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
    2014-09-04T07:21:29+00:00

    A faster way of restarting explorer.exe for now can be done by a simple .bat file in notepad with this:

    taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe

    start explorer.exe

    exit

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-10-08T17:35:39+00:00

    I have Windows 8.1 and the start "box" stopped working suddenly. I found your answer above and tried to modify it slightly for 8.1 and it worked. I went to the Task Manager and found Windows Explorer on the list of Windows programs that were running, selected it, then clicked restart. After it restarted the Start button was working again. Thank you!! It's nice to have restarts for pieces rather than having to restart the whole system.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-10-20T02:32:52+00:00

    Thanks. that worked like charms.

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