSend /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
- schtasks /run /TN “MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser”
- :CompatCheckRunning
- schtasks /query /TN “MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser”
- schtasks /query /TN “MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser” | findstr Ready
- if NOT “%errorlevel%” == “0” ping localhost >nul &goto :CompatCheckRunning
- :RunGWX
- schtasks /run /TN “MicrosoftWindowsSetupgwxrefreshgwxconfig”
Click on File > Save as.
Choose a save location for your file. The best location might be a root directory, such as C:, since you’ll need to run the script. Set Save as type to All Files and enter w10.cmd as the File name. Now click the Save button.
Start Command Prompt as administrator. To do that, press Windows Key + X and choose Command Prompt (Admin).
When Command Prompt starts, you need to navigate to the directory where w10.cmd is saved. If you saved the file in C: directory, you need to enter the following:
- cd C:
- w10.cmd

After running the script, it will take about 10-30 minutes for the process to finish. If using this script doesn’t solve the problem, your PC probably doesn’t have the necessary software requirements to install Windows 10.

Solution 12 – Use Media Creation Tool

If you still have this problem and you can’t access Get Windows 10 App, you might want to try using a different application. Microsoft released a standalone tool for upgrading to Windows 10 called Media Creation Tool.

This is a free and simple tool that will download the necessary files and upgrade your PC to Windows 10 without affecting your files. If the previous solutions didn’t work for you, be sure to try using Media Creation Tool to upgrade to Windows 10.

That’s it, at least one of these workarounds should solve your problem with the missing Get Windows 10 app, otherwise, reach for the comments, and we’ll try to provide you with additional support.

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