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
    2015-11-22T06:51:32+00:00

    Windows button doesn't work with both the options (Keyboard & Mouse). I have tried everything posted on this forum, don't know how this issue come to my system, it was working perfectly till yesterday.

    Any suggestions???

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-11-11T20:25:40+00:00

    I had such an issue with build newest windows preview build that I went back to built 10576 and now the start menu works again I am trying to turn off insiders preview because I think I will just go back to original windows download that seemed to work fine.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-11-10T18:43:09+00:00

    Hi Vanessa and others, 

    I am continuing to have lots of little quirks with my windows 10 upgrade from  7. The local techs told me my PC should definitely be able to handle the upgrade, so that rules out one reply but I did originally suspect that. 

    My main problem is the intermittent grey screen which I can't seem to get a reliable workaround. But as for the start button issue I just want to say that I did clean right clicking in the vicinity and eventually the right click showed ( also was doing nothing for a while ) me the option for restart and when I restarted everything updated and my power button is working perfectly fine so if there's any way you can keep right clicking until you get the restart not shut down but the restart, maybe it will work for you too

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