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6 Ways to Fix Windows 10 “Start Menu Not Working” Issue

By Rafia Shaikh
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Since its release, several users have reported facing issues with the Windows 10 Start menu. For some, it fails to appear while others receive a "Start menu not working" error. If the newly designed Windows 10 Start menu is not properly working for your device too, here are a few ways you can try to fix the issues. These quick workarounds also help in fixing Cortana problems.

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- Classic Start Menu for Windows 10

How to fix Windows 10 Start menu issues:

If you too are facing issues with the Windows 10 Start menu on your devices, try out the following fixes to see if something works out for you.

1- Restart your Windows 10 machine

It's iOS or Android, Windows or OS X, the first thing we always recommend our users to do whenever they face some issue is to restart their devices. If Start menu is not working properly on your Windows 10 laptop or desktop, restart it! You will be amazed at how many times you will save yourself from the frustration of slamming your device to the floor. Reboot it and it will be as good as new.

2- Use Powershell

So restarting didn't fix the Windows 10 Start menu issues for you? Well, you are not alone. We exaggerated a little bit when we promised it will be as good as new. We know sometimes you have to work harder to fix an issue, and today seems to be that day for you. Now that you have tried restarting your device, here is what more you can do to fix Windows 10 Start menu issues.

  • Right-click on the Start menu icon to open the contextual menu. windows 10 slideshow
  • Select Command Prompt (Admin).
  • Type the following commands:
    • Powershell - press Enter.
    • Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} - Press Enter.

Wait for the command to run and it should ideally fix Windows 10 Start menu not working issue.

3- Disable or uninstall anti-virus programs

Some users have also reported that disabling or uninstalling the anti-virus program and the firewall has fixed the Windows 10 Start menu issues for them. Make sure you restart your device after uninstalling an anti-virus program.

4- Sign out of your account

Microsoft recommends that users should try signing out of their accounts to fix any Start menu related issues.

  • Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select Sign out.
  • Sign back in to your account to see if the issue has been resolved.

5- Create a new local admin account

Start menu still annoying you? Well, Microsoft has another fix for you. Try creating a new local administrator account. This will also solve any issues with Cortana.

  1. Click on the Start menu icon.
  2. Click on Settings to open the app.
  3. Select Accounts > Family & other users > Other users. fix windows 10 start menu not working
  4. Next, click on Add someone else to this PC.
  5. Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information. fix windows 10 start menu not working
  6. Now, select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
  7. Add in a user name, password and click on Next > Finish.

Once that's done, make the newly created account as an administrator account.

  • Under Other users (from Step 3), choose the account you created.
  • Select Change account type.
  • Under Account type, choose Administrator. Select OK to confirm.

6- Reset Windows 10 device

If nothing works for you, you can also try to reset your Windows 10 machine to fix "Start menu not working" issue.

  • Go to the Settings app.
  • Click on Update & Security.
  • Click on Recovery. how to fix windows 10 start menu not working

Resetting should be your last resort after you have tried every other method. To learn more about Recovery, please visit Microsoft's support page.

Don't forget to share with us and our readers which of the above methods helped you fix Windows 10 Start menu issues.

- For other issues, try one of our Windows 10 guides

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