Is it possible that there is more than one running instance of the program(s) you are trying to "maximize"?

If so, then just clicking the taskbar icon will not usually restore the previously minimized window because it doesn't know which one you want. For example, if you are running two File Explorer windows and minimize them both, AND if there is not much room on the taskbar (many other programs perhaps) they will occupy the same taskbar position, and you cannot restore those windows with just a mouse click. In this state, the taskbar icon is said to represent a "group" of windows. Here are some keyboard plus mouse shortcuts that may help in this and similar cases. The Ctrl + that you are using is a special case of the first one:

When the taskbar button represents a group of windows:

(a) Hold the Ctrl key down: repeated left-clicks of the mouse on the taskbar button will cycle through each window in the group.

(b) Pressing the Shift key while you right-click the taskbar button will bring up a menu of choices for rearranging all of the group's windows.

When the taskbar button represents just one window:

(a) The same Ctrl + shown above will just restore the window.

(b) The same Shift + shown above will bring up a very different menu - the one with "Minimize", "Maximize", "Restore" etc.

(c) Shift + will bring up another instance (fresh copy) of a program that is already running.

(d) Ctrl + Shift + will do the same thing but the new instance will run with Administrator privileges.

But if your issue is NOT due to multiple instances or a nearly full taskbar then .... Never mind!

To continue with my previous remark. I use the following code in my applications (source: Maximizing WPF windows

using WinInterop = System.Windows.Interop;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

    public MainWindow()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        winMain.SourceInitialized += new EventHandler(win_SourceInitialized);
    }


    #region Avoid hiding task bar upon maximalisation

    private static System.IntPtr WindowProc(
          System.IntPtr hwnd,
          int msg,
          System.IntPtr wParam,
          System.IntPtr lParam,
          ref bool handled)
    {
        switch (msg)
        {
            case 0x0024:
                WmGetMinMaxInfo(hwnd, lParam);
                handled = true;
                break;
        }

        return (System.IntPtr)0;
    }

    void win_SourceInitialized(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        System.IntPtr handle = (new WinInterop.WindowInteropHelper(this)).Handle;
        WinInterop.HwndSource.FromHwnd(handle).AddHook(new WinInterop.HwndSourceHook(WindowProc));
    }

    private static void WmGetMinMaxInfo(System.IntPtr hwnd, System.IntPtr lParam)
    {

        MINMAXINFO mmi = (MINMAXINFO)Marshal.PtrToStructure(lParam, typeof(MINMAXINFO));

        // Adjust the maximized size and position to fit the work area of the correct monitor
        int MONITOR_DEFAULTTONEAREST = 0x00000002;
        System.IntPtr monitor = MonitorFromWindow(hwnd, MONITOR_DEFAULTTONEAREST);

        if (monitor != System.IntPtr.Zero)
        {

            MONITORINFO monitorInfo = new MONITORINFO();
            GetMonitorInfo(monitor, monitorInfo);
            RECT rcWorkArea = monitorInfo.rcWork;
            RECT rcMonitorArea = monitorInfo.rcMonitor;
            mmi.ptMaxPosition.x = Math.Abs(rcWorkArea.left - rcMonitorArea.left);
            mmi.ptMaxPosition.y = Math.Abs(rcWorkArea.top - rcMonitorArea.top);
            mmi.ptMaxSize.x = Math.Abs(rcWorkArea.right - rcWorkArea.left);
            mmi.ptMaxSize.y = Math.Abs(rcWorkArea.bottom - rcWorkArea.top);
        }

        Marshal.StructureToPtr(mmi, lParam, true);
    }

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    public struct POINT
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// x coordinate of point.
        /// </summary>
        public int x;
        /// <summary>
        /// y coordinate of point.
        /// </summary>
        public int y;

        /// <summary>
        /// Construct a point of coordinates (x,y).
        /// </summary>
        public POINT(int x, int y)
        {
            this.x = x;
            this.y = y;
        }
    }

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    public struct MINMAXINFO
    {
        public POINT ptReserved;
        public POINT ptMaxSize;
        public POINT ptMaxPosition;
        public POINT ptMinTrackSize;
        public POINT ptMaxTrackSize;
    };

    void win_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        winMain.WindowState = WindowState.Maximized;
    }

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
    public class MONITORINFO
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// </summary>            
        public int cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(MONITORINFO));

        /// <summary>
        /// </summary>            
        public RECT rcMonitor = new RECT();

        /// <summary>
        /// </summary>            
        public RECT rcWork = new RECT();

        /// <summary>
        /// </summary>            
        public int dwFlags = 0;
    }

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, Pack = 0)]
    public struct RECT
    {
        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public int left;
        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public int top;
        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public int right;
        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public int bottom;

        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public static readonly RECT Empty = new RECT();

        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public int Width
        {
            get { return Math.Abs(right - left); }  // Abs needed for BIDI OS
        }
        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public int Height
        {
            get { return bottom - top; }
        }

        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public RECT(int left, int top, int right, int bottom)
        {
            this.left = left;
            this.top = top;
            this.right = right;
            this.bottom = bottom;
        }


        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public RECT(RECT rcSrc)
        {
            this.left = rcSrc.left;
            this.top = rcSrc.top;
            this.right = rcSrc.right;
            this.bottom = rcSrc.bottom;
        }

        /// <summary> Win32 </summary>
        public bool IsEmpty
        {
            get
            {
                // BUGBUG : On Bidi OS (hebrew arabic) left > right
                return left >= right || top >= bottom;
            }
        }
        /// <summary> Return a user friendly representation of this struct </summary>
        public override string ToString()
        {
            if (this == RECT.Empty) { return "RECT {Empty}"; }
            return "RECT { left : " + left + " / top : " + top + " / right : " + right + " / bottom : " + bottom + " }";
        }

        /// <summary> Determine if 2 RECT are equal (deep compare) </summary>
        public override bool Equals(object obj)
        {
            if (!(obj is Rect)) { return false; }
            return (this == (RECT)obj);
        }

        /// <summary>Return the HashCode for this struct (not garanteed to be unique)</summary>
        public override int GetHashCode()
        {
            return left.GetHashCode() + top.GetHashCode() + right.GetHashCode() + bottom.GetHashCode();
        }


        /// <summary> Determine if 2 RECT are equal (deep compare)</summary>
        public static bool operator ==(RECT rect1, RECT rect2)
        {
            return (rect1.left == rect2.left && rect1.top == rect2.top && rect1.right == rect2.right && rect1.bottom == rect2.bottom);
        }

        /// <summary> Determine if 2 RECT are different(deep compare)</summary>
        public static bool operator !=(RECT rect1, RECT rect2)
        {
            return !(rect1 == rect2);
        }


    }

    [DllImport("user32")]
    internal static extern bool GetMonitorInfo(IntPtr hMonitor, MONITORINFO lpmi);

    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    static extern bool GetCursorPos(ref Point lpPoint);

    [DllImport("User32")]
    internal static extern IntPtr MonitorFromWindow(IntPtr handle, int flags);

    #endregion

Thanks for letting me know it helped.  Almost every tip I give here is because I've been in the same situation at some point.  Back in the XP days there wasn't a keyboard shortcut to turn off monitors and it was more difficult.  You could get the off-screen window active (by knowing it was selected in the taskbar), then use keyboard commands to move it back over.  Basically alt-space to open that other window's title bar menu, then m for move, then the arrow keys.  But doing that without seeing the screen sure looks like magic to my coworkers ha ha.

Segunfunmi,

Yes, your suggestion #2, using the Move function worked to get me back to work in Word. Thank you