Window in focus doesn't minimize when I click on its icon in the taskbar (Windows 10)
After applying the anniversary update, Windows 10 decided it was okay to change various settings for me. I've reversed some of the changes but one persists and I can't seem to find where to fix it.
Let's say I have a number of applications running, with icons in the taskbar. I click on the icon for a minimized window. It restores itself to its previous size/position and takes focus, as expected and as wanted.
I now click the icon for the same window, still in focus. Nothing happens. What I want is for the window to minimize, as it did before the update.
Some things I have looked at:
Right clicked taskbar -> check "Personalization" -> "Taskbar". Found no option that would remedy the situation.
"System settings" -> "Multitasking" -> Looked through options for window behaviour; found nothing relevant.
Googled various combinations of "taskbar" "window" "minimize" "focus" and some other keywords. Mainly found articles and questions about hiding icons in focus and one question about wanting to STOP the behavior I'm looking to get back, but the solution suggested third-party software. The behaviour I want should obviously already exist natively, so I'm looking to change a setting, not install new software, although that could be a last resort should no other fix be found.
So, to clarify the question:
How do I change my settings so that a window in focus minimizes when I click its icon in the taskbar?
It is unlikely settings were changed, by you or by an update. This behavior, AFAIK, is not something you can alter or customize, even with registry edits.
This is likely a temporary bug. Try to gracefully restart Explorer.exe to solve the problem without a reboot.
Open up a command window with administrative privileges
Paste each line below, one at a time, followed by enter
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
explorer.exe
exit
If this doesn't solve the problem, try rebooting.
If rebooting doesn't handle it, use system restore to bring the system back to a date prior to the problem start date.
Open the Task Manager (by hitting Ctrl+Shift+Esc or any of the other methods). On the "Processes" tab, scroll down to "Windows Explorer" and highlight it. Click the "Restart" button in the bottom right corner of the Task Manager. Applications like Windows Media Player will be working as full screen after this change too.