While the problem of start menu not working in Windows 11 is usually reported after installing a Windows update, it can also occur after installing a new app or program on the computer and other reasons.
In certain cases, the problem could simply be due to a stuck app, program or process interferring with proper functioning of the Start menu on your computer. This can be fixed in most cases by restarting the computer
If restarting did not help, you can follow other troubleshooting as provided below to fix the problem of Start Menu not working on a Windows 11 computer.
1. Restart Windows Explorer
The start menu on a Windows computer is powered by Windows Explorer. Hence, restarting Windows explorer can help in fixing the problem.
1. Right-click anywhere on the Taskbar and select Task Manager in the menu that appears.
Note: If this is not working, press Windows + R keys to open Run Command, type taskmgr and click on OK.
2. On Task Manager screen, right-click on Windows Explorer entry and click on Restart.
After Windows Explorer restarts (few seconds), check if the Start button is now working on your computer.
2. Restart Windows Explorer Using Run Command
If the above method did not help, try starting Explorer.exe file by using Run Command.
1. Press Windows + R keys to open Run command.
2. Type explorer.exe in the Run Command window and click on OK.
After running this command, click on the Start button and see if it is working.
3. Disconnect Windows Account
Some users have reported fixing this problem by disconnecting their User Account from the computer.
1. Go to Settings > Accounts > scroll down in the right-pane and uncheck Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up after an update option.
2. Restart the computer and see if the Start Menu is now working on your computer.
4. Reinstall Settings App
The problem could be due to a Microsoft Store App not being properly registered or the Settings App itself become faulty.
1. Press Windows + R keys to open Run command.
2. Type CMD in the Run Command window and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter keys to open Command Prompt As Admin.
3. On the Command prompt screen, type the following command and press the Enter key.
Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}
This command will Reinstall all Native Windows Apps on your device, including the Settings App.
5. Run System File Checker
The problem might be due to system files being damaged or corrupted on yout computer.
1. Press Windows + R keys to open Run command.
2. Type CMD and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter keys to open Command Prompt As Admin.
3. On the Command Prompt screen, type sfc /scannow and press the enter key.
4. Patiently wait for the Scan to be completed > Restart your computer and see if the problem is now fixed.
6. Repair Windows Image
After running System File Checker, follow the steps below to run DISM command.
1. Press Windows + R keys to open Run command.
2. Type CMD and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter keys to open Command Prompt As Admin.
3. On the Command prompt screen, type Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press the Enter key
4. Once the process is completed, restart the computer and see if the Start Menu is now working on your computer.
7. Enter Safe Mode
By now, if you are thinking that the problem might be due to a newly installed app or program, start the computer in Safe Mode and see if the problem gets fixed.
If the Start menu works in Safe Mode, it confirms that the problem is due to a recently installed App or Program on your computer.
In such a case, you can uninstall that particular App and this should help in fixing the problem.
8. Reset Your Computer
If you were unable to fix the problem using above methods, you can Reset the computer to its Factory Default settings.
1. Go to Settings > System > select Recovery in the right-pane.
2. On the Recovery screen, scroll down in the right-pane to “Recovery Options” and click on Reset PC button.
3. When prompted, enter your Admin Password. On the next screen, select Keep My Files option.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions and allow Windows to remove all apps, settings and reinstall the latest version of Windows OS on your computer.