Critical Error with Start Menu

[Lawrence2025]

Hello! I am new to this. I own a HP laptop, runs either on Windows 10 or 11. My start menu is not working, there is a critical error that displays everything I click the start button. I did uninstall a bunch of apps on my laptop because I thought I did not need them, and after I restarted my laptop I experienced this problem. How do I get my start menu to work again?

[Raj_05]

Hi @Lawrence2025,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The "Critical Error - Your Start Menu Isn't Working" message is a common issue on Windows 10 and 11, and it can be related to changes in system files, corrupted settings, or conflicts caused by uninstalled apps.

Here are several methods you can try to resolve this issue:

Restart Windows Explorer

Sometimes, simply restarting the Windows Explorer process can resolve the Start Menu issue.

• Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
• Step 2: Scroll down to find Windows Explorer in the list.
• Step 3: Right-click on Windows Explorer and choose Restart.

Boot into Safe Mode and Restart

Safe Mode can help resolve certain errors, as it loads a minimal set of drivers and startup programs.

• Step 1: Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Sign out.
• Step 2: Once on the login screen, press and hold the Shift key, and then click Restart.
• Step 3: Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
• Step 4: After restarting, press the number 4 on your keyboard to enter Safe Mode.
• Step 5: Once in Safe Mode, restart your laptop normally and check if the Start Menu works.

Re-register the Start Menu with PowerShell

You can use a PowerShell command to re-register the Start Menu and fix any issues.

• Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Step 2: Click File > Run new task and check the box that says Create this task with administrative privileges.
• Step 3: Type powershell and click OK.
• Step 4: In PowerShell, type the following command and press Enter:

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

• Step 5: Once the process is complete, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

Create a New User Account

If the above methods don’t work, try creating a new local account, which can fix profile-related issues.

• Step 1: Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
• Step 2: Click File > Run new task, type cmd, check Create this task with administrative privileges, and click OK.
• Step 3: In the Command Prompt, type the following and press Enter:

net user newusername newpassword /add

(Replace newusername and newpassword with the username and password you want.)

• Step 4: Log out and log in to this new account, and see if the Start Menu works.

[Raj_05]

Perform a System Restore

If you have a restore point from before the issue started, performing a system restore might resolve the problem.

• Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
• Step 2: Go to File > Run new task, type rstrui.exe, and press OK.
• Step 3: Follow the on-screen instructions to choose a restore point and restore your system.

Reset Windows Without Losing Data

If nothing else works, you can reset Windows while keeping your personal files intact.

• Step 1: Press Shift + Restart from the login screen to access the Advanced Startup.
• Step 2: Choose Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
• Step 3: Select Keep my files and follow the instructions to reset your PC.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support