The Start Menu is the central location in Windows to locate anything in your computer so it can be very frustrating when it suddenly stops working. Hence, it would be impossible to perform any task.
Locked-up Start Menu appears mostly when you first boot your computer, the Start Menu appears, but then everything freezes, and you cannot press on programs, files or even the Windows icon. However, it can be fixed.
In this article, we will show you how to fix a frozen Windows 10 Start Menu. Since we can’t click on applications, we will use keyboard shortcuts.
Method #1: Exit Explorer
This method is quick and straightforward.
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard to open Task Manager.
2. In the Task Manager window, scroll down the list of running application then select Windows Explorer then click Restart.
Method #2: Run System File Check
Corrupt or broken files can cause the Start Menu to freeze suddenly. Luckily, Windows 10 has a built-in tool known as System File Checker that restores any faulty files in your system.
1. In the search box, type cmd then right-click on the first match and select Run as administrator.
When you open command prompt as admin, you will see a User Account Control window is seeking permission to proceed. Click Yes.
2. In the command prompt window, enter the following:
sfc/scannow
Press Enter.
3. Your computer will be scanned for corrupted files and try to resolve them. After the scan is complete, you will see the results on the window.
Method #3: Run Windows Update
- Press Windows key + I on your keyboard to open Settings.
2. In the Windows Settings, select Update & Security.
3. Then click Install now to let Windows check for updates and install them.
Method #4: Reinstall all Windows 10 programs
Windows 10 users have reported that downloading and installing Windows applications again can solve a frozen Start Menu. Windows applications are the programs found in the Windows store. This method sounds complicated, but it is automatic and takes only a few minutes.
NOTE: This method may cause some Windows applications to stop working, so be careful.
First, backup your data. To reinstall all Windows 10 applications:
1. Go to the taskbar, click the search icon or search bar then type PowerShell. Right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
2. In the PowerShell, type the command line below then hit Enter:
Get-AppXPackage-AllUsers | Foreach{Add-AppxPackage-DisableDevelopmentMode-Register”$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
3. After reinstalling Windows applications is complete, disregard the red lines of text. Restart your PC.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have found this article advantageous, and you were able to fix the frozen Start Menu issue. Please let us know if you have any queries in the comment section below.
