Any Windows OS comes with a basic functional tool called the Start Menu. It gets more problematic when there are issues that start with the Start menu. However, at times this has been a common issue faced by users of Windows 11. While the reasons can be anywhere from just improper loading of programs after boot or something major like corrupted files. In this article, we will walk you through a few solutions we have come up with to resolve your issue of Windows 11 start menu not working. Moreover, even these methods can be used if you still have not upgraded to Windows 11 and are dealing with the Windows 10 start menu not working error.

How to Fix Windows 11 Start Menu Not Working

The following are the methods we have curated for you to follow if you are facing the issue aforementioned.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

There are some generic steps that can be used to troubleshoot and fix any errors that are caused on Windows. A few of them include restarting the PC, updating the OS, running a scan

1A. Restart PC

Sometimes it’s not just the proper boot that may cause you to experience minor issues. Just restart your PC. Restart your PC in the usual way or follow the steps below.

1. Press Alt + F4 keys together to open Shut Down Windows window.

2. Select the Restart option.

3. Finally, click on OK.

1B. Update Windows OS

This is the next troubleshooting step to resolve such minimal glitches that crashes a service or hinders a task like the start menu. Updating windows for the latest security patches and bug fixes may resolve the issue. You can go through our article on How to Download and Install Optional Updates in Windows 11.

1C. Run Virus Scan

If by any chance there is some malware or maybe a virus on your system, undeniably it can cause issues with the Start menu. You can run a complete scan of the system through Windows own antivirus, Windows Defender to fix the issue. Follow our guide on How do I Run a Virus Scan on my Computer?

Method 2: Remove Third-party Programs

With the ability to customize using third-party apps has gone far to the extent of Windows 11, users have started installing third-party apps that modify the look or functions of the start menu. However, the catch is the error they sometimes tend to cause. It is likely that the one or the other you have installed is not highly compatible with your start menu. To fix this, remove all such programs. You should revert the settings they have made to the start menu and uninstall these apps.

1. Launch Control Panel on your PC.

2. Click on Programs option.

3. Click Programs and Features.

4. Navigate to the program you want to remove and right-click on it.

5. Click on Uninstall.

Also Read: How To Download Google Maps for Windows 11

Method 3: Disallow to Unhide Taskbar

Changes in the Taskbar settings also sometimes resonate to the missing Start Menu. To fix this:

1. Press Windows + I keys simultaneously to open the Windows Settings.

2. Move to Personalization from the left pane and then open the Taskbar settings from the right pane.

3. Expand Taskbar behaviors and disable Automatically hide the taskbar.

Method 4: Update Device Driver

The driver connects the system with devices like a bridge. Outdated drivers may not offer proper functionality and thereby potentially cause errors. Update the drivers by the following process.

You can also follow the following steps to update your GPU driver:

1. Go to the Device Manager of your PC.

2. Double-click on Display Adapters to see the list of drivers installed in your system. In my case, I have integrated AMD Radeon graphics.

3. Right-click on your drivers.

4. Click on Update driver.

5. Click on Search automatically for drivers.

6. Install the update.

Also Read: How to Change DNS Server on Windows 11

Method 5: Troubleshoot Dropbox Issues

There are times when the Dropbox software could turn the reason for interfering with the Start menu and thereby the start icon would not appear. You can fix missing start menu icon in Windows 11 by the following steps:

1. Press Windows + R keys together to open Run dialog box.

2. Here, type regedit and hit the Enter key to launch Registry Editor.

3. Copy this address and paste on the Regedit address bar:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WpnUserService

4. On the right pane, right-click on Start file.

5. Select Modify.

6. Enter the Value data as 4 and click on OK.

Method 6: Restart Windows Explorer Process

Windows Explorer, currently known as File Explorer is the primary tool that accesses file systems in the Windows operating system, The taskbar, the start menu and the action centre together make Windows Explorer. Restarting it is like rebooting the PC. Use the task manager to restart the task manager by following the steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously to directly launch the Task Manager.

2. Navigate to Windows Explorer and right-click on it.

3. Click on Restart option from the drop-down menu.

Method 7: Restart Windows Background Services

Windows runs the background services for the apps when they are in use. Several of them being ran in the background can cause issues and affect the start menu functionality, thereby causing Windows 11 start menu not working error. Restart the Windows background service:

1. Launch the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

2. Switch to the Details tab, and navigate to StartMenuExperienceHost.exe.

3. Right-click on it and select End task.

4. Click on End Process to confirm.

Method 8: Sign In Again with the Local Administrator

This step is to check if the Start Menu is actually available within the installation of Windows 11. For this, you would have to log out of your Microsoft account on your PC and log in with a local administrator account. If the start menu enables and works on logging in with the new account, then apparently there is an issue with your current user account.

1. Press Windows + I to directly launch Settings on your PC.

2. Click on Accounts on the left panel.

3. From the menu, click on Other users.

4. Click on Add account next to Add other users.

5. In the next screen, select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.

6. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account and click on Next.

7. Enter a username and a password for the new account and click on Next to create a new user account.

8.Now, Sign out of the existing account and Sign-in with the new one.

Also Read: How to Force Quit a Program on Windows 11

Method 9: Modify Iris Service

This method deletes the registry value for Iris Service which force installs once the system restarts.

Note: This command immediately restarts the PC. Ensure to protect if you are running any unsaved tasks before you use the solution.

1. Search for Command Prompt on your PC

2. Click on Run as administrator.

3. Copy and paste this command in the Terminal.

reg delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IrisService /f && shutdown -r -t 0

The PC will now reboot. Log in back again when it boots up.

Method 10: Repair System Files

Overusing the system and not giving attention to temporary files and malware make it a little buggy and corrupt. Getting rid of them can prevent Windows 11 start menu not working error. This method will help you in repairing corrupt Windows installation files. For this, you can run DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) and SFC (System File Checker) which will identify and repair corrupt Windows installations. 

1. Launch Command Prompt as administrator.

2. Type the following command and hit the Enter key.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Wait for some time until the process ends. DISM will now restore the files that need to be repaired in the current installation.

4. Once the process gets over, execute the sfc /scannow command.

After the process gets over, the files will be repaired.

Also Read: How to Create Desktop Shortcuts on Windows 11

Method 11: Rebuild Search Index

Because the Windows Search is a part of the start menu, any issues with the search may be the potential cause of error in the start menu as well. Try this method to fix missing start menu icon in Windows 11 and check if it works for you.

1. Open the Run dialog box.

2. Paste the following command and click on OK to launch Indexing Options.

 control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions

3. From the Indexing Options pop-up, click on the Modify option.

4. Click on the Show all locations button.

5. Uncheck all the locations and click on OK.

6. Click on Advanced option.

7. Click now on Rebuild.

After this, Windows starts to rebuild the search index. Wait until Windows completes the process.

8. Restart the PC after Windows rebuilds the search index.

Method 12: Remove any Registry Changes Made to the Start Menu

Since Windows 11 launched, many Windows users complained about disliking the start menu of it in comparison with Windows 10. It was the looks, the functionality and how complicated and not so user-friendly it felt. All of these made them try a registry hack to get the older Windows 10 start menu on Windows 11, which might have been broken in subsequent updates. If you have tried performing a hack on your start menu earlier, revert the changes back using the following steps.

1. Launch the Run dialog box.

2. Type regedit and hit the Enter key to open Registry Editor.

3. Navigate to the following location path in Registry Editor.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

4. In the StartMode branch, look for Start_ShowClassicMode in the right pane and right-click on it. 

5. Click on Modify from the menu.

6. Change its value to 0 and click on OK. Do not close the registry editor.

7. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager.

8. Switch to the Details tab.

9. Navigate to Explorer.exe from the list.

10. Right-click on it and from the menu select End Task.

11. Click on End process to confirm.

12. Now click on Run new task.

13. Type Explorer.exe and click on OK.

Explorer will now be restarted.

14. Switch back to the registry editor and right-click again on Start_ShowClassicMode.

15. Select Delete and confirm by clicking on Yes in the next pop-up.

Also Read: How to Fix Audio Buzzing in Windows 11

Method 13: Create New Registry Key

Adding a new registry key to the system can resolve the issue on your PC.

1. Launch the Registry Editor.

2. Then, go to the following location path.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

4. Right-click on the Advanced branch and select New.

5. From the list, choose DWORD (32-bit) Value.

6. Name the new file as EnableXamlStartMenu.

Method 14: Use PowerShell to Reinstall Basic Apps

Windows 11 is advantageous in allowing troubleshooting due to its dedicated packages for each element. Reinstalling any of them isn’t too difficult. If the Start menu is not showing up after the troubleshooting solutions we have discussed so far, you can reinstall the basic elements that also would include the Start menu module. This will resolve any conflict in the background and fix Windows 11 start menu not working issue.

1. Press Windows key, type Windows PowerShell, and click on Run as Administrator.

2. Type the following command and press the Enter key.

Get-appxpackage -all *shellexperience* -packagetype bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + “\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml”)}

3. Ignore any warnings and once the process gets completed, Restart your PC.

Now the Start menu would have been reinstalled on your system and it would need to rebuild the system’s index. To do that:

1. Open the Run dialog box.

2. Type the following command and click on OK to launch Indexing Options.

control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions

3. Here, click on the Modify option.

4. Click on the Show all locations button

5. Uncheck the boxes and click on OK.

6. Click on Advanced option.

7. Click now on Rebuild and OK.

8. Finally, reboot the PC.

Also Read: How to Move a Window that is Off-Screen in Windows 11

Method 15: Uninstall Recent Update

If the need to fix missing start menu icon in Windows 11 error arose after the recent Windows Update, then it might be a bug. Uninstalling the latest update and moving back to the previous build will fix Windows 11 start menu not working issue.

1. Press Windows + I to launch Windows Settings.

2. Move to Windows Update on the left pane and click on Update history on the right.

3. Scroll down and click on Uninstall updates.

4. From the list of updates, check the last update at the top of the list. Click on Uninstall option.

Method 16: Reset Windows 11

This is an extreme method you may choose to follow if the troubleshooting solutions do not work in any instance. Resetting Windows 11 will certainly fix missing start menu icon in Windows 11. There is a built-in option on Windows that allows user to reset the OS to the latest version with all the files intact. The OS is automatically downloaded and installed without hampering the files.

Note: You will lose all the programs and files in the C/: drive. So, we suggest you to create a backup.

Refer to our guide on How to Reset Windows 11.

Method 17: Downgrade Back to Windows 10

This is the ultimate way to get rid of the error you are facing on Windows 11 with the start menu and none of the fixes could turn the tables for you. Technically, going back to Windows 10 after you’ve used Windows 11 for more than ten days is not directly possible. However, we have some tricks that you can follow if you choose to downgrade to the old version of the Windows Operating System, i.e., from Windows 11 to Windows 10.

If you face the same issue of Windows 10 start menu not working, refer to our guide on Fix Start Menu Not Working in Windows 10.

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We hope that this guide was helpful and you were able to fix Windows 11 start menu not working issue. Let us know which method worked for you best. If you have any queries or, suggestions then feel free to drop them in the comments section below.