Windows 8 Start Screen and Apps Not Responding

I encountered this problem about a month ago, and I just found this thread. This is what happened to my computer: I had an app installed called Clock, by Jujuba Software, from the Windows Store. After a few weeks of using it with no problems, the start screen began to freeze intermittently from when I signed in. After a few seconds everything would be fine, but then the start screen would begin to freeze again. I could only fix it temporarily by repeatedly pushing the Windows key until the start screen reloaded, and the tiles flew in from the right, but then the screen would still freeze after a bit. I would have to immediately switch to the desktop right while the start screen still responded. This problem would also affect other accounts on my computer (but only the Microsoft accounts). Once I realized the problem and uninstalled Clock by being really quick, the problem got fixed immediately. When I open the Reliability monitor in the Action Center now, it shows multiple problems where svchost.exe_TimeBroker stops working. Here's the description:

Faulting application name: svchost.exe_TimeBroker, version: 6.2.9200.16420, time stamp: 0x505a9a4e

Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.2.9200.16384, time stamp: 0x5010ab2d

Exception code: 0xe06d7363

Fault offset: 0x00000000000189cc

Faulting process id: 0x728

Faulting application start time: 0x01cdc82042e64ad9

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\KERNELBASE.dll

Report Id: 2733160e-3414-11e2-be77-f80f41485ca3

Faulting package full name:

Faulting package-relative application ID:

I hope this information helps!

Yep, what Jensen10111 wrote worked for me. Had to keep deleting the Clock app several times, I think because it would freeze up before the app was uninstalled properly (although the live tile would disappear each time). Just keep pressing the windows key until the start screen is responsive and very quickly uninstall the Clock app as many times as is necessary to properly remove it.

Thanks Jensen

I've had exactly the same problem. I tried all sorts of things and was ready to roll back to Windows 7 when I found this thread. It is such an annoying problem. Deleting the clock app by being really quick was what did the trick for me as well. I had it installed for weeks without any problems and now all of the sudden it starts to mess things up? It is crazy how a little app like that can affect the whole system. Not acceptable. Please Microsoft fix this bug as soon as possible. I've recommended Windows 8 to everyone who asked me about it... not any longer.

I fixed my problem.  Here's what I did, YMMV..

Have previously run the app checker, the script that was posted earlier, and several WSResets.

Had a clock app installed via the store, but I don't remember which one. I know it was a gray background when installing.  My apps did not want to uninstall via the store, nor that script.  It seemed the store 'remembered' all apps I could uninstall, and even in the store it listed all apps, even uninstalled, as both installed and waiting to be installed. (!)

Booted into regular safe mode.

Upon entering the start screen there, removed almost ALL MS apps from the left side.  Mail, Camera, etc. I only left the desktop IE, and store.  Did NOT visit store from there, just removed apps and rebooted.  Did not remove any personal apps from right side.

Booted regularly, and presto, problem was gone.  Installed the Mail, messaging, calendar, and a few other stock apps back via the store.

So far, working as it should again.  Tiles can now be highlighted all the time, no more time broker errors.

I will NOT be installing any clock apps anytime soon.

What a cruel world to provide hope for us that continue to follow this thread.  I probably should be thankful, as I do not have any problem getting into Windows 8, either desktop or Metro.  However, about half of my Metro Apps, including News, Finance, and Weather, hang up upon partial display of the main photo or perhaps a few stories.  They never completely load and are not scrollable.

I'd tried deleting the apps previously.  I've run the ISE script to assure that the offending clock app has been deleted.  And I just optimistically deleted all but IE, Desktop, and Store within safe mode... to no avail.  I still get the same misbehavior upon reinstall.  As noted, the culprit is the timebroker failure, noted by many previously, causing the wwahost.exe app to hang and be shut down by Windows.

Since I actually don't use Metro for anything practical, this is mainly a matter of principle, so keep those ideas coming.  I want to get the behavior that we were promised.  FWIW, these Metro apps all work fine on another machine that's an upgraded netbook, so it's not a matter of memory or horsepower.