Start Menu Will Not Open or Crashes

Issue

The Windows Start Menu is crashing when clicking the Windows button or won't open at all, making it so the user cannot use the menu or click any of the options inside.

Environment

  • Windows
  • File Explorer

Information

The Start Menu button sometimes stops working because of issues with Windows Explorer. In some cases, Windows itself can become unresponsive. Simply restarting Explorer can often resolve problems affecting the Start Menu and the Taskbar.

Resolution

To restart Explorer:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Under the Processes tab, right-click Windows Explorer and click Restart.
  3. Wait for Windows Explorer to boot up.

 

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