Windows 10: I'm done with the Win10 Start Menu + apps

Every couple weeks Windows 10 zaps my start menu and it'll open blank. I'll open the start menu, and all my personal folders, tiles, and the apps that were there moments before will be suddenly gone. After the first time this happened, I learned how to get the apps back (using PowerShell to reinstall and register them) and then I have to re-do all the folders and tiles again. Then it'll happen again. Then again.

Since I don't have the patience to keep repeating this scenario, I installed ClassicShell which has taken care of this issue by re-instating the Win7-style start menu. No problems since. I will not be reinstalling the apps since they'll only disappear again and so I can do without them. The weather and calendar apps never worked right anyway, the were always days behind.

The Anniversary Update did not fix this issue. Anyone else experiencing this?

:)

 

Preparing multiple Win10 machines for deployment, appx packages keep reinstalling

How do I permanently remove appx packages so the next time Windows updates itself they don't reinstall?

I'm prepping Win10 machines for elementary school students, and need to NOT have things like Twitter, Candy Crush, etc. constantly appearing on the start menu.

Yes, I have done the thing in powershell, but that doesn't appear to be a permanent solution as many of the apps I've uninstalled (Hi XBox! You are not welcome here) keep showing back up.

Finally, there needs to be One Clear Way to uninstall these. Some are done through right-clicking on the start menu, others are done via PowerShell but there are different ways to do this depending on which app...

I want to like Windows 10, I really do. It's definitely better than 8. But this appx issue stinks of something rotting in the bowels of Microsoft's Marketing Department, and needs to be solved.

 

Windows 10 Start menu, notification center, store apps not working

Same problem for me. I upgraded from W 7.

Left click on Start menu button (bottom left) not working. Right click gives me menu with option to restart. Done. Does not solve the problem.

So unable to use Win10 apps and features.

Solution??

Tried MS service desk but unable to get call back time. For time being I will advise people around me to hold back on Win10 upgrade until problem resolved.

 

Not me.

It sounds like your Win 10 installation is partly broken. Whether the ClassicShell work-around will keep things running for you, I can't guess.

I suppose that you're not up for a clean install..?

 

Have you tried a repair install? Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Forums

 

Thanks for the replies.

I have an HP laptop and an ASUS desktop, both higher end and less than a year old and came with Win10 preinstalled. Both up to date and configured similarly. This issue has happened twice on the laptop and once on the desktop (the laptop is used more).

It plays out like this: Everything's fine for a few weeks, then I click the start menu, it freezes for a second, the menu kinda flashes and then closes. I click the button again and the menu then comes up empty.

Not reeeally up for an installation, too many things going on right now. I was hoping for maybe some troubleshooting steps I can walk through. I do at least have a start menu now with ClassicShell, and it's actually nice to see the old Win7 start menu again.

 

Go to Start/Search and type CMD, Right click the CMD results and Run As Administrator. In the Elevated Command Prompt type SFC /scannow and press enter. This will replace any missing system files.

 

Have you tried to go through the tutorial here

Start Layout - Reset in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

never encountered or seen this problem on any of my personal or work PCs. there's is something wrong with your install, or your work flow or maybe this is very rare bug.
Do you use any registry cleaners or performance "enchanting" software?
Maybe some OEM preinstalled stuff causes errors. Whenever someone buys OEM PC with preinstalled windows I recommend do clean reinstall (before user stores any files or do any configuration) with bootable USB or DVD created with Media creation tool from Microsoft, clearing everything on HDD (if you need to preserve something like recovery partition for warranty service Image backup solves this..)

 

*Ditto I'll second this recommendation. I have had good luck with repair installs using an in-place upgrade. But, since this is happening to both your systems, it may be something you installed on both, that's not playing nice with W10.

 

This is what I'm leaning toward too...although I haven't installed anything in a long time and this just started maybe a month or two ago. I used to use the registry cleaner in CCleaner for years but stopped that too after reading negative things about them.

The menu and apps are fairly easy to get back with a couple PowerShell commands I came across the first time this happened and I went a-googlin‘ to find answers. The problem is it keeps happening. I fix it, things are okay for a few weeks, then—bam.

 

That is indeed very odd. Perhaps you could save a list of your installed programs (use Ccleaner, provide list for both systems), and post that here in code boxes, using the # button. I've got to believe that, since your 2 systems are different makes, it may be something of your configuration. Would be happy to take a look.






Have you ever used any anti-telemetry programs on these systems?

Also, FWIW, I have used Ccleaner on the registries of numerous computers for many years, and have never once had a problem. Of course, Ccleaner is the ONLY registry cleaner I would ever use; usually tune-up programs do more harm than good. I think you'll find a lot of agreement with this opinion on the forum.

 

Not from me! It would have to provide a tangible benefit - not just fail to make things worse.

No registry cleaner produces any tangible benefit (removing 1kb of unrequired keys doesn't count as any sort of a benefit) and there is always a risk. The fact CCleaner registry cleaner may be so mild as to almost never break anything doesn't mean that there is any point in running it in the first place.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it *Smile

 

Although this is kinda veering off topic and I'd rather this not become a thread about the pros and cons of CCleaner, I just wanted to point out CCleaner was pretty indispensable one time when trying to get rid of every trace of a particular program.

Quick story: I was having issues with CorelDraw suddenly freezing my entire system (mouse and keyboard incl.) every time I opened it. I tried uninstalling then reinstalling but reinstalling then failed again and again. Using CCleaner registry cleaner it turned up several scattered keys that were kept intact after the uninstall. I deleted them and then ran the cleaner again. It came up with more keys! It took I think 4 passes to finally get rid of all the keys related to CorelDraw and I was finally able to reinstall it.

 

Oohh - I'd love to run it on your registry; maybe even defrag that registry while I'm at it! *chuckle Cheers! *Wink