Start Menu completely misbehaves.

Question

Basically anything I click on makes the Start Menu go away. If I select 'settings' for instance, the menu goes away. And then, settings blinks for some 10 seconds before remaining on the screen. The settings menu works. Also, I can't turn my computer off because if I click on the power button, the menu goes away.

Some data that might help:

My computer was fine yesterday.

This happened right after a Windows Update, but not before I had to restart.

Since I couldn't restart properly, I had to use the reset button.Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

Thanks for the clarification.

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This confirms that it's something in Windows itself, and not something caused by third-party software.

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I think it's a good idea to see if it's possible to use System Restore to revert Windows to a state where it was working correctly. Do this using WinRE.

Start your computer again in the WinRE.

• On the Choose an option screen, select "Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore" and follow the on-screen instructions.

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If you manage to restore Windows, see if the problem stops occurring. Don't update Windows immediately; test it a little.

When you confirm that the problem has really stopped occurring, see if updating Windows causes the problem to return.

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Please let me know how it goes.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Answer 2

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

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I've seen many users with similar reports to yours.

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Please, see if the same behavior occurs if you start Windows in Safe Mode.

1. Press "Ctrl + Alt + Del" to open the security screen. Select the "Power" icon in the bottom-right corner. While holding down the "Shift" key, click "Restart". Your PC will boot into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
2. On the Choose an option screen, select "Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart";
3. After your device restarts, you'll see a list of options. Select option 4 from the list or press F4 for Safe Mode.

You don't have to run Windows in Safe Mode forever. This is just a test to help isolate the source of the problem.

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Please let me know the result.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Answer 3

The behavior matches known Start menu and shell issues that can occur after updates or shell glitches.

First, try the least disruptive shell reset steps:

1. Restart Windows Explorer
   1. Right‑click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
   2. On the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer.
   3. Right‑click Windows Explorer and select Restart.
   4. Test the Start menu again (click Start, then Settings and Power).
2. Sign out and sign back in
   1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
   2. Select Sign out.
   3. Sign back into the account and test the Start menu.

If the Start button or menu still misbehaves, check for the broader shell issue documented for similar symptoms (Start button not responding, UI elements not appearing correctly). The same remedies apply: restarting Explorer and signing out/in are the primary workarounds for transient shell failures.

If the problem persists after these steps and started directly after an update and forced reset, use Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC with Keep my files as a last resort to repair system components while preserving personal files.

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References:

• Start button, charms and other user interface elements do not respond
• Start menu troubleshooting guidance
• Plethora of issues relating to windows and possibly security. - Microsoft Q&A I'm not sure where to start.