The start button does not work. The “Start” button in the “ten” has stopped working: how to fix the situation The start icon does not work

A Windows session often starts with the Start button, and its failure will be a serious problem for the user. Therefore, it is important to know how to restore the function of the button. And you can fix it without even reinstalling the system.

Why doesn't the Start menu work in Windows 10?

The causes of the malfunction may be the following:

1. Damage to Windows system files responsible for the operation of the Windows Explorer component.
2. Problems with the Windows 10 registry: important entries responsible for the correct operation of the taskbar and Start menu have been erased.
3. Some applications that caused conflicts due to incompatibility with Windows 10.

An inexperienced user can cause harm by accidentally deleting service files and Windows entries, or malicious components obtained from an unverified site.

Start Menu Recovery Methods

The Start menu in Windows 10 (and any other version) can be fixed. Let's consider several ways.

Troubleshooting using Start Menu Troubleshooting

Do the following:

After checking, the utility will fix the problems found.

Start Menu Troubleshooting found and fixed the problems that arose

If no problems are identified, the application will report their absence.

Start Menu Troubleshooting did not detect any problems with the Windows 10 main menu

It happens that the main menu and the Start button still do not work. In this case, close and restart Windows Explorer, following the previous instructions.

Restoring Windows Explorer

The explorer.exe file is responsible for the Windows Explorer component. For critical errors that require immediate correction, this process may restart automatically, but this is not always the case.

The simplest way is this:

Explorer.exe will close and the taskbar and folders will disappear.

To start explorer.exe again, do the following:

Windows Explorer should display the taskbar with a functional Start. If this is not the case, then do the following:

Watch for some time the operation of Start and the main menu, and the operation of Windows Explorer in general. If the same errors appear again, a rollback (restore), update or reset Windows 10 to factory settings will help.

Troubleshooting using Registry Editor

The registry editor - regedit.exe - can be launched using the "Windows Task Manager" or the "Run" command (the combination Windows + R will display the application execution line, usually launched by the "Start - Run" command when the "Start" button is working).

Fixing the Start Menu via PowerShell

Do the following:

The Start menu will work the next time you start your PC.

Creating a new user in Windows 10

The easiest way is to create a new user via the command line.

After a few seconds of waiting - depending on the speed of your PC - log out of the current user and log in as the one you just created.

Video: what to do if the Start menu does not work

If all else fails

There are times when not a single method of restoring stable operation of the Start button helped. The Windows system is so damaged that not only the main menu (and the entire Explorer) does not work, but it is also impossible to log into the system under your name and even in safe mode. In this case, the following measures will help:

1. Check all drives, especially the contents of drive C and RAM, for viruses, for example, with Kaspersky Anti-Virus with deep scanning.
2. If no viruses are found (even using advanced heuristics technologies), perform a restore, update (if new security updates have been released), rollback, or reset Windows 10 to factory settings (using an installation flash drive or DVD).
3. Check for viruses and copy personal files to removable media, and then reinstall Windows 10 from scratch.

You can restore Windows components and functions - including the taskbar with the Start menu - without reinstalling the entire system. The user decides which method to choose.

Professionals never reinstall the OS - they maintain it so skillfully that once installed, Windows 10 can be used until its official support by third-party developers ceases. In the past, when CDs (Windows 95 and older) were rare, Windows systems were “revived” using MS-DOS tools, restoring damaged system files. Of course, Windows restoration has come a long way in 20 years. You can work with this approach to this day - until the PC disk fails or there are no programs left for Windows 10 that meet the modern needs of people. The latter will probably happen in 15–20 years - when the next versions of Windows are released.

Launching a failed Start menu is not difficult. The result is worth it: there is no need to urgently reinstall Windows because the main menu is not working.

Although the tenth modification of Windows is said to be an innovative development, many problems often arise with its installation and performance. One of these is the situation when the Windows 10 Start button does not open (or is even missing altogether). You can eliminate this failure using several simple methods, which are offered for review.

Why won't Start open in Windows 10?

At the moment, the cause of this failure has not been precisely established. However, most experts are inclined to believe that the culprit is clumsy updates, errors in the operation of the graphical interface, system settings crashes, and inheritance of errors from the previous OS (if the tenth version was installed on top of the seventh and eighth as an upgrade).

Naturally, the situation is not pleasant. Let's see what can be done to fix the problem. The proposed actions are quite simple and understandable for users of any level of training.

Start won't open in Windows 10: what to do first?

Let's assume that initially everything worked as it should, but at some point an unexpected software glitch occurred. Symptoms are that the button does not work or is missing, the Start menu does not open in Windows 10 (and it may be impossible to access the main menu even by pressing the Win key).

If the user knows exactly when the failure occurred, there is nothing easier than returning the system to the state before the problem occurred. There are two options here. You can enable recovery and select the expected checkpoint (for convenience, you can expand the list to view all available dates, and not just those when critical updates for the system were installed).

But if the problem that Start does not open in Windows 10 is related specifically to installed updates, this technique will not help. By default, the installation of updates is in an active state, so new packages will be installed again even after a rollback. In this case, you should view the update log and uninstall the latest ones. Then a manual search for updates is performed, and packages removed by the user that are found again are excluded from the installation list.

Restart the Explorer service

However, as practice shows, this is not the reason for the failure in which the Windows 10 Start panel does not open or the button is missing.

It is believed that this situation may be partially caused by disruptions in the Explorer service, which is responsible for the system's graphical interface. Alternatively, you can try restarting it. Since there is no response from the button or Win key to open the menu, you should call the “Task Manager” through keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + Del + Alt, Shift + Ctrl + Esc or through the Run program execution console with the taskmgr command.

In the tree of active processes on the services and processes tabs, you need to find the Explorer line and use the restart command from the RMB menu, followed by confirmation of the action.

Creating a new registration record

But the methods described above may not give the desired effect. The user is again faced with the fact that Start does not open in Windows 10. We'll have to see what the situation will be like if we create a new account and log in under it.

Since the menu does not function, you can get to the desired section using the “Run” console. For the “Control Panel”, enter the control command, and for direct access use netplwiz.

Here you need to add a user and then include him in the Administrators group. After rebooting the system, you should log in under the new registration and check the functionality of the “Start” button and the corresponding menu. If everything is in order, the previous registration can simply be deleted.

Actions with the system registry

If this does not help, and again “Start” does not open in Windows 10, you will have to take drastic measures, which involve several actions in the system registry editor, which is called from the same “Run” menu with the regedit command.

Here you need to find the EnableXAMLStartMenu key, which is located in the HKLM branch with a transition through the Microsoft directory to the CurrentVersion directory. If such an entry does not exist, you must first create it using RMB in the free space of the right field. Double-clicking opens the parameter setting menu, where zero is indicated as the current value. After this, you should restart the system.

Using PowerShell Toolkit

Almost similar actions can be performed in the PowerShell console, which can be called with the command of the same name.

Here you need to enter the command that is shown in the image above. By the way, both the registry editor and the PowerShell console must be launched exclusively with system administrator rights.

Start Menu utility and system maintenance

Finally, as an additional solution, you can use the Start Menu utility from Microsoft, which was specifically designed as a tweaker to fix this problem. You can download it directly from the corporation’s website. User intervention in the operation of the program consists only of launching it. Everything else is done automatically.

Another remedy is to activate system maintenance. This tool can be accessed from the properties menu, called up via RMB on the “This PC” line in “Explorer”. Here you just need to expand the section and click the start button. Perhaps this solution will work, since the system will perform a full scan to detect existing and possible problems.

In general, at the moment it is impossible to name the true reason for the inoperability of both the Start button and the corresponding menu. Therefore, to eliminate failures, you will have to try all the methods given above. Something will definitely work.

Automatic updates to the latest version of Windows often cause inconvenience to people. A fairly common case is when, after restarting the PC after installing the update, it turns out that the Start button does not work. By the way, here it is. The menu does not respond to pressing, nor does it respond to the corresponding button on the keyboard. Sometimes the operating system settings sections and other graphical menus do not work. If Windows doesn't start after updating, here's how to fix this “trouble.” To fix the startup error, you need to resort to one of the solutions - try to restart the OS Explorer, change the settings in the Windows registry, or use a special program. In addition, there are several more methods, which will be discussed later in this manual.

Restarting the system interface

This process is responsible for rendering the shell. With its help, the user can see directories and files on the computer. If the start button stops working normally, you need to restart the explorer. To do this you will need:

Editing settings in the registry

The next way that can help make the startup work is to change the values ​​responsible for the functioning of the start menu in the system registry. To perform this action you will need:

Changing the user directory name

Often, problems with the button appear after creating a new account, the path to which has Russian letters. In this case, you can use "Computer Management" and assign a new path to the user's folder or rename it. You can also try to create a new entry, without Cyrillic letters. For this you will need:

Having created a new account, you need to log in to the system using it. This step should correct the issue with the button's functionality. Next, you can transfer all the necessary files to the new profile and delete the old one.

System Maintenance

Often, automatic OS maintenance can fix a non-working start button. To run it you will need:

Windows will start looking for problems and try to fix them.

Special program

Official Microsoft utility

After numerous complaints about the malfunctioning start menu, Microsoft made a special program to fix the problem. You can download it from the official website.

Problems found will be automatically fixed, and the application will display a report on its operation.

There is another method to make the start menu work.

This option is unsafe and can lead to problems with the software store, so before resorting to it, it is recommended to create a rollback point.

To use this method you will need to do the following:

The operation will take a few seconds, after which you can check the operation of the button. with screenshots of how to roll back a Windows 10 system using restore points.

We hope that with the help of these instructions you will be able to resolve any problems with the start menu.

Having released the new Windows 10 operating system, Microsoft has finally returned the “ Start" into place. But the developers didn't stop there. Menu " Start"in Windows 10 has undergone significant changes. In the new menu, the developers combined the classic menu that was present in Windows 7 and XP and the tiled Metro interface that was present in the eight. But, like all new products, the new " Start"is not without flaws.

After a massive migration to Windows 10, thanks to the company's assistance in migrating to the operating system for free, many PC users encountered problems launching the " Start" To solve this problem, when the menu " Start" stopped starting or disappeared, we have prepared material in which we will describe in detail: how to get the menu to work again " Start" different ways. After reading this material, you will no longer have such questions - why the menu “ Start"does not respond, does not press, or where Start has disappeared.

Restoring the Start button by restarting Explorer

Windows 10 Explorer is one of its main components, so the operation of most processes and programs directly depends on it. For this example, we can solve our problem by restarting Explorer. Exist two ways to restart explorer. We will describe the simplest one first. To restart Explorer the first way, first, let's launch the task manager. You can launch the task manager using the three key combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

Now in the task manager window we need to find our explorer process. After finding it, right-click on it and select the item in the context menu “ Restart».

This action should restart File Explorer and restore the functionality of the " Start».

For second method we will need to use the console as an administrator. First of all, let's launch the console as administrator. To do this, let's start a search in the top ten using the key combinations WIN + Q. In the running search, type the query “ CMD" After this, right-click on the result found and select the item we need in the context menu.

Now in the console that opens, with administrator rights, type the following command: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

This process will launch Explorer, and the menu " Start"should work. This example clearly demonstrates why it is necessary to restart Explorer.

Solving our problem using the PowerShell console

In this example, we will restore the Start function using the console PowerShell. To do this, we need a PowerShell console with admin rights. In the running console, we need to type the command (download the file with the command) shown in the notepad below.

You can launch the console in the same way as launching the command line described in the previous example. Just to start, enter the search query “ PowerShell».

In the running console, type the command and wait for it to complete.

After these steps, check the Start function. If it still doesn't work, then try the examples below.

It's worth noting that if search doesn't work for you, you can launch PowerShell using an executable file. To do this, follow the link in Explorer " C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0" and run this file as administrator.

We solve our problem by creating a new Windows 10 user

Having created a new user in the top ten, the system completely resets the parameters of its programs. For example, for a newly created user, the system allows you to return all Microsoft Edge browser settings to their original state. That is, you will have the same browser in front of you as after a fresh installation of Windows 10. The same thing happens with the “ Start", since it is, in fact, the same application as any program in the top ten. Now let's move on to creating a new user. To do this, open the control panel and follow the links “ \User Accounts\User Accounts\Manage Accounts" In the panel window that opens, click on the link “ Add a new user in the window« Computer settings»» at the bottom of the window.

After this action, the following window should open. In this window you need to click on the bottom button Add a new user for this computer.

This action will take us to the data entry window for a new Windows 10 user. In our case, this user is “Alexander 2”. After confirming the entered user data with the Next button, a new account will be created.

You can switch between users in the menu " Start", but in our case this will not work. Therefore, we will use the key combination ALT + F4. You need to perform this combination on the active desktop, that is, not in any running program. After this action, a window will appear in which you need to select the “”.

Now let’s start changing the user with the OK button, after which we will be taken to the change user window. Enter the password in it and go under the account of the new user “Alexander 2”.

After a little setup of the user account, we will be taken to the desktop of the new PC user. In this example, restore the functionality of the menu " Start“You can absolutely. But for many experienced PC users, creating a new account will not solve the problem. Judge for yourself, the settings of all other programs will remain in the old account. Therefore, the previous option with the PowerShell console will be the most optimal.

Solving the problem with the Start button by editing the registry

To solve this problem, we will open a notepad and type in the text shown below (download the file, do not forget to rename the extension).

It is also worth noting that you cannot launch notepad through Start, so you should use the utility Execute. You can launch this utility using the combination WIN + R. In the utility line you need to enter “ notepad" and run this command. After setting the registry settings, we will save our file with the extension “ REG" In our case, this file is called Start.REG. Now let's run this file and confirm the message that appears.

After writing new data to the registry, reboot the computer. After a reboot, Start should work again.

Another way to solve the problem with Start

For this method, first go to the “” window using the key combination Win + Pause/Break.

At the bottom of the window "" follow the link "" and open the tab " Service»

Now you need to enable system maintenance by pressing the button start service. After this action, the system maintenance process will begin, which will help solve our problem with Start. This example is based on recommendations from people online who suggested it to solve this problem. If this method does not help, we still recommend that you return Start to working using PowerShell.

Alternative option

If none of the options helped you, and problems with Start continue, then we advise you to use programs that return the classic menu " Start" One such program is. You can download this utility on its official website www.startmenu10.com. Installing Start Menu 10 is very simple and any PC user can handle it. After launching the utility, it will be built into the notification panel and will also replace the “ Start"on your own.

If you open the program settings, you can customize the design new Start, set Hotkeys and even change main icon. After digging a little into the settings of Start Menu 10, we replaced the standard Start icon.

We also changed the design of the menu itself.

The Start Menu 10 utility is very easy to use, so even a novice user can handle it. I would also like to note that in addition to Start Menu 10 there are also such utilities as Start Menu Reviver And StartIsBack++, which allow you to return to the classic menu "Start» . These utilities, like Start Menu 10, have a considerable range of settings and can also be used for free.

Let's sum it up

Since the new operating system from Microsoft is still very raw and problems such as the Start menu not opening in Windows 10 or Microsoft Edge not starting will continue to occur very often. Microsoft itself promises to constantly improve system components and their functionality. And we, in turn, hope that our article will help our readers restore the menu " Start” when it stopped starting or disappeared completely.

Video on the topic

A huge number of operating system users have encountered an unpleasant situation - after they upgraded to the new Windows 10, they started having problems launching standard programs. The most unpleasant thing is that when the Windows 10 start menu does not open, the notification panel and search also do not work, and some standard programs diligently ignore attempts to launch them.

For some, such problems became the decisive argument in the debate about which Windows is better, pushing them to use the reliable and proven Windows 7 and abandon the innovative ten. However, our readers are not accustomed to giving in to difficulties, and today we will list several ways that can help in solving such problems.

We fix the start menu using a special utility

This error occurs mainly when updating Windows 7 or 8.1 to ten. Such a misfortune affected so many users that the developers paid attention to it and released a special utility that helps restore the functionality of the Start menu and other programs. Therefore, it is worth starting to solve such problems with it.

In June 2016, an official utility was released from the developers, which allows you to get rid of problems with the Start menu, and also diligently corrects other shortcomings.

The utility for fixing the Start menu for Windows 10 can be downloaded directly from the Microsoft website.

Wait while the utility diagnoses problems.

If problems are detected, the utility will automatically correct it, otherwise the following window will appear.

You can view a more detailed report by clicking on additional information.

In the vast majority of cases this should solve most of the above problems. If this does not happen, we proceed to correcting errors manually.

Trying to restart explorer.exe to fix the Windows 10 Start menu

Sometimes, a simple restart of the explorer can solve the problem. In any case, it's worth a try. Call Task Manager with the combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc, or right-click on the taskbar once.

Next find in the list Conductor and restart via the right-click menu.

Did it help? We're lucky. If not, proceed to the next step.

Fixing the Start menu using the registry editor regedit

This method involves using a standard registry editor.

Find the buttons on the keyboard Win+R(plus is not pressed) and enter the command regedit

We are interested in the path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Explorer\ Advanced

If there is no parameter EnableXAMLStartMenu, then you need to create it using the right mouse button.

Give it a value 0 .

Restoring the Start menu using the command line and PowerShell

We need to run the command line as an administrator. This is done both through search and key combinations Win + X

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach (Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml

Create a new user

If the above methods do not help, try creating a new user.
This can be done either through the control panel.

Likewise via the command line using the following:

net user Username /add

What to do if nothing helps?

Try Windows 10 recovery tools. Perform a reset. And sometimes it's enough just to update Windows to the latest version.

A lot of work has been done on Windows 10 to fix bugs, and it hasn’t finished to this day. The operating system is constantly updated, and all errors in it are found and eliminated. 2 years have passed since the launch, and during this time the system has become much more reliable and stable. But it’s impossible to foresee everything, and some errors do occur from time to time, and this has happened to one degree or another in all previous versions of Windows.

I sincerely hope that this material helped you fix the broken Start menu.