The left side of the Windows 11 desktop may become unresponsive after a period of inactivity or at random times.
Causes and solutions for when only the left side of the desktop becomes unresponsive
Cause
The cause is probably the Windows 11 feature "Widgets."
Windows 11's "Widgets" are enabled by default and located on the left side of the taskbar.
When you click on "Widgets," you'll see a large display of weather, news, and other information on the left side of the screen.
It is not possible to determine whether this is a bug in Windows 11 or in the "Widgets" feature, but in most cases it can be resolved by turning off "Widgets" or uninstalling the "Widgets" feature itself.
It's as if a window that shouldn't exist exists in a transparent state.
Solution
Turn off "Widgets"
1. Right-click on an empty area of the taskbar and click "Taskbar Settings".
2. "Widgets" is set to "On", so set it to "Off".
This will hide the "widget" from the taskbar.
If the problem persists after a while, try uninstalling the "Widget" function itself.
Uninstall the "Widget" function itself
Depending on your version of Microsoft Store or Windows 11, the "Widgets" feature may be automatically reinstalled if automatic updates for Microsoft Store are turned on.
How to disable automatic updates for Microsoft Store apps | How to update manually
1.Start buttonRight-click > Terminal (Administrator).
2. Type the following command and press Enter:
winget uninstall "windows web experience pack"*If the winget command does not respond, try updating the "App Installer" in the Microsoft Store.
3. You may then be asked, "Do you agree?" as follows:
The 'msstore' source requires the following agreement to be displayed before use:
Terms of Transaction: https://aka.ms/microsoft-store-terms-of-transaction
For the source to function properly, the two-letter geographic region of the current machine must be configured as the backend server.
It must be sent to the service (e.g., “US”).
4. Enter "y" in half-width characters and press Enter.
5. The "Widget" function will begin uninstalling.
The uninstallation will be completed quickly, so when you see the message "Uninstalled successfully," close Windows PowerShell and restart your PC.
Once your PC boots up, check the "Taskbar Settings".
If the "Widget" item is gone, it's OK.
How to restore the "Widget" feature
How to remove and install Windows Store apps using commands on Win10/Win11 Please refer to the above and search for "microsoftwindows.client.webexperience".
The full name of the package to the right of "microsoftwindows.client.webexperience" is the current version, so please refer to the page above to install it.
In my case, the command was as follows, but the version will vary depending on your environment, so be sure to check the full name of the package.
Add-appxpackage -register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience_423.13900.0.0_x64__cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml" -disabledevelopmentmodWhen you run the command, red text may appear, but this is not a problem.
Once the command has finished running, close Windows PowerShell and restart your PC.
Once your PC starts up, check the "Taskbar Settings" and make sure that the "Widgets" item is displayed.
