Start Menu Not Working in Windows 11 & 10: Fixes in Order (2026)

If the Start menu is not working in Windows 11 or 10, whether it will not open, opens blank, or does not show your installed apps, start with the fix that solves most cases in ten seconds: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Start (or Windows Explorer) in the list, right-click it and choose End task or Restart. Windows restarts the Start menu by itself. If apps are missing from the All apps list, the cause is usually a broken app registration or a shortcut deleted from the Start Menu folders, and both are fixable without reinstalling Windows. Here is the cause many people overlook: third-party Start menu and taskbar tweakers are behind a large share of "Start menu broke after an update" reports, because they patch parts of Windows that monthly updates change. If you use one, update or uninstall it first, before any deeper repair.

Ethan's uncle runs a small print shop, and on Tuesday morning, after the overnight updates, clicking the Start button did nothing. The Windows key did nothing. Search did nothing. He could still open files from the desktop, so he limped through the morning, then called Jake. Jake's first question was "Did you install anything to change how Start looks?" He had: a program that made Start look like Windows 7, installed two years earlier and forgotten. Jake updated it, restarted, and Start came back. Then, to be sure, he showed Ethan's uncle how to restart the Start menu from Task Manager, so next time he would not lose a morning. That is where this page starts: the quick restart, the repairs in order from gentlest to strongest, the missing-apps fixes, and the search problems that often come with it.

None of the fixes below delete your files, and none of them need any extra software at all. The strongest ones repair or re-register parts of Windows, and the last resort, a repair install, keeps files and apps too. Work from the top down and stop as soon as Start works again.

What exactly is wrong? Match the symptom first

"Start menu not working" covers several different faults. Identifying yours saves time.

The ten-second fix: restart the Start menu

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. If it opens in compact view, click More details.
2. On the Processes tab, find Start (Windows 11; its file is StartMenuExperienceHost.exe). Right-click it and choose End task. Windows restarts it automatically within a second or two.
3. Try the Start button. If it still fails, find Windows Explorer in the same list, right-click it and choose Restart. The taskbar disappears briefly and comes back.
4. Still nothing? Find Search and end it too, since a hung search process can block Start.

This clears temporary hangs, which are by far the most common cause, and it costs nothing. Our guide to restarting Windows Explorer has screenshots. If the problem keeps returning every day, something underneath is wrong, and the next sections find it.

The pieces behind the Start menu

The Start menu is not one program. Knowing which piece does what tells you which one to restart.

Getting around while Start is broken

You can reach almost everything without the Start menu while you fix it.

• Windows + R opens the Run box: type ms-settings: for Settings, cmd for Command Prompt, control for Control Panel, or any program name such as notepad.
• Windows + X opens the power-user menu with Terminal, Task Manager, Settings, Device Manager and shut down options, even when Start itself is broken.
• Windows + I opens Settings, and Windows + E opens File Explorer.
• Ctrl + Alt + Delete gives sign-out, Task Manager and the power button for restarting.

Our guide to opening Settings lists direct addresses for most Settings pages, which are handy while Start is out of action.

Start menu still not working? Fixes in order

1. Restart the PC with a real restart: Ctrl + Alt + Delete, the power icon, Restart. Shut down and power on resumes part of the old session when Fast Startup is on.
2. Check third-party Start or taskbar tools, as explained below. Update or uninstall them.
3. Install pending updates from Settings > Windows Update (Windows + I). Microsoft often fixes Start bugs in the next cumulative update.
4. Repair system files: in an administrator Terminal, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow, and restart.
5. Re-register the Start menu with the PowerShell command below.
6. Uninstall the latest update if Start broke immediately after it.
7. Test a new user account to rule out a damaged profile.
8. Repair-install Windows from installation media, keeping files and apps.

Third-party Start and taskbar tools: the hidden cause

Programs that restore a Windows 7-style Start menu, move the taskbar, or reskin Start and the taskbar work by patching Windows' own interface components. Monthly cumulative updates change those components, and an older version of the tweaker can then crash Start, Explorer or the taskbar entirely. It is one of the most common causes of "Start stopped working after an update", and one of the least suspected, because the tool was installed long ago.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows + I, then Apps) and look for Start menu, taskbar or "Windows 7 style" utilities, and for theme or "shell" customizers.
2. Check the developer's site for an update made for your current Windows build, and install it.
3. If there is no update, uninstall the tool and restart.

Many of the features these tools offered are now built in, such as moving the taskbar to the top or side, which our guide to the Windows 11 taskbar position covers, and a resizable Start menu in recent updates. That makes some tweakers unnecessary altogether.

Re-register the Start menu with PowerShell

If Start opens blank, freezes, or crashes immediately, its app registration may be damaged. Re-registering it reinstalls the Start component's registration from the files already on the PC. Open Terminal or PowerShell as administrator (Windows + X, then Terminal (Admin)) and run:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost |
  ForEach-Object { Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" }

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost |
  ForEach-Object { Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" }

Restart afterward. Red text about a package being in use is normal while Start is running; the registration still updates. If these packages cannot be found, run the DISM and SFC repairs first, because the files themselves may be damaged. Our guide to repairing corrupted system files walks through it.

Installed apps missing from the Start menu

When an app is installed but does not appear in All apps, the Start menu has nothing to show for it. Start lists apps from two places: Microsoft Store apps registered for your account, and shortcuts in two Start Menu folders.

Desktop programs: check the Start Menu folders

Press Windows + R and open each of these:

%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

The first holds shortcuts for all users, the second only for you. If a program's shortcut is missing, find the program's .exe in Program Files, right-click it, choose Show more options > Create shortcut, and move the shortcut into one of these folders. It appears in All apps within seconds. Some installers let you choose "only for me" or "for all users"; an app installed for another user does not appear for you.

Store apps: re-register them

If built-in or Store apps such as Calculator, Photos or Settings vanished from Start, their registrations may be damaged. First try Settings > Apps > Installed apps, open the app's Advanced options, and choose Repair or Reset. If many apps are missing, an administrator PowerShell command re-registers every app package for all users:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ForEach-Object {
  Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }

It takes a few minutes and shows errors for packages that are in use or not installed for your account; those are expected. Restart afterward. Use it as a repair for a clearly broken set of apps, not as routine maintenance.

Recently installed app not showing

New apps usually appear in a "Recently added" or Recommended area first, then in All apps. If that section is turned off under Settings > Personalization > Start, new apps only appear in All apps, sorted alphabetically or by category depending on your view. Searching for the app by name in Start is the fastest check.

Search in the Start menu not working

On Windows 11, typing in Start searches through a separate Search component. When search breaks, Start can look broken too.

1. In Task Manager, end the Search process. It restarts automatically.
2. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, find Windows Search, right-click it and choose Restart. Make sure its startup type is Automatic (Delayed Start).
3. Rebuild the index: open Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows > Advanced indexing options, click Advanced, then Rebuild. It runs in the background for a while.
4. Check the search locations on the same Searching Windows page, Classic or Enhanced, so the folders you expect are included.

Our guide to search not finding files covers indexing in more depth.

Start menu slow to open

A Start menu that works but takes seconds to appear has its own causes.

• Too much running at startup. Right after sign-in, dozens of startup apps compete for the processor and disk. Turn off ones you do not need under Settings > Apps > Startup.
• Web results in search. Start fetches Bing suggestions as you type, which waits on the network. Turning them off makes typing in Start feel instant; see the next section.
• Recommended content. The Recommended or Recent section scans recent files when Start opens. Reducing what it shows, under Settings > Personalization > Start, helps on slower PCs.
• Animations on a slow PC. Turning off Animation effects under Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects makes Start appear immediately, with no slide-in.
• A struggling drive. A Start menu that is slow alongside everything else may be a failing or full drive. Check free space and the drive's health.

Turn off web results in Start search

Typing in Start searches your PC and the web. Many people would rather it searched only their PC: it is faster, more private, and avoids web suggestions mixing in with files and apps.

On Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise, the cleanest way is a policy. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer, and enable Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box, which also turns off web suggestions in Start search on current versions. On Home editions, the same setting is a registry value: under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, create a DWORD named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions set to 1, then sign out and back in.

Back up the registry key before editing, and only change the value named. If Microsoft changes how search works in a future version, the setting may need revisiting. In the European Economic Area, Windows Search offers more control over web results directly in Settings.

Security software and the Start menu

Antivirus and endpoint security products occasionally block parts of the Start menu or search after their own updates, especially products that inspect running processes aggressively. If Start broke at the same time as a security product updated, check the product's quarantine or blocked-items list for StartMenuExperienceHost, SearchHost or explorer.exe, and look for a fix from the vendor. Do not uninstall security software just to test on a PC that faces the internet. Most products let you pause protection briefly, which is enough to confirm the cause. Windows Security, the built-in antivirus, rarely causes this.

Start menu on multiple monitors and taskbar alignment

With several screens and the taskbar shown on all of them, Start opens on whichever monitor's Start button you click, and the Windows key opens it on the main display. If Start seems to open "nowhere", it may be opening on a monitor that is switched off or disconnected; set the main display in Settings > System > Display, or disconnect the missing screen properly.

Windows 11 centers the Start button by default. If you prefer it at the left like older versions, change Taskbar alignment to Left under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors. It is a style choice, not a fix, but people used to Windows 10 often think Start has moved or vanished when it is simply centered.

The Windows key does nothing, but clicking Start works

If the Start button works with the mouse but the Windows key does nothing, the Start menu is fine. The keyboard is blocking the key.

• Gaming keyboards have a Windows-key lock, often marked with a padlock or a Windows logo and toggled with Fn plus the Windows key, or in the keyboard's software. It exists so the key does not throw you out of games.
• Laptops sometimes have a game mode in the maker's app that disables the Windows key.
• Policies on work PCs can turn off Windows key shortcuts.
• Sticky or stuck keys: a stuck Ctrl or Alt changes what the Windows key does. Press each modifier a few times.

Test with Windows + E. If File Explorer does not open either, the key is locked or disabled; if it opens, only Start is affected, and the fixes above apply.

Test with a new user account

If Start works for another person on the same PC but not for you, your user profile is damaged, and no amount of system repair fixes it. Create a test account to confirm:

1. Open an administrator Terminal (Windows + X) and run net user testuser Pa55word! /add, then net localgroup administrators testuser /add.
2. Sign out with Ctrl + Alt + Delete and sign in as testuser.
3. Try the Start menu.

If Start works in the new account, the reliable fix is to move to a fresh account: create your new permanent account, copy your files from C:\Users\YourOldName, and set your apps up again. When you are done, delete the test account with net user testuser /delete.

Start broke after a Windows update

If Start failed immediately after an update, and the third-party tool check found nothing, the update itself may be at fault. Check whether Microsoft has listed a known issue: the release notes and Windows release health page name affected builds, and our guide to finding your build tells you which you have. Then:

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates (Windows + I).
2. Uninstall the most recent cumulative update and restart.
3. Pause updates for a week, so it does not reinstall immediately, and check for a newer fix.

Our guide to uninstalling a Windows update has the details. Remember to resume updates: the security fixes in that update matter.

Windows 10: tiles that disappeared and the critical error

Windows 10's Start menu had live tiles, and two problems specific to it are still common on Windows 10 PCs.

Tiles disappeared or show as blank squares. The tile layout data is damaged. Restarting Explorer sometimes brings them back; if not, re-registering Start with the command above, or creating a new user profile, does. A tile layout can be exported and imported between profiles with the PowerShell commands Export-StartLayout and Import-StartLayout, useful when moving to a fresh profile.

"Critical error: Your Start menu isn't working. We'll try to fix it the next time you sign in." This message appears when Start fails to load at all. Signing out and back in sometimes clears it as promised. If it keeps returning, follow the fixes in order: tweakers, updates, DISM and SFC, re-register, new profile.

The redesigned Start menu in recent Windows 11 updates

Recent Windows 11 updates redesigned Start: All apps can be shown as a list, a grid or grouped into categories, sections can be shown or hidden, and a Start menu size setting offers Automatic, Small and Large. If Start suddenly looks different after an update, that is the redesign rather than a fault. The options live under Settings > Personalization > Start. If an app seems missing in the new category view, switch All apps to the list view, where every app appears alphabetically, or simply search for it.

Last resort: a repair install that keeps your files

If nothing above works, an in-place repair install replaces every Windows system file while keeping your files, apps and most settings. Download the Windows 11 installation media from Microsoft, run setup.exe from within Windows, and choose to keep personal files and apps. On recent Windows 11 versions, Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update does the same with a download through Windows Update. It takes an hour or so, and fixes nearly every Start menu fault that survives the steps above. Back up important files first anyway.

Pinned apps disappeared from Start

Sometimes Start works but your carefully pinned apps are gone, replaced by Microsoft's defaults. This usually happens after a feature update, a profile repair, or when Start's layout file was damaged.

On Windows 11, your pins are stored in a file named start2.bin in %LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState. Copying that file somewhere safe is a simple way to back up your Start layout. If your pins vanish later, sign out, put the backup copy back in the same folder (while signed in to another account or right after signing in, before opening Start), and sign in again. It is not an official backup feature, so treat it as a convenience, and keep a screenshot of your pins as a fallback.

To pin an app again, find it in All apps, right-click it and choose Pin to Start. Drag pins to reorder them, or drag one onto another to create a folder.

Use Safe Mode to tell Windows problems from app problems

Safe Mode starts Windows with only essential drivers and no third-party startup programs. If Start works in Safe Mode but not normally, something you installed is interfering, such as a shell tweaker, security tool or utility.

1. Hold Shift and choose Restart from Ctrl + Alt + Delete's power icon.
2. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, then press 4 for Safe Mode.
3. Test the Start menu.

If Start works there, do a clean boot to find the culprit: run msconfig, check Hide all Microsoft services on the Services tab, click Disable all, disable startup apps, restart, then re-enable things in small groups. Return msconfig to Normal startup when you are done.

What Event Viewer says when Start crashes

For stubborn cases, Windows records Start crashes. Press Windows + X and open Event Viewer, then look under Windows Logs > Application for errors mentioning StartMenuExperienceHost.exe, SearchHost.exe or explorer.exe around the time Start failed. The "faulting module" named in those errors often points straight at the cause: a third-party DLL from a shell tool, a security product, or a graphics component. Searching the module name online usually identifies the program responsible. It is a quick check that saves guessing.

Work and school PCs: when Start is restricted on purpose

On managed PCs, some Start "problems" are policies. Administrators can hide the All apps list, remove the Recommended section, lock the pinned apps, block changes to the layout, or remove the power button from Start. If Start looks unusually bare on a work laptop, or an option you expect is missing, check for the words "Some settings are managed by your organization" on the Personalization > Start page. Nothing is broken; it is a deliberate configuration, and only IT can change it. If a business app you need is missing from Start, IT can add it to the managed layout.

Start after upgrading from Windows 10

People moving from Windows 10 often think Start is broken when it has simply changed. Windows 11 has no live tiles, so tile groups and animated tiles do not carry across. Pinned apps from Windows 10 mostly become ordinary pins, but some layouts are reset. The All apps list is one click away rather than shown beside the pins. And Start is centered by default. None of these are faults. Pin your important apps again, set the taskbar alignment to Left if you prefer, and use the redesigned views under Settings > Personalization > Start to make it feel familiar.

Start on touchscreens and in tablet posture

On 2-in-1 devices, Start is touch-friendly with larger targets, and swiping up from the bottom-center of the screen can open it on recent Windows 11 versions. If Start does not respond to touch but works with a mouse, the touchscreen driver or calibration is the issue rather than Start: check Device Manager under Human Interface Devices for the touch screen device, and update the driver from the PC maker. If touch fails everywhere, calibrate the screen with Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input in Control Panel.

The two-minute checklist

1. Task Manager, End task on Start.
2. Restart Windows Explorer.
3. Restart the PC (Restart, not Shut down).
4. Check for a Start or taskbar tweaker and update or remove it.
5. Install updates.
6. DISM, then SFC, then restart.
7. Re-register Start in PowerShell.
8. Test a new account; if it works there, move to a fresh profile.

Widgets, search and Copilot: things that look like Start

Windows 11's taskbar has several buttons near Start, and when one misbehaves people describe it as "the Start menu". The Search box or icon opens search on its own, separate from Start. The Widgets board, opened with Windows + W or the weather icon at the left of the taskbar, shows news and widgets. On PCs with a Copilot key or a Copilot button, that opens Microsoft's assistant. If only one of these fails, the others, and Start itself, can be perfectly fine, and the fix is specific: restart the Search process for search, check Widgets settings for widgets, and update the Copilot app for Copilot. Hovering over each button shows its name, which avoids chasing the wrong problem.

A cluttered Start menu on a new PC

New PCs often arrive with Start full of pinned trial apps, games and offers. That is not a fault, but it makes Start feel broken because the apps you want are buried. Right-click each unwanted pin and choose Unpin from Start, or Uninstall for apps you will never use. Turn off Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps and more under Settings > Personalization > Start to stop promotional suggestions. Ten minutes of tidying on day one gives you a Start menu that shows only what you use, and makes any real problem later much easier to spot.

Using Start with a keyboard or screen reader

Start is fully usable without a mouse, which also helps when testing whether it is broken. Press the Windows key, start typing an app name and press Enter to launch it. Use Tab to move between the search box, pinned apps and the All apps button, and the arrow keys to move within them. Narrator reads each item as you go. If Start opens but the keyboard cannot move inside it, the problem is focus rather than Start; clicking once inside Start or restarting Explorer usually restores it.

Mistakes that make Start problems worse

• Running registry cleaners or "debloat" scripts to fix Start. They often remove the very packages Start needs.
• Deleting app package folders under WindowsApps by hand. Use the re-register and repair commands instead.
• Resetting the whole PC first. A reset removes apps and settings; the repair install keeps them and fixes the same problems.
• Disabling the Windows Search service permanently. It breaks search in Start and File Explorer. Restart it instead.
• Installing several Start menu tools to fix the first one. Each adds another patch that updates can break.

Keeping the Start menu healthy

A few habits make Start problems rare.

1. Install updates regularly, including optional fixes when they mention Start or the taskbar.
2. Be wary of shell tweakers. If you use one, keep it updated, and check its site before installing a big Windows feature update.
3. Keep free disk space of at least 10 to 15 percent on C:, so updates and the search index have room.
4. Avoid "registry cleaners" and aggressive debloat scripts. Many remove app packages or settings that Start depends on, and the damage shows up weeks later.
5. Restart weekly. Machines that only ever sleep accumulate the small hangs that a restart clears.

For IT admins: Start menu problems across a fleet

Look for the common factor. When many machines lose Start after Patch Tuesday, check for a shared third-party shell tool, security product or Start layout policy before blaming the update. Removing or updating the tool on one test machine confirms it quickly.

Layout policies. Windows 11 Start layouts deployed with the ConfigureStartPins policy, through Intune or Group Policy, control pinned apps. A malformed layout JSON can leave Start empty for users; validate it on a test device before broad deployment.

Repair at scale. The re-register commands above can run as a remediation script under the user's context. For widespread corruption, a feature update or repair install through your management tool is usually faster than per-machine troubleshooting.

Start menu not working: frequently asked questions

Ethan's uncle has not lost a morning to the Start menu since. He keeps one habit from that Tuesday: before he blames Windows for anything that breaks after an update, he asks himself what he installed to change how Windows looks or behaves. The Start menu replacement went, since Windows had caught up with most of what he liked about it. And when Start hiccups now, he presses Ctrl + Shift + Esc, ends the Start task, and carries on. Most Start menu problems are temporary. Knowing the ten-second fix turns them back into the small thing they really are, and knowing the order of the deeper fixes means the rare stubborn case takes an afternoon at most, not a reinstall and a lost weekend. Start with the gentlest step, stop as soon as it works, and keep a note of what fixed it, because the same cause tends to come back after the next big update.

Revision note. Written October 2, 2026, rewriting our 2017 fix for Windows 11 and 10. May your Start button always open on the first click.