Win32 apps launched via interop lack taskbar icons in Win11

[0xabu]

Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22000.282]

WSL Version

• [X] WSL 2
• [X] WSL 1

Repro Steps

Since updating to Windows 11, I've noticed that Win32 applications launched from WSL via interop lack their usual taskbar icons.

(It could be argued that this is a regression in the taskbar, but it's also somehow unique to WSL and I didn't already see it reported here.)

Expected Behavior

When launching an app from cmd.exe:

C:\Users\me\AppData\Local\SumatraPDF>SumatraPDF.exe

Taskbar shows as normal:

Actual Behavior

When launching the same exe in the same directory via WSL interop:

 ~/AppData/Local/SumatraPDF $ ./SumatraPDF.exe

Taskbar shows:

Diagnostic Logs

No response

[0xabu]

Confirmed repro in WSL2, and updated description.

[benhillis]

@0xabu - no repro for me on 22489 or 22000, I tried notepad.exe, explorer.exe, and vscode.

[0xabu]

@benhillis I think it needs to be a standalone exe. Try msinfo32.exe

[0xabu]

I'm guessing the others you tried are all special, in that the exe you run from interop isn't directly responsible for the window that appears. (notepad surprises me, but I see the same thing.)

[benhillis]

msinfo32.exe also works.

[benhillis]

In any case, we're just calling CreateProcess, nothing special. Smells like a shell bug.

[0xabu]

Really? Huh. It's 100% reliable repro for me on 22000.282

Left is msinfo32.exe via interop, right is from cmd.

[0xabu]

I filed a feedback bug against taskbar: https://aka.ms/AAerscz

[benhillis]

My test machine is on 22000.194, I'll install updates and try again.

[benhillis]

No repro on 22000.258 rebooting again ;)

[0xabu]

Also no repro on a different user's 22000.258. It may be something about my taskbar, or it may be .282

[benhillis]

No repro for me on .282 either, strange.

[benhillis]

Maybe your icon cache is corrupted?

[0xabu]

I tried another machine I had handy, where I went through a similar set of upgrade steps to Win11 then .282, with no repro before or after the .282 update. So it's something about this specific machine/config. (I also tried clearing the icon cache and restarting explorer, with no changes.)

[0xabu]

Since a recent update, apps are now appearing with the new WSL logo:

I've also noticed that unrelated win32 apps launched from WSL are all grouped together on the taskbar as one group, so it seems to be picking up the WSL launcher process and using that for the taskbar icons. The mystery of why it repros only on one device remains, however.

[microsoft-github-policy-service[bot]]

This issue has been automatically closed since it has not had any activity for the past year. If you're still experiencing this issue please re-file this as a new issue or feature request.

Thank you!