Start button doesn’t working

Question

Hello,

I have a serious issue with my Windows laptop. My Start menu does not open at all, either by clicking it or using the keyboard.

Additionally, my internet settings are missing — the Wi-Fi icon is gone, and I cannot access or configure any network settings.

Files do not open: photos, videos, Word documents — nothing works except for PDF files.

Also, the administrator terminal does not work. When I try to open it, I get an error saying access to this file is denied by the system.

I have already tried restarting my laptop and several solutions I found online, but nothing has worked.

Please, if anyone can help me with this problem, it is very important. I need my laptop to work properly as soon as possible.

Thank you for your assistance.

Answer 1

Hi, thank you for that information. Based on your inputs, it seems the OS is corrupted or there is a file system error on the PC. In this case, I recommend running a custom installation to fix the issue. However, the process will delete all apps but will retain all files on the PC. If you are okay with that, you may follow the steps provided below:

 

We need another PC and a USB drive (At least 8GB Make sure there are no files inside, as it will reformat the USB) Once you have that, kindly follow the steps:

 

To Create Installation Media:

 

Go to the Windows 11 website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

 

Under Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) select Create Windows 11 Installation Media.

 

-After downloading, run the media creation tool. You need to be an administrator to run this tool.

-If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.

-On the What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.

-Select the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit) for Windows 11.

-Select USB.

 

To do a custom installation:

Once done downloading Windows 11 to the USB, kindly follow the steps below:

 

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-perform-a-custom-installation-of-windows-11/38adfa8c-32f8-4354-8c53-13b5f2cf7e44

Answer 2

Hi, you are always welcome, and I'm glad it is all good now.

Answer 3

It sounds like you're experiencing multiple issues with your Windows laptop, particularly with the Start menu and other functionalities. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

1. Check for Updates: Ensure your system is running the latest Feature and Cumulative Monthly updates. Sometimes, issues arise after updates, so it's worth checking if any recent updates might have caused the problem.
2. Start Menu Package: Verify if the Start menu package is installed. Open a non-elevated PowerShell prompt and run:

      Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost
   

   If you receive no response, try checking for all users:

      Get-AppxPackage *StartMenu* -AllUsers
   

   If the package exists, you can register it using:

      Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml" -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode
   

   Make sure to run this command in a non-elevated prompt.
3. Background Tasks Infrastructure Service: Ensure that the Background Tasks Infrastructure Service is set to automatic startup. You can check this in the Services MMC. If it’s not running, try starting it manually.
4. Event Logs: Check the event logs for any errors related to the Start menu or other applications. Look for specific Event IDs that might indicate what’s going wrong.
5. Group Policy Settings: If you have access to Group Policy settings, ensure that no policies are restricting access to the Start menu or network settings. For example, the policy to remove the All Programs list from the Start menu could be affecting your experience.
6. Administrator Access: If you're encountering access denied errors, ensure that your user account has the necessary permissions. You may need to boot into Safe Mode or use recovery options to regain access.

If these steps do not resolve the issues, you may need to consider performing a system restore or repair installation to restore functionality.

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References:

• Start menu troubleshooting guidance
• Issues with deployment or installation
• Common errors and mitigation

Answer 4

Hi, I'm Bernard, a fellow Windows user. I'm happy to help!

I understand the issue you have. There is nothing to worry about. I am here to assist. Based on your inputs, it seems that there are multiple errors on the PC. Moreover, did you log in as an administrator? If yes, I recommend doing the steps provided by Q&A Assist. If the issue persists, I suggest doing an in-place upgrade, wherein it will upgrade the device to the latest version and repair all issues without deleting any files.

 

Kindly follow the steps from this link:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4252110/how-to-run-in-place-upgrade-in-windows-11