Windows 10 users often complain that their Windows 10 laptop/PC start menu stops working after updating the windows. The problem can arise due to different configurations in PC or laptop. However, there are solutions with which you can get rid of the issue once and for all. Start menu is an important part of the operating system which lets the user use different programs seamlessly. To go to a certain program or open an application, you simply need to click the menu and you’ll be good to go. But what happen when the start menu stops working in Windows 10? Naturally, you won’t be able to see the apps or use them. But with the help of this post, you will get to know the solution to fix the problem in the easiest way possible.
Solution for Windows 10 Start Menu Not working
Follow the step by step procedure to get rid of “Windows 10 start menu not working” issue-
- Login into your account without the start menu: If the start menu disappeared while working then you can relog into your account by pressing the Cntrl+Alt+Del key on the keyboard and sign out of the Windows 10. Check if the start menu works or not. Follow the next steps to solve the problem if this method doesn’t work.
- Disable or uninstall third-party antivirus programs: 3rd party software can cause irregularities in the Windows 10. Make sure to remove the responsible software and then restart the device.
- Run Microsoft Start menu troubleshooter: The troubleshooting will let you properly install the start menu and cortana. Corrupted registries and window can also cause the problem. But the windows troubleshooter can fix all the issues after diagnosing them.
- Create a new user account: Open the task manager by right-clicking the task bar on the desktop and follow the instructions-
- Select the “file” option and choose “run new task”.
- Now type “Powershell” and place a checkmark across the “create this task with administrative privileges”.
- Copy and paste the code “net user newusername newpassword /add” and hit the “enter” key.
- Now restart your computer and create a new user profile.
- Reinstall video card and sound card drivers: Update the video card driver and sound drivers to the latest version. Check if the problem still persists or not.
- Reinstall Cortana: Reinstalling cortana can fix the start menu problem in Windows 10. Here how to reinstall cortana in windows 10-
- Select the “file” option and choose “run new task”.
- Now type “Powershell” and tick the option “create this task with administrative privileges”.
- Copy and paste the code “Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}” and hit the “enter” key.
- Cortana will get reinstalled. You need to restart your PC after performing this step so that the settings are applied correctly.
In case you want to fix the start menu in Windows 10 without using it then here’s what you need to follow-
- Open Internet explorer and type “http://update.microsoft.com” then hit the “enter” key.
- Select the “yes” option to run the control.
- The option will bring up the “check for updates” window.
- Now install the necessary updates.
- If the update is unavailable, or the given updates don’t resolve the issue, then you need to reboot the device.
To reboot without using the start menu, follow the steps mentioned below-
- Hold the Windows key and then press the “L” key to lock the device. Now press the “enter” key to get the log in screen. Use the power icon on the log in screen to restart your computer.
OR
- Hold down the Windows key followed by R to get open the command prompt. Type shutdown –r in the command prompt to reboot the device.
- Run a Powershell script by following the simple steps-
- Press Cntrl+Alt+Del and select “task manager”.
- From the file menu, select the “run new task” option.
- Type “Powershell” and put a check mark next to “create this task with administrative privileges” and click on the “ok” option.
- Type the following in the prompt, and tap the “enter” key: Get-appxpackage -all *shellexperience* -packagetype bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + “\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml”)}
Important points to remember
- If the solutions given above failed to work, then you need to check that your user account controls are set to the default settings recommended by Windows.
- To find the control, you need to go to settings and search for “User Account Control”. Once the control page opens, set it to “Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer” and click on the “ok” option.
- You also need to ensure that you’re using an administrator account, and that you are not on a child, guest or standard user account when attempting these solutions.
- To check this, you need to go to Settings > Accounts > other user accounts. A list with all the active users will get displayed along with their status i.e. if they have administrator privileges.
- In case the account is not an admin account, you’ll need to sign out and then sign into one of the existing administrator accounts listed.