How to Fix Start Menu Not Opening on Windows 10

Neither Start menu nor Cortana want to work in your Windows 10 PC?

Do you think you need a reset to fix this problem?

Well, I have some good news for you, there’s a solution to every problem and this is the ultimate guide to fix your Start menu on Windows 10!

If you press the Win key and the Start menu just doesn’t show up, follow the methods from the first one to the last one.

Please share this tutorial with your friends, it will help us a lot!

Let’s go!

1. Fix Start Menu Using the PowerShell

Open PowerShell as Administrator

There are two ways to run the PowerShell as administrator, either by searching for it in Start or by using the Task Manager. But since Start isn’t working we are going to use the second method.

Use the CTRL+ALT+DEL key combination (or CTRL+SHIFT+ESC) to open up the Task Manager window.

Go to “File” > “Run new task“.

Type in the command powershell and check the box “Create this task with administrative privileges.“. Click “OK“.

Check the System Files with SFC /SCANNOW

Once the PowerShell is launched with administrative privileges type in the following command and hit the Enter key:

sfc /scannow

This command will scan your system to find and repair any corrupted files. It will take some time so let it finish first.

If you get a message telling you: Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

This means your system is all good, we need to check something else.

Redownload Files from Windows Update

If for a reason the error occurred because of some corrupt Windows Update files, please use this command in the PowerShell:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

2. Fix Start Menu by Creating a New User Account

How to Create a User Account in Windows 10

One of they ways to fix most of the errors (including Start menu & Cortana not opening error) we may encounter in Windows 10 is creating a new user account with administrative rights.

You can create a new user account from the Settings app or using PowerShell which we will show later on.

Open your Settings app using the Win+I key combination, click on “Accounts” then on “Family and other people“.

Click “Add someone else to this PC“. The wizard will allow you to either create a Local account or a Microsoft account, I always choose a Local account for personal & privacy reasons. Once the account has been created, click on the newly created account and select “Change Account Type” and change it to “Administrator” instead of “Standard account“.

Now log out from the current account and log-in using the newly created account. Login to your newly created account

How to Create a User Account Using PowerShell

First open PowerShell with administrative privileges from the Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+DEL) > “File” > “Open“.

And type the following command, don’t forget to replace NewUsername with the username of your account and NewPassword with a proper password.

net user NewUsername NewPassword /add

3. Try Uninstalling Some Programs

Disable Your Anti-Virus

One of the things that may block things from going as expected is having an Anti-Virus on your PC. Please disable your Anti-Malware for a second and try the methods explained above. You may also try disabling the Firewall temporarily.

Uninstall DropBox

Some users found out that DropBox was the cause of the Start menu error. Please uninstall and download the newest version from Dropbox official site.

Don’t forget to also update your Windows operating system through Settings app > “Update & security” > “Windows Update“”.

4. RESET Your PC

If none of the methods above fixed your Start menu error you may also try resetting your PC. You won’t lose any files, just prepare yourself to reinstall the programs you currently have on your Windows.

To reset your PC you can either go to “Settings app” (CTRL+I) > “Update & security” > “Recovery” and click “Get started” under “Reset this PC“.

After this you can choose “Keep my files” or “Remove everything“, it’s really up to you!

If you don’t want to lose your files go for “Keep my files“. Once the PC has been reset, your Start menu should work, you have a fresh Windows!

You can also reset your PC using the Troubleshoot screen, to access it restart your PC while holding the SHIFT key all the time.

After this blue screen shows up click on “Troubleshoot“”.

Then choose “Reset this PC“.

Here you can either Keep your files or Remove everything.

Complete the steps and your Start menu (and your whole Windows) should work properly.

Personally I reset my PC every 6 months to make it fresh again and use new programs on it, because Windows tend to slow down a bit after a certain time of usage. Especially if you Install/Uninstall lot of programs in your day to day work.

Don’t forget to ask for any questions in the comments section below!