Windows 10: Start Menu is not working

Thanks Paul*Smile I'm getting this message after the DISM scan.

Error: 0x800f081f
The source files could not be found.
Use the "Source" option to specify the location of the files that are required to restore the feature. For more information on specifying a source location, see Configure a Windows Repair Source.
The DISM log file can be found at C:\WINDOWS\Logs\DISM\dism.log

 

have a look at post #6 here, couple of extra steps
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/7...-10-image.html

if it still fails it might need the windows install files, but not sure how win 10 keeps these, if it does

 

Thanks Paul, I'm trying the restorehealth at the moment and then gonna try the SFC method again, if that won't work would you know if there is any possibility to perform a system backup (image) and then perform a full system restore of Windows 10 again and then open the files that I have on the computer in the image on the C:/ drive? I know I will lose my programs unfortunately which I have already installed such as anti-virus etc, but yeah it's better than having a start menu not working *Smile

 

From the restorehealth method I just got this error:

Error: 87
The restorehealth' option is not recognized in this context.
For more information, refer to the help.

 

I've had my start menu stop working a few times running Windows 10. All I did was open the task manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), under the processes tab click windows explorer under apps, then click restart on the bottom right. Worked for me every time.

 

Hi TheRealDGK,


I have the task manager open but I can't seem to find explorer.exe in it under the "Processes" tab however under the "Information" tab I have the explorer.exe but I can't seem to find any option to restart it, there is only on the right side "Stop Activity" and when pressing that the whole interface disappears.

 

I installed ClassicShell just for the heck of it, and it took about 15 minutes to fully integrate into the system, during which time the entire taskbar was inaccessible. To get the the regular menu, I press shift+win.

Has OP Installed any Start Menu enhancers like ClassicShell? Or maybe activate Cortana, that had an impact on me as well. It works fine now.

 

Hey XWE,


Just installed ClassicShell but it feels a bit wierd though, not wierd in that sense. But it is a temporary solution even though the start menu works, but still on the right side the Wifi, Sound icon, battery icon and such is inaccessible (not very frustrating) since the start menu works. I wished the whole interface worked though, maybe is a script or coding miss in the new OS. When I'm pressing on the WIFI icon there just comes a "load" like it is just loading cause of bad scripture, not sure why but the whole start menu and interface worked the first day and then the second day it became bugged somehow as if it reacts to too many apps installed, possibly that it can't handle too many installed apps until it bugs itself. *Smile

 

Sorry about that, it was showing up in the Apps sub-menu because I had a folder open. When I don't have one open It's still in the processes tab but in the Windows Processes sub-menu. Here's a screenshot:

 

No problems at all *Smile The wierd thing is that I have the utcsvc.exe process also at the same place as yours just that there is no Windows Explorer.exe up in the processes and I have no "restart" button on the right side, mine is "Stop Activity" which is when I press it the process ends but it doesn't restart the process. I'm not sure if you have the WIN10 Home Edition? Maybe it is different from how the activity monitor look in Win 10 Pro and Home Edt. *Confused

 

I got a question, when/if you updated to Windows 10. did you do it via the OTA update provided or did you use the disk?

I am reading a LOT of problems here and I am just going to go out on a limb here and state that most of these problems arise from the OTA Update? Because on two systems I updated with the Windows 10 Pro disk, they both activated and they don't have any problems whatsoever, and my Fresh Install of 10 has absolutely NO issues whatsoever. The two systems were updated by In-Place Installs, and my system is a regular custom install.

If you keep on having issues, I'd say locate an ISO image for the version you have installed and then do an In-Place Install so see if it fixes your problems. I'm going to start suggesting this for some of the other problems in here.

OTA (Over the Air) updates are an issue with Apple iDevices, my iPhone runs crappy if I do an OTA update. But when I do a fresh restore through iTunes, it works great. So I am going to assume Windows 10 OTA updates have the same kinds of problems.

 

That's so weird lol. I have Win10 Pro. Well sorry I couldn't help you out on this one, This worked every time my start menu wouldn't work. It would show the start menu button being clicked animation but nothing would happen.

 

XWE

I thought since I always had Windows 7 before that I wanted to tryout Windows 10 and just see how the new OS was since I wanted to also experience something new. I did the installation based on a reservation two weeks prior to the OS being released so the upgrade went through the system and not through ISO / CD/ DVD. I'm not sure if there would be any difference of the ISO and the upgrade that Windows sent out weeks ago if so I do know that most people have upgraded not from the ISO but from the desktop upgrade itself. I've also tried the Windows Updater many times with no new updates, the only updates I got from Windows Update were based on a 600mb installation. Why would the OTA upgrade be different from the ISO if it is still the same Operating System, that feels a bit wierd *Eek

 

No problems, it is really wierd that it looks different on your activity monitor compared to mine lol.

 

You should be able to find an ISO for Windows 10 on the Net, make sure it is the exact same version you got. There are many placed to get them, just google it. If you find one, just run an in-place install. You will have to re-activate possibly, but that can be dealt with via a call to MS. Or, you can find a copy of MS Toolkit that can be used to backup your license and restore it. I don't know if that's a legit thing to do, I only use it for my own licenses on my own systems, in fact I just backed up a faulty Windows 7 license and restored it after a wipe and re-install, it just puts the same key back in. But I'm hoping you can call MS and just tell them you had to do an In-Place reinstall, and they should give you a new one, call them first if you are not sure, I'd do it anyway.

There is a huge difference between doing an OTA update and a disk based in-place install, this was an issue with windows 8.1 if I recall. It's always an issue with Apple devices like iPads and iPhones, I don't know what it is exactly, but something always goes wrong with an OTA update. So I avoid them at all costs lately.