Windows 10: Critcal Error: Your Start Menu Isn't Working

If someone has already posted a thread about this issue, forgive me if this is redundant. Anyway, the start menu doesn't work (Critical Error: Your Start Menu Isn't Working. We'll try to fix it the next time you sign in.") Also not working are any of the start menu-related apps (weather, news, calculator, etc), Cortana and Edge Browser. Pretty much all the things that make Windows 10 so appealing don't work. An hour on a chat with a Microsoft Support Tech yielded no solution. We tried: runing "sfc /scannow", something with command prompt and Powershell, and another scan with "DSIM". Also tried logging in in Safe Mode and then restarting. BTW, the "sfc /scannow" did find errors and repaired them, but that didn't solve the problem. Go figure.

I'm thinking there's no real solution to this problem until Microsoft releases some kind of patch, but if someone has any other idea, I'd sure appreciate it. I really don't want to go back to Windows 8.1.

:)

 

How do I inform Microsoft about a Critical Error?

I have the issue "Critcal Error Star Menu and Cortana Aren't Working".

How do I report this to Microsoft?

 

Critcal Error "Your start menu.....blah blah"

To assist you properly we need to know the complete error message received and the sequence of actions you used prior to receiving error message, (sorry, blah, blah, is not an error message I am familiar with).

I see you have solved the error anyway, it may help others.

 

Hello leafdesigner, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

If you like, a repair install should be able to sort this for you without losing anything.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

 

Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I was hoping there was a less drastic solution than a reset or reinstall. Those often seem to raise new issues of their own.

 

Did this work for you? I'm hesitant to try any fix without some feedback. Any help appreciated. Thanks!

 

It could be user profile corruption. You could create a new user and see if the start menu is working there. If so, you'd need to recreate your original user account.

 

Thanks for your response. I'm afraid I have to do a reinstall.

 

I successfully performed a repair install and the start menu, Cortana, Edge have all been restored. However, most of the icons that apprear on the start menu are a generic white page. Not sure what to do about that. The start menu was also mostly blank after the repair because everything was turned to "off" in the Start Menu Settings.

Anyway, I'm also worried that this problem is going to recur- it has for many users. It seems that MS has definitely not perfected Windows 10, judging by other similar threads I've seen on this forum and things I've turned up doing online searches. If the problem returns, I'll probably just go back to 8.1 (I have the installation disk for that, thankfully- I don't trust the "go back to 8.1" feature in Windows 10). Such a shame, as Windows 10 is in many ways a terrific OS. But what can you do?

 

Hi Brink- thanks, this worked, but see my reply to Jogger52 below.

 

It seems that you have some issue possibly caused by upgrading to 10.

Usually a clean install will give good results. If you want to do a clean install, be sure to select "Skip" when asked to enter a product key since your free Windows 10 activation is registered on the Microsoft activation servers for the PC.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...n-install.html

 

Do I need to do a backup to an external hard drive before I do the clean install? I'm afraid this whole process is beyond my capabilities.

 

I'd prefer not to use the "nuclear option" if I don't have to. I was able to repopulate the start menu with little problem- most of it involves flipping the toggles in Settings>Start. Not sure about the generic icons. It's not a huge deal, but it is annoying.

 

If you went that route, then yeah you would want to back up anything that you do not want to lose.

If you like, post a screenshot showing these icons to see if it may reveal anything that we may be able to sort for you.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...en-forums.html

 

You could try to run, in an elevated command prompt, Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

It is in Brink's tutorial see #5 https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/7...-10-image.html