Windows Start button not working

Anonymous
2010-11-11T12:49:00+00:00

The Windows start button is not working. When I press it nothing happens. SO I cannot shut down the computer in the normal manner or access any programs other than ones with desktop icons.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2015-02-14T05:42:28+00:00

Hi,

I faced a similar issue! The following worked for me

  1. Right click on the Start Button and select "Run"
  2. Type "regedit"
  3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Explorer>Advance
  4. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value, call it "EnableXamlStartMenu"
  5. Restart Explorer​ from task manager.

Hope this helps!

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Anonymous
2010-11-11T15:34:40+00:00

Hi nickthomp.

Does start menu open if you press the windows key on the keyboard?.

Can you right click the start menu orb and choose properties, if so

In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, click Use Default Settings, clickOK, and then clickOK again.

Also try.

1 .   Press Ctrl + Alt+ delete on the keyboard and click on task manager.

2 .   Click on the Process tab and locate explorer.exe in the windows and click on end task.

3 .   Click on File and then click on New.

4.   Type explorer.exe and press enter.

Hope his helps.

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-04-23T18:39:21+00:00

    When this behaviour happens to me I do the following steps.

    1. Right click on the Windows start button.
    2. Select, shut down or sign out.
    3. Select, Restart.

    After the systems restarts the Windows start button works again.

    However, if I select shutdown and then restart my system using the systems power on button it does not fix the problem. 

    I do not know why a restart fixes this issue and I have know idea why this happens. 

    Hope this helps.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-04-23T17:24:22+00:00

    This is my 23 rd go around to get my start button working. Each routine I use works for about two days before stopping. Each routine will be recognized only once. The latest one using the registry has worked, thank you, after this I am off to Ubuntu land.

    My build is 1511 on an HP Pavilion of the 2009 vintage.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-04-22T15:12:53+00:00

    I wasn't either!  And anyway, why should you have to uninstall software just because MS refuse to acknowledge or fix the problem!

    Totally agree James.  I reverted to Windows 8 (luckily I had that option) and will not be moving to 10 again no matter how many times I get the "nag" message!

    If you've got the option, I'd roll back to your previous version.

    After creating a new user log-on, I finally managed to download all the outstanding updates for Windows 10. (they would not download before) It took quite a while to complete the download, but it does seem to have solved the 'Start button not working' problem

    • for the moment anyway. Time will tell.

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