Windows 10: Problem with Taskbar - Start button - Cortana - Edge

Windows 10 Home
Version 1709
Build 16299.192

I suddenly have a problem with the Task Bar when I can open all applications pinned on the Task Bar except Edge which gave me a "System Call Failed" error, Cortana does not work and the Start button only works when I right click it, Windows Defender shows with a blue screen, Network icon does not work!








Any help would be appreciated.

:)

 

windows 10 cortana,start menu,windows apps not working

the taskbar buttons on the right side buttons doesnt open except show hidden icons...the start menu and cortana doesnt work..microsoft edge doesnt open but i fixed the windows store..

 

Edge ,cortana, and windows store not working. Error code: 0x80072f30

Edge, Cortana, windows store not working. The edge and Cortana icons don't show up on my taskbar and the windows Start button doesn't work at all. Additionally I cannot use the internet connection, speaker, notification and time/calendar functions on the
start bar all do not work. I've tried restoring to a previous date (didn't work) and even reinstalling the OS and that didn't work either, HELP!

 

Hi, do you have a system restore point you can use? (Note, System restore will only be active if you have specifically enabled it since the last build upgrade).

Have you installed any new programs recently that might account for this?

Please post a screenshot of your Update History.

More: perform the following basic checks:
Download, install and run Hard Disk Sentinel (trial) to check you disk a post a screenshot of its GUI.
If ok, from an admin command prompt run
chkdsk C: /scan
and post the result. If ok run
SFC /SCANNOW
and post the result.

If ok, please create a new user for test purposes and check your symptoms when logged in as that user and report the result. (This helps to discriminate between basic Windows problems and the user profile).

 

Will carry out the requested and post from my laptop later when done.

 

I did download an update for iTunes and downloaded Faststone Image viewer both of which I have uninstalled when I first became aware of the problem with the Task Bar, but the issue remained. Edge will eventually load but becomes erratic and unresponsive after a while.
I have checked for Restore Point but like you say the last build upgrade has deleted all the Restore Points I previously had even though System Protection was enabled!!
Hard Disk Sentinel screenshot (I always have Hard Disk Sentinel Pro running)




Windows installed updates




chkdsk log
Log Name: Application
Source: Chkdsk
Date: 04/02/2018 15:11:51
Event ID: 26226
Task Category: None
Level: Information
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: DESKTOP-MD3805I
Description:
Chkdsk was executed in scan mode on a volume snapshot.

Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
466688 file records processed.
File verification completed.
9431 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
14873 reparse records processed.
546974 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.
0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.
14873 reparse records processed.

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
40144 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
35342752 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.

Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required.

976247807 KB total disk space.
161739988 KB in 199309 files.
132556 KB in 40145 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
612371 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
813762892 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
244061951 total allocation units on disk.
203440723 allocation units available on disk.

----------------------------------------------------------------------


Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...

Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Chkdsk" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">26226</EventID>
<Level>4</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2018-02-04T15:11:51.025606800Z" />
<EventRecordID>7978</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>DESKTOP-MD3805I</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>

Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
466688 file records processed.
File verification completed.
9431 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
14873 reparse records processed.
546974 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.
0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.
14873 reparse records processed.

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
40144 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
35342752 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.

Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required.

976247807 KB total disk space.
161739988 KB in 199309 files.
132556 KB in 40145 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
612371 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
813762892 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
244061951 total allocation units on disk.
203440723 allocation units available on disk.

----------------------------------------------------------------------


Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
</Data>
<Binary>001F0700EFA603000C940600000000006C140000AD2500000000000000000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

SFC SCANNOW log

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.16299.192]
(c) 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>SFC /SCANNOW

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Created new user account, all was in working order but there was a notification that an app had made changes to my browser and Windows had rectified the problem.

I shall power off the pc and restart it to see if the issue has been resolved, if not I will restore a backup from last month.

 

It's technically necessary and correct for restore points created under a different build to be deleted as they are incompatible and irrelevant after an upgrade. So I guess you didn't re-enable System restore after the last upgrade.

It sounds as if you may be using disk imaging (final sentence) - if so- great!

Your disks are physically ok -good.

I can't see your images (esp Update History).
Please add screenshots using the icon to the left of the video icon above your post, so they expand when clicked on and are clear.

chkdsk and SFC SCANNOW are ok - good.

- clearly points to some specific change that has occurred on this user profile.

Windows is ok, so the Update History should not be relevant.

The difficulty fixing this is knowing what has changed- setting? perhaps unlikely. Program installed? Some sort of corruption- could be.

If it was just one app, it would be easy to say 'reinstall it', but it isn't.

If you have a disk image, that would be the most straightforward way, provided you first make a backup of any data that would be overwritten, and know what changes you've made since created that image.

(Which is why a great strategy is to
a. keep a simple log
b. keep personal data off C: as far as possible)

 

The backups I create every month with Macrium Reflect Home Edition 7.1 which I recommend.
I did upload the images using the picture icon next to the video icon before nevertheless I have uploaded them again here.







I powered off the pc and rebooted again and every thing seems OK for now if not I will restore the disk image I created last month.

Edited: I have a suspicion that when I installed iTunes was when the issue emerged!

 

Great. 3rd party program.

- for some reason your screenshots aren't expanding- here's an example for comparison:

 

It seems that the expanding problem is with this web site as I cannot expand your image either.

 

Hmm, odd.. for example the image in this tutorial still expand:
Change Color and Appearance in Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

- which might suggest it's a problem affecting recently uploaded images..