Windows 10: Windows 10 Start, Cortana, Task Manager not working

Hi there. This is my first post, apologies if I have skipped forum rules or if this is in the wrong section but facing a slight emergency here.

Started facing this problem since today morning. Start Menu doesnt work upon clicking. Task Manager works when system first boots but then goes into "Not Responding" mode, doesn't work either. Cortana/Search doesnt work. Currently cant click icons on desktop either. Right click doesn't seem to be working either

Third party apps like games seem to be working fine oddly enough.

Tried a system restore, system restore failed. Tried reinstalling windows apps via powershell, command ran for a really long time, before I got the "Server Execution failed" message. Have tried creating a new user, new user creation via "Manage User Accounts" tends to hang again. Have tried running below from cmd, returned with no errors.
=> sfc / scannow

Have run a malware check, returned negative.
Have run the windows troubleshooter, got a message "Fix or work around emerging issue 67758"

Getting this message right now:: ms-settings personalization-background => This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel.

I haven't performed a clean install of Windows yet on my system, as I am trying to determine if there's any way to fix this problem without formatting my disk.

Any help would be appreciated.

:)

 

When is Microsoft going to fix the Fall Creators Update KB4054517?

Cortana:

Restart the Cortana Process in Task Manager

Press Windows key + X

Click Task Manager

Select the Processes tab

Scroll through the list of processes, select Cortana then click End Task.

Restart Windows 10 then see if it starts working.

Reinstall Cortana

Press Windows key + X

Click PowerShell (Admin)

At the command Prompt, type then following the hit Enter.

Exit Powershell the restart

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Start menu:

Run the Start menu troubleshooter:

http://aka.ms/diag_StartMenu

 

Cortana can't hear music.

Restart the Cortana Process in Task Manager

Press Windows key + X

Click Task Manager

Select the Processes tab

Scroll through the list of processes, select Cortana then click End Task.

Restart Windows 10 then see if it starts working.

Reinstall Cortana

Press Windows key + X

Click PowerShell (Admin)

At the command Prompt, type then following the hit Enter.

Exit Powershell the restart

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Check if it now works.

 

Hi, welcome to tenforums.

Assuming you are using build 10586, the powershell command previously used for fixing universal apps is broken- it actually breaks the apps. One person has suggested a method of taking ownership of the relevant folder and copying back the necessary files.

However your problems seem more widespread, so I would suggest this:
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Forums
This will let you keep almost everything, programs and settings. It will create Windows.old, and takes as long as installing Windows- effectively it's almost the same procedure.

Limitations:
- your associations will be reset to MS default
- you will probably lose any non-standard fonts
- you will lose any system icon customisation
- system restore will be disabled- you will need to turn it back on again.

** Since we don't know what caused the problem, I would recommend you first
- run
chkdsk /F C:
from an admin command prompt (Windows key + X, click Command Prompt (admin).
- create a disk image of what you have now.
This is a big repair procedure, so you want to be sure you don't lose any data.

Everyone should routinely use disk imaging -
Start using disk imaging. Regularly. Before any major change, and after a big change or a series of smaller changes. System Restore isn't enough.. it can help sometimes, but only if you turn it on (it's off by default.. absurd).

Get a copy of Macrium Reflect or Aomei Backupper (both have free options). The first is more geeky and a cut down version of a commercial product - no incremental backup. The 2nd is more straightforward, offering both differential and incremental backups. (You can read about those yourself if unsure). Make sure you create the boot disk.. essential when dealing with an unbootable PC.You need large enough external storage for the image files.

With disk images you
a. Can restore disk/partition in a defined time (e.g 20 to 40 mins).
b. Have a full backup - can extract files.
c. Can use them to rebuild your system on a new HDD (e.g.)
d. Have peace of mind (most important!)

If you had been using disk imaging, you could have restored a previous image in -say- under 40 mins to fix this.

Hope that helps..

 

Hi,
I had the same issue today, tried everything you said with no luck, then this solution fixed my issue :
rename ImmersiveControlPanel to ImmersiveControlPanel.old, inside c:/windows folder
then run sfc /scannow it will recreate it.
Then reboot

 

@contremaitre - Did you have the same range of symptoms?

I've seen that approach for fixing Settings not being displayed; I'm unclear why that would help with system restore failing (registry corruption maybe? could easily be other things..), start menu not displaying... + the OP has (I assume) broken a lot of apps by using the Powershell command.

 

I had the task bar not responding, no icon in the task bar, no clock, and all settings not working (with the error message "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action[...]"
And this fixed all of these symptoms.

But my desktop icons were fine.