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Windows 10 Start Menu Not Working? Try These Fixes

One of these tips should get the Start menu back on track

By Karen Marcus Karen Marcus Writer University of Colorado at Denver Colorado State University Karen Marcus is a former Lifewire writer who has also written for companies like HP, Intel, IBM, Samsung, and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 21, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tom Grill / JGI / Getty Images Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide When the Windows 10 start menu is not working, it may manifest in one of several ways: Nothing happens when you select the Start button.Keyboard shortcuts to open it don’t work.The Start menu isn’t visible. The instructions in this article apply to Windows 10.

Causes of Windows 10 Start Menu Not Working

The Windows 10 Start menu may stop working for a variety of reasons, including an incomplete operating system update, an update bug, corrupted system files, or corrupted user-account files.

How to Get a Windows 10 Start Menu to Work

Restart your computer. Sometimes the easiest solution works. Power down your computer, wait for a few minutes, then turn it back on again. If you’re still having the same problem, try some of the suggestions below. Check for Windows updates. Press Win+I to open Settings.In the left column, select Update & Security.In the main panel, select Check for updates, then follow instructions to download updates.You may need to restart your computer after the process is completed. Sign out of your account and sign back in. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.From the menu, select Sign out.From the sign-in screen, type your password and select the right-arrow to enter.Check to see if the Start menu is now working. If not, continue trying the suggestions below. Create a new user account. On the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, right-click and, from the menu, select Task Manager.In the Task Manager window, select File > Run new task.In the Create new task window, in the text field type powershell, then choose OK.In the Windows PowerShell window, at the prompt type net user newusername newpassword /add.Press Enter. Replace “newusername” with the user name you would like to use, and replace “newpassword” with the password you would like to use. Once you've finished the process above, restart your computer and log in with this new account. Then, check to see if the Start menu is working. If it is, transfer your files to the new account, and delete the old one. Repair Windows files. On the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, right-click and, from the menu, select Task Manager.In the Task Manager window, select File > Run new task.In the Create new task window, in the text field type powershell, then choose OK.In the Windows PowerShell window, at the prompt type sfc /scannow, then press Enter.Wait for 100-percent verification and a message about system health.If you see the message “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some (or all) of them,” at the prompt type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then press Enter.Allow the program to run and wait for a message about system health.Restart your computer and check to see if you’re still having problems with the Start menu. Reinstall Windows Store apps. On the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, right-click and, from the menu, select Task Manager.In the Task Manager window, select File > Run new task.In the Create new task window, in the text field type powershell, then choose OK.In the Windows PowerShell window, at the prompt type the following command, then press Enter:Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation) \AppXManifest.xml”} When the process completes, reboot your computer and check to see if the Start menu is now working. Reset Windows. This option reinstalls Windows 10 and allows you to keep your files. Before reinstalling Windows, be sure you have backups of all your personal files, and any files needed to reinstall applications not included with Windows. Press Win+L to log out of Windows.While on the login screen, press and hold Shift as you select Power > Restart in the lower-right corner of the screen.After the system restarts, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC. If, after all that, you’re still having problems, consider consulting with a professional to get your computer fixed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix a Frozen Windows 10 Taskbar Switch Command Prompt and PowerShell on the Win+X Menu How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt in Windows What to Do When Windows 10 Settings Are Not Working How to Open Disk Management From Command Prompt How to Reinstall Windows Defender in Windows 11 How to Open Command Prompt (Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, etc.) How to Install and Setup BASH on Windows 10 How to Fix It When Windows Spotlight Is Not Working on Windows 10 How to View Windows Uptime in Windows 10 How to Access Device Manager From the Command Prompt How to Access the Windows 10 Startup Folder Windows 10 Battery Report: What It Is And How to Use It How to Fix It When the Cursor Disappears in Windows 10 How to Fix Spotify Song Change Notifications Not Working on Windows 11 How to Organize Windows 10 Start Menu Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies