Windows 8 Start Screen and Apps Not Responding

This is getting frustrating.  I have no time tiles at all.  Upon bootup, everything acts normal until the start screen is loaded and waiting for me.  It then is unresponsive, I must tap (and sometimes hold) the windows button to get what looks like a screen refresh, then for only a very few seconds I can hit the desktop.  Occasionally on the desktop, if I attempt to get the charms up, and I don't click fast enough, they do nothing.  Most external programs work through the desktop, but not many windows functions.

ALL tiles are unresponsive on the start screen at this time again.  Once again, hitting the windows key will refresh the screen, desktop or start menu, and I have a couple of seconds again before things lock up.

Even going into the store locks up, requiring a windows key press and an attempt at a fast mouse use to get anywhere.  I've managed to uninstall all live tiles off the start screen, and this makes no difference.

I've followed your steps, nothing worked. Local or Live account, same thing.  Going without networking, what's the point? Advanced repair nor tile troubleshooter fixed it, either.  Early on I did a refresh, then a reset, of the system (Nov 18) and now have no restore points to go back further than that to uninstall any updates.

I am running the very latest drivers from Nvidia, WHQL certified.  No problems exist in control panel or action center.

All this started on the Nov 12-14ish updates, so can we PLEASE either get a fixed update, or have a way to directly uninstall a certain update that can't be erased through a restore?  I do not want to reinstall windows, as I can't, as it was an upgrade from Win7.

I'm reading reports of this all over the internet about the same problem, and it seems to affect 64bit systems only at this time.

All this boils down to the TimeBroker stopping constantly.

My specs are Intel i7-3770K cpu, Z77 motherboard, 12g ram, Nvidia 560Ti. The same problem existed on my former i7-920 CPU, Z58 motherboard, 8g RAM.   Yes, I even bought new hardware, thinking that the update(s) was a crash of the system. :( PLEASE FIX THIS! ?

Here's what happens over and over:

Log Name:      Application

Source:        Application Error

Date:          11/29/2012 6:02:16 PM

Event ID:      1000

Task Category: (100)

Level:         Error

Keywords:      Classic

User:          N/A

Computer:      Sandman-PC

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: 0xd80

Faulting application start time: 0x01cdce859333fe82

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

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

Report Id: d101eb3d-3a78-11e2-be87-50465d6f5a1b

Faulting package full name:

Faulting package-relative application ID:

Event Xml:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

  <System>

    <Provider Name="Application Error" />

    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>

    <Level>2</Level>

    <Task>100</Task>

    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>

    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-11-29T23:02:16.000000000Z" />

    <EventRecordID>12533</EventRecordID>

    <Channel>Application</Channel>

    <Computer>Sandman-PC</Computer>

    <Security />

  </System>

  <EventData>

    <Data>svchost.exe_TimeBroker</Data>

    <Data>6.2.9200.16420</Data>

    <Data>505a9a4e</Data>

    <Data>KERNELBASE.dll</Data>

    <Data>6.2.9200.16384</Data>

    <Data>5010ab2d</Data>

    <Data>e06d7363</Data>

    <Data>00000000000189cc</Data>

    <Data>d80</Data>

    <Data>01cdce859333fe82</Data>

    <Data>C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe</Data>

    <Data>C:\WINDOWS\system32\KERNELBASE.dll</Data>

    <Data>d101eb3d-3a78-11e2-be87-50465d6f5a1b</Data>

    <Data>

    </Data>

    <Data>

    </Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

lots of people are getting the problem with "Time Broker" I got around it by just disabling it by right clicking on it and then selecting disable.

Based on your suggestion I went and find the command line for removing Windows Store apps :)

 

http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Remove-Windows-Store-Apps-a00ef4a4#content

I tried all the other suggestions before I got to here. Specifically, I couldn't find ANY WAY to get to the User Settings to convert back to a local account. You cannot do this when in safe mode and that was the only way I could get into the User settings. There doesn't seem any way to change to local account for a different user either - what a Microsoft balls-up!!!!

The TimeBroker service cannot be stopped by even an admin account and running services.exe with elevated privileges.

In the end, I managed to run the suggested script (uninstalling from the start menu would not actually uninstall the app). I ran it on a whole load of apps including some of the crappy Microsoft ones as I really don't want them anyway. The script failed on an app called WhatsOnTV, but then ran through some others. When it had got about 1/2 way through the list, the whole computer suddenly came back to life. One of the following apps was the culprit:

38142TheBlueIT.Clocktime has been removed successfully

AFF540DC.Clock has been removed successfully

Microsoft.MicrosoftMahjong has been removed successfully

Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection has been removed successfully

10404JeffKey.TheTime has been removed successfully

GBBSOFTWAREPIOTRMACIEJEWS.GbbCalculator has been removed successfully

47348JeongwooChoi.SP2013Diagram has been removed successfully

2240FirstLook.UltimateWindows8Shortcuts has been removed successfully

With 10404JeffKey.TheTime or AFF540DC.Clock being the most likely candidates.

It is VERY clear to me now that the Start Screen App capability is currently hopelessly broken. You can easily install an innocent seeming app that will lock you out of your account and leave most people facing a wipe and reinstall of their computer.

I am now going to change my account type back to local and I'll not be installing any other Start Screen Apps at all.

I only had to remove AFF540DC.Clock using this method.  

After that, my system is working properly again - thanks!