FIXED

Summary: The taskbar and the start Menu are essential components of Windows 10, which can cause errors and possible data loss if they fail to work. Let’s discuss the reasons behind these essential components failing to work and methods to fix these components.

Contents

We all know the significance of the Start menu and the taskbar and how they help us navigate the computer. However, at times, there are unexpected issues that cause Windows 10 to freeze and even crash. The Start menu and taskbar not working as intended leaves the users frustrated. This system error blocks the access to applications and files stored on the computer. It freezes the system and in extreme cases, puts the computer in a boot loop.

Affected users have reported encountering either of the two messages –

Message 1 – “Critical Error – Your Start menu isn’t working. We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in.”

Message 2 – “Critical Error – Start menu and Cortana aren’t working. We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in.”

While this issue may seem problematic and complex, the solutions to fix it are quite easy to follow. Hence, affected users should not worry about this error. Let’s look at the possible reasons behind this error message and ways to fix it.

There are several reasons that could cause the Start menu and taskbar to stop working and fail. Let’s look at some of them –

Now that we have discussed the probable reasons causing the Start menu and Taskbar to not function properly, let’s look at the ways to resolve the issue.

Sometimes, the taskbar gets hidden, which make it seem as if the taskbar has failed. This can confuse the user. If you are not able to see the taskbar or the Windows symbol on your screen, you can go to the taskbar settings to fix this. Simply follow these steps –

This is the most basic method to fix the broken or frozen Start menu or taskbar on a windows 10 system. You can fix the issue at hand by simply restarting the Windows File Explorer from the task manager. To do this –

This will restart the File Explorer and should fix the issue at hand.

Many user reports suggested that booting Windows 10 systems into safe mode fixed the broken Start menu and taskbar. However, some of the testers reported that this fix is temporary and the error comes back. You can try and see if this resolves the error. To restart the computer into safe mode –

This will start your computer into safe mode. Once inside, restart the system into normal mode. This should fix your problem.

Note – By default, the system starts in normal mode after you restart your computer from safe mode. If your system restarts again into safe mode, you can follow the steps as mentioned above to restart the system in the normal mode.

In some rare cases, the error causing the start menu and the taskbar to become unresponsive could be due to an error with your user account. You can try logging into another user account by creating a new one to fix this issue. To create a new administrator account –

Once the account is created, sign out from your current user account and sign in with the new account to check if this has resolved this issue.

Windows system files are vital for the smooth functioning of your computer. If you unexpectedly encounter the Start menu or Taskbar becoming unresponsive, it could be due to some damaged or missing system files. You can use the elevated Command Prompt to run the System File Checker or SFC command. This command checks the integrity of all the system files and replaces/repairs the damaged ones. To perform this check –

Re-registering the Start menu is a great way to fix any errors that are causing the Start menu to glitch. For this, you need to simply run the following command in Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Because the start menu is not working, you won’t be able to open PowerShell using it. You will have to open with administrator privileges using Run. Simply follow the steps mentioned below to open PowerShell and execute the following command –

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

Outdated Windows OS can sometimes cause the system to run into issues like unresponsive start menu and taskbar. Hence you should always keep your Windows 10 OS updated.

To update Windows 10 –

System Restore is a great way to restore the system to its previous or normal state, i.e., before you start encountering issues with the start menu and taskbar. If you have created a System Restore point well in advance, then you can follow the below mentioned steps. However, you should take a backup of your data before proceeding with this. To perform this –

Wait for the process to finish restoring Windows 10 to its previous state.

If none of the above-mentioned solutions work for the problem in hand, you can perform reset Windows 10. You should take a complete backup of your data on an external storage device before performing this. Once the backup process is complete, carefully follow the steps below to reset your PC –

Note – Selecting cloud download will download a fresh image of Windows OS and remove any custom OS image that came preinstalled with the PC.

Performing this procedure installs a clean and fresh Windows image that should fix the unresponsive taskbar & start menu error.

Sometimes the Critical error: Start menu and taskbar not working causes the system to crash unexpectedly. This could cause data loss and some files to go missing. Critical errors could also happen due to corrupt system files causing unexpected system crashes.

This calls for a versatile data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery, which can recover data from any data loss situation like accidental deletion, file corruption, drive crash or system errors. This is a simple to use software which can restore all types of data from any storage media like HDD, SSD, SD card and more.

Start menu and Taskbar are some of the most important components of Windows 10 GUI. They increase usability and make navigation easier. However, some pesky errors cause these two to glitch and freeze unexpectedly. In this post, we discussed some easy methods to fix the start menu and taskbar not working error. We hope the methods mentioned in the post will help you fix the Start menu and task bar error.

The easiest way to get rid the taskbar critical error message is to sign out of the current user account and sign back in.

You can boot your Windows 10 PC in safe mode to fix the Critical Error: Start menu not working issue.

You can fix the frozen start menu or taskbar by restarting windows explorer from the Task Manager. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL > Task Manager > Processes > right click on Windows Explorer > Restart.

A passionate person driven by his interest in everything related to technology, Keshav Katyal has always been captivated by the latest gadgets since his childhood. His passion for gadgets grew when he got his first gaming console, the Nintendo Game Boy Advanced as a gift. His tinkering nature with old gadgets developed his interest in tinkering with software to learn new things.

Stellar Data Recovery Professional softw

Stellar Data Recovery Premium for Window

Stellar Data Recovery Technician intelli

Stellar Data Recovery Toolkit is an adva