Windows 10 - Start Menu and Cortana not working? Fix Here! Hopefully

[randyklijn12]

The 10 second fix!

Hello i found the file that blocks cortana and winows icon.
Its Avast That makes it bug.
1. Go to Files (if you cant go to thrash there you find it to)
2. Go to Lokal drive
3. There you see: Old windows and windows and more Click at windows
4. There is 1 file with avast in the name.
5. DELETE IT! and Restart you pc and you will have an no bugt version of windows 10!

Thx for reading my comment! rly:

 

[welder79]

Use run windows button + r and then type in control panel

 

[welder79]

Thank you ven07 this worked for me, it was Avast anti virus causing the start menu problems.

 

[904Biscuit]

I'm having the same problem. Did you find a fix?

 

[904Biscuit]

i dont have avast does anybody know what else the problem could be my start menu doesnt work and my icons in bottom right corner doesnt work volume network action center

Same problem here... any fix known?

 

[mishulete]

Foxxbatt's post worked for me - just restart in safemode and back to normal mode again:

crt alt del to bring up task manager
click file
run new task
enter "msconfig" (you need admin privileges)
go to boot section, click on safeboot and network
ok to restart
after restart just repeat the process but unclick the safe boot square in msconfig
restart again..
you should be good.

 

[PK-SwimRef]

Like Mishulete, the fix offered by Foxxbatt also worked for me. Thank you for finding and reposting the process.
I will add, for the benefit of the group, that I also run Avast anti-virus on my HP ProBook 6450b, but my problem with the Start Menu only became evident after using the install disk that came with a new Samsung mono laser printer. The reset via Safe Mode has been a simple and painless work round that appears to be stable at this time.

Hope this all helps.

 

[Anshu Jha]

Appreciate the help. Thanx alot
alot

 

[shadowstorm89]

Hey everyone i think i found the reason for this happening and a perm solution. I had installed the the .NET Framework 3.5 and all of a sudden my start menu stopped working. After using the .net cleanup tool and uninstalled all versions of .net framework installed, it started working again. not sure if this is a coincidence or not but worth giving a try and letting me know if it worked for you too.

 

[NenadJK]

I think I may have found the problem... Do those dealing with this problem have avast antivirus installed? If so, I believe that is what is causing the 'critical error'. I uninstalled the software and upon reboot my start button and cortana were working perfectly again. Now I'm sure you all know how to uninstall software on your PCs but it may not work in normal mode with the critical error as it didn't with me. Therefore I uninstalled in safe mode. Incase you arent familiar with how to access safe mode on windows 10, heres how: You press ctrl+alt+delete, and in the bottom right hand corner you click the power button. Before you click 'restart', hold down the shift key until the next screen is displayed (blue). Then click troubleshoot, advanced options, start-up settings, restart. Once it restarts, press the F4 key, and when it restarts you will be in safe mode. Now just do the normal thing to uninstall avast and then reboot following the installation and it should be fixed!

I also posted this response on the Microsoft forum: 'Windows 10 Critical error fix, Start menu and cortana not working" bug when logging in with MSA?'

Hope this can help some people! it was hella frustrating trying to fix this!
-LiamHughess

SOLVED FOR AVAST USERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
whenever your windows updates, avast needs to update too, 1st of all, turn avast off manually. Go so avast settings, and update it manualy(cuz it wont update before its scheduled time). When its done it will restart and there you go
Core of this problem is the conflict between avast and windows defender, so after every WINDOWS UPDATE , manualy update avast and yar cool. I figured this out since when I booted up my PC after 2 days I got notification from avast that's its been updated and everything worked. On next update everything stopped working, so I updated manually and there you go. Hope this helped

 

[NenadJK]

Check below. It's the same for every antivirus and windows defender conflict

 

[IANOR]

I am sure some peoples error really happens because of AVAST, but its not at all the only cause.
I am using ESET NOD32 for example, and it has nothing to do with it. I even uninstalled it for some days, and the error still appeared. Its being triggered by dropbox, when a new picture comes in, or steam, if i make a screenshot in some game, or even with some torrent klient when something is finished. All this comes to one common point: The communication in the system tray are with bubble messages. This is what your AV also does.

Anyways, i did not find any solution yet (i can only laugh at some of the suggestions, that require a restart at some point - because restart always fixes this temporarly, just everything else they told you to do is useless...), BUT what i did find is a workaround!
Watched some youtube video, where a guy clicked right on the startmenu, ran control panel, then security and troubleshooting, and let the windows update troubleshooter do scan for problems. Well, even if it does not find any problems, the start menu just magically works again after this Without a need for restart, or any of the other risky processes.

The real problem is, M$ never admitted this problem exists, and it seems that they never will. Since they dont provide any changelogs, they also dont have to admit any errors. They silently fix it at some time, or not, its entirely up to them. But i am tired stressing myself on this issue... whenever my start menu dies, i just click the workaround, and continue using the pc.

 

[lasancmt]

I also run Avast and Foxxbatt solution seemed to have done the trick
Thanks for sharing

crt alt del to bring up task manager
click file
run new task
enter msconfig w/admin privileges
go to boot section, click on safeboot and network
ok to restart
after restart just repeat the process but unclick the safe boot square in msconfig
restart again..
you should be good

 

[ItsJustPenny]

When I get to the step where I press F4 to restart, I get a prompt stating that I need to enter a key in order to procede. Where do I find this information?

 

[vision777]

Hi, thank you so very much.. I followed your clear directions and my Windows 10 Start Menu and Cortana are both visable and working again and I can also see all of other icons along the bottom..

 

[cathy74]

It worked!! Thank you! :grin:

 

[Karsten T]

This was the only fix that worked for me. Windows 10 is a bit of a nightmare. I never had any problems at all with Windows 7.
I have lost Windows Store on Windows 10, and haven't figured out how to get it back yet.
I also have bluetooth problems on Windows 10.

 

[Karsten T]

I mean this was the only fix that worked for me:

crt alt del to bring up task manager
click file
run new task
enter msconfig w/admin privileges
go to boot section, click on safeboot and network
ok to restart
after restart just repeat the process but unclick the safe boot square in msconfig
restart again..
you should be good

Thanks Foxxbatt

 

[ritu_brij79]

My problem got fixed with this fix! Thanks, can I install avast again or not.

 

[cristinaivaldi]

I haven't got Avast on my computer, but the start menu is not working anyway