Windows 10: Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)?

Discus and support Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)? in Windows 10 Software and Apps to solve the problem; I am running Windows 10 on a 15 month old Dell laptop. Starting yesterday, I've been having trouble clicking on items on the Windows Start Menu. When I... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Software and Apps' started by RhinoCan, Mar 30, 2017.

  1. RhinoCan Win User

    Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)?


    I am running Windows 10 on a 15 month old Dell laptop. Starting yesterday, I've been having trouble clicking on items on the Windows Start Menu. When I try to launch an app by clicking on a Start Menu icon, no border is drawn around the icon and the app won't launch. This applies to any app I've tried.

    The only thing that relieves the problem is a restart of Windows but even that only gives temporary relief. After a few hours, I'm suddenly unable to click on Start Menu items again.

    I'm baffled. I haven't done any Windows Updates in several days so that doesn't seem to be the cause. The only thing I've done to my computer in the last few days is revert my Avast back to the free version after doing a free trial of their paid version. But I did that a couple of days before the problem started.

    Can someone tell me how to resolve this problem? Also, is there any workaround? I'd love to be able to launch programs while we're figuring this out.

    :)
     
    RhinoCan, Mar 30, 2017
    #1

  2. why can i not click on anything in my start menu and it open?

    Hi Kerson,



    Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.



    I understand that you are facing issues with Start menu on Windows 10. I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.

    The issue could occur if some system file is corrupt.

    To assist you better, please provide the information:

    1. Are you getting any error message?

    2. Have you made any changes to the Computer prior to the issue?



    I suggest you to perform the below methods and check if it helps.

    1. Open an Administrator CMD window. If you can’t find a way, use these steps:

    2. Press CTRL+Shift+ESC to open Task Manager.

    3. Click File > Run New Task.

    4. Make sure you have a check mark beside “Create this task with administrative privileges”.

    5. Type "CMD" without the quotes and hit on
    Enter Key.

    6. Type the following commands at the CMD prompt and hit onEnter Key:

    sfc /scannow

    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth



    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

    7. If the above didn’t resolve the issues. Then perform the below methods.

    8. If the above commands both completed and show no remaining issues, run these commands:

    powershell

    Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*SystemApps*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

    Reply to us with the information, so that we can assist you better.

    Let us know if you need any further assistance on Windows related issues and we will be glad to help.
     
    Nyima Yonten, Mar 30, 2017
    #2
  3. why can i not click on anything in my start menu and it open?

    I just downloaded windows 10 very excited about the update well not so much right now when I click the window in the bottom left corner anything other then settings will not open I can click it doesn't do anything I also try to click the store button and
    nothing as well whats going on can anyone please help me this is frustrating.
     
    amandaatkerson, Mar 30, 2017
    #3
  4. Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)?

    I've had the same issue on multiple computers, so maybe it isn't just you. Sadly, don't know how to fix it :/
     
    Corey Martin, Mar 30, 2017
    #4
  5. dalchina New Member
    Does that only affect the Start Menu - not e.g. the desktop or taskbar?
    I've not heard of that before.

    If no solution, you could simply try Classic Shell start menu (free) - excellent reputation, and works with large complex start menus with sub-sub folders when Win 10's doesn't. Drag 'n drop, can launch apps, better search bar than Cortana's - and you can still use the Win 10 start menu if you want.

    Like the best combination of XP and Win 7 start menu features- very configurable. But no tiles.

    It would at least give you a comparison and show whether the effect is Start Menu only related.
     
    dalchina, Mar 31, 2017
    #5
  6. RhinoCan Win User
    Sorry for the delay in replying; it's been a hectic few days!

    The problem is most noticeable in the Start Menu. It happens intermittently. I can resolve the problem every time by signing out and signing back but that takes around 10 minutes each time and relief from the symptoms can be as short as a few minutes before I have to sign out and back in. As you can imagine having to spend 10 minutes on signing out and in to get five minutes relief from the problem is a massive drain on my productivity and very frustrating as well.

    I have had the occasional lag when clicking on some taskbar icons but they usually work, if not on the 1st click then the second or third or fifth. Another odd thing I noticed today is that when I clicked on my keyboard list icon on the task bar - I have a few different keyboards installed for the rare occasion where I am writing French or German and need the accents - the list was empty. The background for the list seemed to be the right size but none of the text in the list was visible.

    I'm also finding the computer very slow to respond to clicks in general but, again, intermittently. I've had issues with "not responding" in Firefox (especially) for months. This laptop is just over a year old and came with the substantial memory but I'm starting to wonder if I need to add some more.

    Where do I find Classic Menu so that I can try it? Is that a built-in Windows feature that I can turn on/off or is it an add-on that I need to track down and install?
     
    RhinoCan, Apr 2, 2017
    #6
  7. dalchina New Member
    Hi, to establish basics:
    a. You have a laptop - do you experience the same problems if using your touchpad as an external mouse?
    b. What sort and type of connection is your external mouse- assuming you're using one?
    c. If you boot to Safe Mode, do you experience the same delays?
    d. What build number is your Windows (Win key + R, winver)?

    Please also post a screenshot of your task manager when your PC is nominally idle (normal boot). (Lag can be due to high resource use).

    Also, given your log off/on times, please download and run CrystalDiskinfo (Easy to find) and post its displayed result (SMART param check on your disk).

    If good, please do this basic file system check:
    From an admin command prompt
    [Windows key + X, click command prompt (admin)]
    chkdsk C: /F
    Your PC will need to restart.
    Post back the result, which you can get after a restart as follows:
    How do I see the results of a CHKDSK that ran on boot? - Ask Leo!

    Classic Shell start menu is a free 3rd party highly recommended configurable start menu with a good search box that optionally behaves like Win 7/XP start menus. You can still use Win 10's start menu when it's installed. Very low resource use.
    Easy to find.
     
    dalchina, Apr 2, 2017
    #7
  8. xpclient Win User

    Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)?

    xpclient, Apr 2, 2017
    #8
  9. RhinoCan Win User
    Sorry for the delay; I didn't finally read your suggestions until a short time ago.

    I found Classic Shell a few minutes after I posted asking about it; all it took was a simple search Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)? :) I've been using it all day and it has been reliable, unlike the way the Windows 10 Start Menu has been behaving the last few days. Classic Shell has done everything I needed it to do so far, although I probably haven't done everything I might want it to do. Nevertheless, I would like to get the Windows 10 Start Menu working a lot better if it isn't too time-consuming.

    I don't normally use a mouse any more and don't have one handy; however I'll be borrowing my brother's mouse for a bit tomorrow morning and will post back with the results then. (It's nearly 10pm local time right now.)

    I haven't booted into Safe Mode yet. I did find some instructions on how to do that in Windows 10 and I see it's changed yet again. I'll do that in the morning as well. Does it matter *which* safe mode I use for your purposes: Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with command prompt?

    My Windows Version is 1607 and my build number is 14393.953.

    What parts of Task Manager do you want in screen captures? Please specify which tabs and whether you just want the first few entries (after they've been sorted) or if you want all of the entries.

    I found and installed CrystalDiskInfo easily enough but what information do you want from it? Just the report that displays when you launch it? Or do you want me to run some of the different functions? I'm running the current version, which is 7.0.5.

    I haven't run the chkdsk yet because I'm not sure the CrystalDiskInfo is "good". Are you looking for a specific number in a specific parameter or do you just want the "Health status" to be (literally) "Good"? The status *is* Good.
     
    RhinoCan, Apr 3, 2017
    #9
  10. dalchina New Member
    Hi, Status 'good' from Crystal Diskinfo is fine, so you can run chkdsk.

    If unsure of procedures e.g. how to boot to safe mode, there is a host of professional quality tutorials in the Tutorials section, with pictures too!

    Glad you like Classic Shell- it's worth playing with the skins and configuration.

    Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)? [​IMG]

    I like the way it handles large menus as well as behaving like a compact Win 7 start menu, and the search is so straightforward.

    Now, strange that you find no problem with clicking on that, but do elsewhere.

    Task manager- just post a screenshot of the window when your PC is nominally idle, or if you observe anything untoward. If there's high resource use then click the appropriate column header to organise high to low.

    Just safe mode is fine.

    All we're trying to establish at this stage is
    - no basic disk problem
    - no excessive resource use
    - no interfering installed progs
    - basic graphics in Safe Mode vs your full driver in normal mode.

    Current public build is 969, so you're slightly behind. Not relevant to this.
     
    dalchina, Apr 3, 2017
    #10
  11. RhinoCan Win User
    Sorry for the delay in responding! Everything has been working fine for the last couple of days, computer-wise, so I wanted to take advantage of that and get some work done. But just now, the Start Button decided not to work properly so I had to sign out and in again. That tells me there's still a problem.

    When I clicked the Start button just before my last signout, it would display my picture from the top of the right hand column and *only* that. I didn't even get the outline of the rest of the Classic Shell menu. Before that though, everything was working fine when I used the Classic Shell and also when I clicked on the Windows 10 Start Menu: I wasn't getting any cases of the tiles not working in the Win 10 Start Menu. When I chose the Exit option from the Classic Shell, I found that the Win 10 Start Menu tiles were dead again: they didn't get a border when I moused over them, I couldn't click on any tiles, and I couldn't scroll in any of the scrollable menus. I'm guessing that the underlying problem, when it occurs, messes up both Classic Shell and Win 10 Start Menu.

    I did run the chkdsk the other night even before I was sure that "good" from CrystalDiskInfo was all we needed to get. But, following the instructions in Leo's article, I was completely unable to find the output in Event Viewer. The instructions haven't been updated for Windows 10 but I opened Event Viewer and went to the log it specified and looked through all the events in the appropriate time frame (late that evening). There were no events of the right category so I looked at each any every one of the events in the right time frame regardless of source, in case the source name had changed. None of them pertained to chkdsk activity, despite the fact that when I issued the chkdsk command, it assured me that it was going to run chkdsk during the restart. I'm a little baffled by what happened to the chkdsk output.

    I haven't gone into Safe Mode yet and can't for another couple of hours but I'll try to do that this afternoon. I haven't connected the mouse yet to see if it makes a difference; I'll try that again this afternoon if time permits.

    This was just an update to let you know that I still have an issue and that I've started to do the things you requested to set the baseline. Now, I just need some quiet time to work on the remaining tests.
     
    RhinoCan, Apr 5, 2017
    #11
  12. dalchina New Member
    Hi, am puzzled you can't find the chkdsk results - did it actually run, I wonder? I frequently post that same instruction and people have succeeded with it.

    Otherwise you could do that booting to a command prompt, making sure you are accessing the correct drive. (Drive letters will probably be different).

    It's actually good the problem is consistent with both start menus to a degree in some way- more a generic problem of interaction with Windows.

    Your comment on (wired) mouse vs touchpad will be helpful.
     
    dalchina, Apr 5, 2017
    #12
  13. RhinoCan Win User

    Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)?

    Is the "source" the same for the chkdsk in Win 10 as it was in the instructions? Perhaps it has changed?

    I'm not honestly sure if the chkdsk ran. I just rebooted the computer then put on the TV for a while, knowing that the reboot and chkdsk would take a while. When my show was over, the computer was back at the desktop so I just assumed chkdsk had run. But perhaps it never ran at all. I suppose I should run it from the command prompt (again) and watch what happens, although that adds considerably to the time I can't use the computer (or do much of anything else since I will have to keep an eye on it).

    I *do* occasionally see Disk Usage at 99% in Task Manager; this happened once yesterday for example. And I do get "not responding" on various apps fairly regularly, including Firefox and Thunderbird. I don't normally run Task Manager unless things are particularly sluggish.

    I do wish Microsoft would get its act together and start writing better code. Windows has only had 3 good releases that I can recall: WIn98SE, WinXP, and Win7. Everything else has been just this side of complete rubbish.
     
    RhinoCan, Apr 5, 2017
    #13
  14. dalchina New Member
    You don't have to watch chkdsk all the time. You should see it start running after the restart. Once you know it's running you can get back to the DIY or TV etc. Those instructions have been used by others recently. If you can't follow them, try searching yourself for how to get results from chkdsk after a restart, which is what did. You may find something better- if so, I'll use that in the future.

    - this may be related to your lack of responsiveness if it's simultaneous, and is not normal.

    Leave task man running and try to capture the screen when you notice sluggishness. (Prt Sc key is quickest -> clipboard, then to Paint e.g.).

    My Win 10 has been very stable for me- and I have a LOT installed- since last March or so when I bought this laptop. And I do have some UI adaptations too. Win 7 had problems in its early days, I heard. I've used everything from 98 on. Win 2k was fine too. Even Vista worked for me! But MS has caused plenty of problems for a significant number of users, and unstable updates esp. related to the anniversary upgrade were widely reported.
     
    dalchina, Apr 5, 2017
    #14
  15. RhinoCan Win User
    Once again, sorry for the delay. My day did not go the way I thought it would but I did get some of the research done before I got to bed.

    Since we weren't sure if the chkdsk had actually run, I ran it again, just to be sure. In fact, I tried it the first of the ways listed in the tutorial - where you expand "Manage" and then see your disk status - and it said my disk was just fine. The tutorial implied that I could run chkdsk there, even if the status was fine, but I couldn't figure out how to do it so I went on the second method and set it to run on the next reboot from Properties/Tools and then rebooted. This time, I kept an eye on it and I'm 100% certain it did run. I also found it in Event Viewer! I'm not sure exactly what output it should write any more - I haven't run a chkdsk in years - so here is the output I got:
    Checking file system on C:
    The type of the file system is NTFS.
    Volume label is OS.


    A disk check has been scheduled.
    Windows will now check the disk.

    Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
    Cleaning up instance tags for file 0x1163c.
    809984 file records processed. File verification completed.
    24142 large file records processed. 0 bad file records processed.
    Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
    965826 index entries processed. Index verification completed.
    0 unindexed files scanned. 0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.
    Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
    Cleaning up 2922 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
    Cleaning up 2922 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
    Cleaning up 2922 unused security descriptors.
    Security descriptor verification completed.
    77922 data files processed. CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
    Usn Journal verification completed.
    CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap.

    Windows has made corrections to the file system.
    No further action is required.

    500710399 KB total disk space.
    378661112 KB in 630706 files.
    421316 KB in 77923 indexes.
    0 KB in bad sectors.
    901131 KB in use by the system.
    65536 KB occupied by the log file.
    120726840 KB available on disk.

    4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
    125177599 total allocation units on disk.
    30181710 allocation units available on disk.

    Internal Info:
    00 5c 0c 00 7d cf 0a 00 a4 50 14 00 00 00 00 00 .\..}....P......
    1d 0e 00 00 9a 7c 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .....|..........

    Windows has finished checking your disk.
    Please wait while your computer restarts.



    It doesn't look too worrisome at first glance but maybe some of those informational messages are more concerning if you have used this command before.

    I also restarted Windows in Safe Mode. I hadn't done that in years so I was glad to find the tutorial for that because the technique had changed dramatically. I didn't do much in Safe Mode but I was able to bring up the Win 10 Start Menu and click on tiles so that part was certainly working. Is there anything else I should try when I get some more time this afternoon?

    After booting back up in normal mode, I noticed the laptop was sluggish and went into Task Manager and found the Disk Activity maxed out. Here's a screen cap:


    Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)? [​IMG]


    That's *really* tiny in the browser so I hope that is just a thumbnail and that you can see it at its proper size. If not, let me know how to get you a properly-sized image. For what it's worth, the entries are sorted from highest disk user down and the top entry is Avast at 1.5MB/s, although Skype had a much higher number a few seconds earlier as I tried to grab the picture.

    I'm going to try to get my hands on a mouse again today. Is there anything specific you want me to do aside from just seeing if it opens the Start Menu?
     
    RhinoCan, Apr 6, 2017
    #15
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Why can't I click on my Start Menu (sometimes)?

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