Start button not working windows 10: Windows 10 has made a lot of progress since its launch in 2015. Every update introduces new features. Microsoft embraces the open-source community in a way previously thought impossible.
There are still bugs, just like any operating system. One of the most common problems Windows 10 users have encountered is the sudden stoppage of the Start Menu.
It’s not uncommon for start button windows 10 not working. It can be frustrating to not be able to quickly access programs and files.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to fix windows 10 start menu not working
Fix start button not working windows 10
How to restart File Explorer
File Explorer is also known as Window Explorer. It is used to browse and open files and programs in your file system. It also controls other things, such as the Start Menu and taskbar.
If the windows 10 start button not working, you can restart the Windows Explorer process from the Task Manager.
To open Task Manager, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and then click on the “Task Manager” button.
To see a complete list of background processes and open programs, click “More Details”.
Scroll down the list until the “Windows Explorer” process is found. Right-click on “Windows Explorer” to select “Restart”.
It will take a few seconds for Windows Explorer/Finder to restart.
Next, open the Start Menu.
Try the following other fixes below to fix start button not working windows 10 or start menu not working
How to fix corrupt or missing Windows system files
Sometimes, an update goes wrong or you accidentally delete an important file when looking through the filesystem.
If you are still having trouble with the windows 10 start menu not working or other core Windows apps, you can restore corrupt or missing Windows system files.
You will need to
Open the Windows Command Prompt and log in as administrator to run the System File Checker.
After you have opened Command Prompt as administrator, type the command sfc/scannow
System File Checker will begin scanning your system files, replacing any missing or corrupt files with a cached copy.
The process can take some time so you are free to do other things for 5-10 minutes. Be careful to not close the window as sfc does its thing.
After System File Checker finishes, you will either see a list of files that it replaced or, if all went well, a message such as this:
System File Checker has replaced any missing or corrupt system files. Save all your work and restart your computer. After logging back in, open the Start Menu to check if your problems have been resolved.
Note: To run the sfc/scannow command you could also use Powershell, but you will need to open an elevated Powershell Terminal.
Next, you can reset the Start Menu completely. This will also apply to all Windows 10 apps that have been preinstalled from the Microsoft Store.
This will require you to open PowerShell with administrator privileges. Command Prompt won’t work for the command that you’ll be running.
There are many ways you can open PowerShell. However, the Run program is the fastest.
To open the Run program, use the shortcut WindowsKey + R. Enter “powershell” and then click “OK”.
This will open a PowerShell terminal that has administrative privileges.
The following command should be run in the PowerShell terminal:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”
The Get-AppXPackage command will attempt to reinstall all default Windows apps including the Start Menu.
It will also create a manifest file for every program it reinstalls. The manifest files are not necessary to be concerned about – they are just required by Windows to run each program.
Allow it to run for 5-10 minutes and don’t close PowerShell until it is finished.
Warning: Sometimes, you may notice some strange errors while the Get-AppXPackage command runs. These errors are not to be worried about – they are simply warnings that a program cannot be reinstalled.
After the Get-AppXPackage command has been completed, restart your computer and log in.
Rebuild the Index to Fix Frozen Windows 10 Start Menu
Indexing refers to the inspection of files, emails, or other content in Windows 10. This includes cataloging important data such as file locations, metadata, and words. When you search for keywords in Windows Explorer, the indexing process reviews all data that matches your search criteria. The index of data speeds up the search process. This is how to rebuild Windows 10’s index.
- To open the Run Window, hold down the WindowsKey+R key. Alternatively, click the Start menu and choose Run.
- Now, type in “control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions“, without the quotes, and click OK.
- Next, click Modify at the bottom of the indexing Options window.
- Click the Show All Locations button from here.
- Next, uncheck all ticked locations. Select OK.
- Click Advanced and then click Rebuild under Troubleshooting. You will see a message saying that it may take some time. Click OK for the next step.
- After the rebuild is completed, hold down Windows Key+R and open the Run window. Type in “shutdown/r” without quotes marks and click OK to start your machine.
If the Windows 10 Index rebuild has not resolved your Windows 10 Start Menu lockup incontinence, it’s time for a system reset.
How to reset Windows 10
If still, the start menu in windows 10 not working, you may need to perform a factory reset on your Windows 10 installation. But keep in mind that this is an “almost-scorched-earth” method, and should only be used as a last resort.
Resetting Windows 10 will not affect your personal files (documents and photos, videos, etc.). However, it will remove all drivers and programs that you have installed. This basically resets your computer back to its original state when it was turned on.
Make backups of your most important files before you move on to the next step.
Make sure to have two backups. They won’t be necessary, but they are a good idea.
When you’ve completed backing up all of your files, launch a PowerShell terminal by pressing Windows Key + R, typing “powershell,” and clicking the “OK” button.
Run the command system reset in the PowerShell terminal to launch the Windows reset wizard.
Next, click on the “Keep My Files” button
The wizard will take a while to analyze your system. You’ll then see a list with all the programs that will be deleted.
Follow the steps to reset Windows 10 by clicking the “Next” button.
After you have completed resetting Windows and creating new users, the Start menu should work again.
These are the top 10 ways to fix the start button not working Windows 10. They are listed in order of easiest to most difficult.
These methods worked for you? Are there other ways to open the Start Menu? Please let me know.
