Windows 10: Where did my start menu go?

After getting all my drives unplugged (not easy in my computer), got the upgrade installed. First boot seemed to work ok, but after shutting down, plugging all my drives back in, then restarting, I'm presented with nothing but a black screen after login. If I leave it about 2-3 minutes my icons and explorer.exe seem to load. I unplugged all my drives again and reboot, but that didn't make any difference either.

Also, I still have no start menu.

 

Once you replug the drives back in the first place to go is into the Advance section of the bios setup to insure the 10 drive is at the top of the list and set as the default boot device first in the boot order if not seeing the optical set first. Laptops generally the optical set first in case you decide to see the recovery media made up typically on dvd when an optical drive is included or can be installed. Tablets, netbooks, etc. wouldn't see that at all however.

The insured boot from the 10 drive would indicate right away the Windows you are seeing is being the upgrade you just saw. The problem with the upgrades except for the second desktop going smoothly until replaced later by a clean install on a fresh primary was things getting scrambled up! The first laptop was 7 upgraded to 10 seeing no Start button yet you could still click to open the Start menu and then no access to the AllApps! Immediate clean install to follow! I think you are running into the same thing there.

 

I am booting from the drive, the optical drive I am using is an USB attached one, I did get my computer from a museum, so it doesn't have an internal optical drive. I unplugged it altogether after it had finished installing

Hi, I'm not entirely sure what you are saying in your second paragraph. My first install was clean install from Windows 10 media, not an upgrade from Windows 7 , I just did an inplace upgrade using Windows 10 media.

 

Also, just to be clear, I have no start menu at all, not just no access to apps.

 

You were the one mentioning an upgrade and why I replied that way.

That is why I explained what can happen with upgrade installs coming out buggy! But I had to think back about your mention earlier about the inplace repair install you mentioned in Post #8 the other day being given a try with the exact same 10 media you saw made up. If you had seen a bad burn to a blank dvd-r, a lousey brand of blanks or simply a bad day, or the write to a flash drive which either came incomplete or you need a better one to work with these are all potential problems.

A bad burn, bad write, bad disk, or bad hair day with a cheapo flash drive being used over and over again or simply worn out that won't provide a good solution! At times you could have a bad clean install but seeing the same problem happen over and over again is a clear indication that something is wrong and likely with the media being used.

You may have seen a bad download?! That's another possible cause to look at where you would have seen a not fully complete "Windows.iso" which needs to be replaced with a fresh download. When downloading various iso files for a new release of some distro I've ended having to have to go back or select an alternate download site in order to get a good one found intact. I would advise considering both media and download as being bad to be able to rule either or both for the next attempt rather then see you struggle with this over and over and simply not getting anywhere. You're getting frustrated for sure not seeing results and now you have to start looking at those as possible causes. Been there done that on many occasions over the years.

 

Hi Nighthawk, when I originally installed Windows 10, it must have been off downloadable media, as when I wen to do the inplace upgrade from my retail disc it was still sealed up. I used the retail disc this time for the inplace upgrade/repair

 

And you still end up seeing a missing Start menu? Yet the retail dvd you have was likely for the 10240 build there simply mass printed when 10 was first out on the RTM side! Likewise the OEM disk here would be the 10240 as well while I only used the key not the disk! Likewise there remember a fresh download to replace.... may hold the solution since without receiving the Insider Preview builds the latest for you would the Threshold 2 Update which would require an 8gb flash drive when downloaded by way of the Media Creation tool. For the Tech Bench site that is for direct downloads of the dual edition in either the 32bit or 64bit flavor you select.

The likelihood that the media you bought retail even if on flash drive would still be the 10240 RTM build and not the Threshold 2 Update unless purchased at least in late November or early December allowing time for distribution to wholesale and onto retail outlets.

Do you remember just when you first downloaded and saw the 10 media created that was used at first? If you downloaded from anywhere prior to November 11th that would also likely be the 10240 since you are not signed for the Windows Insider Program and likely used the MC tool for that.

How long the 10 install was on before the updates would be a good indication of just when you saw 10 downloaded. And if it turns out it was before the TH2 update the option to go for that to see a fresh install and trying that with different media like a different media using a flash drive due to the larger size of both the "4 in 1" TH2 or dual edition iso from Tech Bench being over 4gb on disk. You will want fresh media as well as backtrack to look over each step you took.

 

you hid it. right click in the task bar with your mouse, click properties. in the window that opens uncheck hide taskbar.

 

Originally, I was on the Win 10 insiders program for about 6 months to the release of windows, not long after windows 10 was released my SSD died, and I had to reinstall windows. I think I used a Microsoft made USB drive that was given to us by Microsoft NZ that was read only and had the Microsoft logo on the outside. It then asked for a Windows Key after 30 days, which I was under the impression I wouldn't need to being in the insider program, so went and bought a OEM Windows 10 Pro license (that came with the CD I just Used) .

A bit completed but I hop that makes sense. Seeing as the start menu doesn't work still, the only think I can think of is the update has broken it, or one of my User installed programs/settings has effected it?

Would it be worth doing another inplace upgrade/repair, but not tick "install updates"?

 

The MS usb drive would have been the 10240 likely if a premade type being read only! You tried using it to repair and got nowhere in a fast hurry indicating the updates seen now would be for the Threshold 2 Update 10586 and newer Insider Builds going from the 11092 upto the latest just out 14267 build. The MC tool will suffice as long as you replace that first usb flash drive with a fresh 8gb model.

You may want to grab a second for having a Recovery Drive as well rather then the need to pull out the installation media but tuck that away to keep it safe and not end up being lost or mistaken for one to use for something else. A good one is either an 8gb or 16gb size drive that will slip onto a key chain like a small Kingston Data Traveller I came across when wanting something later then the 4gb size especially when first looking into a 4 in 1 type of install key. Here in the states you would find them at the Walmart site cheap! http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kingston-D...ingMethod=p13n

Also going back to download a second time to see the fresh Threshold 2 "Windows.iso" downloaded and saved either by a second use to get the 4 in1 or from the Tech Bench site using the links provided in the Download 10 guide will be a help if you have to rewrite the flash drive or see another made up. Windows 10 ISO Download - Windows 10 Forums

The install.esd file found in either the BT or WS folders under "Sources\Windows\sources" can be turned into an ISO while the guide for that has a tool that only flashed in a split second when going to use it here for some reason rather then seeing a command prompt style window remain open long enough to follow the step in another guide. ESD to ISO - Create Bootable ISO from Windows 10 ESD File - Windows 10 Forums

 

No it's not...

The task bar is completely visible, as is the start button. The start menu will not open. If the task bar was hidden, pressing the windows key would still open the start menu.

 

Marked this as solved, ended up using a backup to revert to couple weeks ago using full disc image from Acronis True image. Not the most ideal situation but got the result in the end. Will keep an eye on the start menu each time I install a program or updates, so if it does it again, hopefully I'll know the culprit.

 

That still seems a bit odd that you would keep seeing the exact same problem and the media being used in both cases would be the chief suspects. That is why I had to suggest going for one or two fresh downloads and even consider buying a couple of new flash drives in order to see some better results. Hopefully there's nothing wrong with the hard drive itself being another possible concern?

I would definitely keep a watch on things however while generally images created and restored by Acronis have been reliable on their own! So far never had one single issue come up since the 2010 version was bought and still used on 10 not having looking at the versions that came after until 10 was out and I was considering if the 2016 would be needed. NADA! The 2010 Home edition went right on and still works like a champ!

With the image restored at least for the time being this would provide you some time to consider the other suggestions to see to and keep onhand in case the problem comes up again or one of the other machines saw the 10240 not Threshold 2 at all. Or by now most already having seen that go on you would simply see the installation media made up fresh as well as keeping a Recovery Drive available for quick repair options while booted live from that.

Anyways if you should find out just where the problem was you may want to update the thread here in case someone else ends up running into the same or similar problem. The problems with the Start menu seem to be more Upgrade to 10 seen then with any fresh installs however making this one somewhat rare?

 

I'm not a massive fan of the 2016 version, we use the 2010/2014 versions at work and they are much simpler to use. They kind of "dumbed down" 2016 and you have to go searching for buried settings.

 

Well this is also what I have been hearing about the latest being a ton of bloatware rather then having a familiar gui to work with! Since I see periodic images created but rarely need to see any restored I haven't been bothering to go for a new version every couple of years since the same 2010 is still doing the job!

Now if Acronis had ended up being like VIPRE Internet Security being the av software or VM Player prior to the last 7.2 version seen a month before 10's launch which was needed to replace the older 5.5 version I would have likely been stuck looking at either the 2016 or going with a new program. That wouldn't have been Macrium Reflect however having already looked that over some time back but perhaps the Paragon software as an alternate.