FIX: Start, Taskbar and Action Center Grayed Out in Windows 10

Start, Taskbar and Action Center option appearing grayed out in the PC Settings app? Follow these steps to make the option available again.

Recently, I’ve seen a strange issue where the “Start, Taskbar and Action Center” option in the PC Settings app, “Personalization → Colors” page to be more specific, is grayed out. Since I use dynamic wallpapers app with a light theme for the start menu and taskbar, I never thought about it that much. However, when I wanted to make the start menu and taskbar colorful, I can no longer do it. Mainly because the option to do is simply not available. i.e grayed out.

Though the issue looks obscure and odd, it is fairly easy to fix. Just follow the steps as is and you will have the option back in a couple of seconds.

Steps to Fix Start, Taskbar and Action Center Grayed Out Issue

The reason why the Start, Taskbar and Action Center option is grayed out is that you are using the “Light” theme on Windows 10. When using the Light mode, Windows 10 will disable the option and stops you from applying any color to the start menu and taskbar. I think the reason behind this odd behavior is that adding color to start menu or taskbar when using Light mode defeats the purpose. Not to mention, all the icons are inverted to make them visible when using the light mode. If you set a color, they might not appear properly.

So, to fix the issue, all you have to do is either use dark or custom mode.

1. First, open the PC Settings app by pressing Win + I keyboard shortcut. In the Settings app, go to the “Personalization → Themes” page.

2. In the right panel select the “Windows” theme.

3. The above action will set the color to Custom mode. That is, Windows to dark mode and app theme to light mode.

4. Since the taskbar and start menu are no longer using Light mode, the Start, Taskbar and Action Center option will be enabled and available to you.

As an alternative, you can also set the Color scheme to Dark Mode to enable the option.

Wrapping Up

Keep in mind that if you choose Light mode or set the Windows mode to Light mode (when using Custom color scheme), the Start, Taskbar and Action Center option will be grayed out again.

That is all. It is that simple to fix the issue. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.

If you like this article, do check out how to enable light mode in Windows 10 and how to automatically switch between dark mode and light mode based on time.