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
    2016-01-17T14:16:20+00:00

    Ouch. Asneha's solution worked for me but now does not. I.e., implementing this approach enabled clicking the Start button (window icon) in Win 10. But about two weeks later the button has gone dead again. I checked the Registry to see if something had removed or disabled this new DWORD but it is still in place.

    I can't now figure out what about this approach (all I had done to correct the original issue) worked but now why it has quit working.

    As with others in this thread I had upgraded from the OEM installed Win 8.1 to Win 10 via a link provided by Microsoft. This issue did not occur until 2-3 months after the upgrade.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-01-17T01:03:03+00:00

    Yes, many of us seem to be left in limbo.

    In addition, to having to create a new ID to be able to use my desktop ... the ? (Help) button is "dead" (which is not a "happy" for me) ... and  Cortana has disappeared (not a problem since not a feature I valued).

    FYI: I upgraded from W8.1 to W10 via the appropriate link/invitation extended by Microsoft.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-01-16T19:45:09+00:00

    I feel your pain.  

    I've tried all of the solutions in this thread, and spent hours on a Live Chat with a Microsoft tech who wound up re-installing Windows 10 Pro.

    The only solution I've found that works for me is creating a new user ID.  So far I'm on my third user ID on this computer.  But this is probably not a long-term solution.  The Microsoft tech created a new ID for me, and that worked for a few weeks.  But then this past week, I found that suddenly the Windows key no longer worked, and left-clicking on the Windows icon on the left side of the taskbar also no longer worked.  

    But when I created a new user ID, I found that when I left-click on the Windows icon on the taskbar, the Start Menu shows, but only for the new user ID.

    Very frustrating experience.  I'm regretting "upgrading" to Windows 10.  I'm hoping that Microsoft is taking this issue seriously.

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