10061 - No working Start, Modern apps or Cortana

[michail71]

After upgrading to 10061 the Start menu, Cortana and any modern apps don't seem to launch. Anyone know a fix?

 

[michail71]

I can get the side "search everywhere" menu to come up by right clicking on the start button and selecting search. If I try to run a modern/RT app app from there I can see a brief flash on the screen where it looks like the app opened and closed quickly.

I can't even run settings or notifications.

 

[bittercold]

Try this to fix Cortana. If that works then I can walk you through how to fix the rest of the modern apps.

1. Open powershell as admin.
2. Browse to C:\Program Files\Windowsapps
3. Do a Dir
4. You will find something like: Microsoft.Cortana_1.4.2.200_neutral_CortanaApp.scale-180_8wekyb3d8bbwe
5. CD to it.
6. Run this command: powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register AppxManifest.xml
7. Cortana comes back from the dead.
8. If that doesn't work you might also have to run I on another Cortana folder (there are two).

 

[michail71]

Thanks, just found this in the event log for each time I try to run anything.

Activation of app Microsoft.Cortana_8wekyb3d8bbwe!CortanaUI failed with error: The operation was blocked by parental controls. See the Microsoft-Windows-TWinUI/Operational log for additional information.

 

[michail71]

I ran it on the first folder and that executed. Tried it on the second and got the following. Cortana still not working.

PS C:\Program Files\windowsapps\Microsoft.Cortana_2015.411.1537.4386_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe> powershell -ExecutionPolic
y Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register AppxManifest.xml
Add-AppxPackage : Cannot find path 'C:\Program
Files\windowsapps\Microsoft.Cortana_2015.411.1537.4386_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml' because it does not
exist.
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register AppxManifest.xml
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (C:\Program File...ppxManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], ItemNotFou
ndException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand

 

[Legoboyii]

It ran a little wacky for me after the install, just give it a restart and clean up all system files, let it run and cycle down for a bit then restart again. Give it some time on start up then things should run fine

That's how it went for me, and if an app isn't being nice, open task manager, if its there end it then try opening the app, should work next time around. Start Menu being a jerk? Open task manager and restart file explorer. Should work now.

 

[michail71]

I did all that as my first round of troubleshooting. I think it's something going on with permissions. Researching the event log error indicates something along those lines.

I'll be able to troubleshoot more tonight.

 

[akhanman]

I have the same issue. The start menu disappeared about an hour after updating and playing around on my SP3!

 

[michail71]

Can you run any modern apps, cortana searches, notifications, settings, etc.?

Mine was never there to begin with.

 

[akhanman]

I had the benefit of all, setup the new mail and calendar apps, activated and tested Cortana and "hey Cortana", ran modern apps. It's just that an hour or so into playing around, the windows button stopped working completely as did Cortana. And of course without the start screen there's no running any modern apps. No notifications or setting either.

 

[michail71]

Weird, hopefully we'll figure this out. Check your event viewer. Mine logs an error each time I try to open anything modern.

 

[akhanman]

Affirmative. Every error refers to the operation being blocked by parental controls.

 

[michail71]

I wonder if it is related to the parental controls account option? Seems like it got in an over aggressive state.
Set up Parental Controls - Windows Help

 

[michail71]

Build 10061 - Failure to run Modern Apps (including start) - Microsoft Community

Upvote it

 

[michail71]

Affirmative. Every error refers to the operation being blocked by parental controls.

I have a child's account on my PC from one that was visiting. I actually get an email every so often with an activity report. Do you have anything like that setup? Perhaps that is the root cause.

 

[michail71]

When I get home I'll try messing with the parental controls and account profiles. I think this can be fixed. I refuse to reinstall

 

[michail71]

All the settings related to parental controls are in a modern app. So that's a no go.

I tried some of the security settings here, windows - Metro apps crash on startup, driver or permissions issue? - Super User but that didn't help.

 

[akhanman]

I have a child's account on my PC from one that was visiting. I actually get an email every so often with an activity report. Do you have anything like that setup? Perhaps that is the root cause.

I have my kids' accounts under parental control as well on my SP3. I'll try to remove the kids accounts and let you know what happens.

 

[akhanman]

I removed my kids' parental controlled accounts - no luck

 

[michail71]

I followed the event log to where it started happening.

I have two ESENT error entries about trying to delete a temporary database
After that there is information the software protection service has scheduled for a restart followed by a message the service stopped. It's a this point the flood of parental control messages start.

I deleted the temp file and rebooted but it didn't help.