Start menu not working in Windows 11: how to fix it

Applies to Windows 11, including versions 24H2 and 25H2 with the redesigned Start menu. Several commands also come from Microsoft’s Start troubleshooting guide for IT staff, so they suit managed PCs too.

Match your symptom

What you see	Likely cause	Where to start
Start button does nothing, taskbar works	Start process hung	Fix 1
Start and taskbar both frozen	Windows Explorer stuck	Fix 1
Problem began right after an update	Update still finishing or a known issue	Fix 2, then Fix 5
Critical error or Start never opens	Start package not registered for you	Fix 3
Start, Settings and other apps crash on a work PC	XAML packages not registered	Fix 5
Only one user is affected	Damaged user profile	Fix 6
Start looks different, not broken	The 2025 redesign	See the note below

A Start menu that suddenly has a scrolling app list, a category view or a phone panel is not faulty. Microsoft began rolling out a redesigned Start for 24H2 and 25H2 in late 2025 (press reports tie it to update KB5067036), and its options live in Settings > Personalization > Start.

How to get around while Start is broken

You still have every tool you need, even with a dead Start button:

• Press Windows key + X (or right-click the Start button) for Terminal, Task Manager and Settings.
• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly.
• Press Windows key + I for Settings, or Windows key + R for Run.
• In Task Manager, Run new task starts any program. Tick Create this task with administrative privileges when a step below needs an admin window.

If the Windows key itself does nothing anywhere, that is a different fault; see Windows key not working: how to fix it in Windows 11 and 10.

Fix 1: Restart Windows Explorer and the Start process

Windows 11 draws Start in its own process, StartMenuExperienceHost.exe, while Explorer runs the taskbar and desktop. When either hangs, a restart clears it in seconds and loses nothing except open File Explorer windows.

1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. On Processes, right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart. The taskbar blinks out and returns.
3. Go to Details, right-click StartMenuExperienceHost.exe and choose End task. It normally relaunches on its own, or the next time you press Start.
4. Try Start again. If it still won’t open, restart the whole PC once.

If icons on the taskbar are missing rather than Start, Taskbar icons missing in Windows 11 or 10: how to get them back covers that case.

Fix 2: Finish and install Windows updates

Microsoft’s first checklist question is whether the PC has the latest feature and monthly updates, and whether the trouble began right after one. Open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates and restart when asked, even if a restart is already pending. Type winver in Run to see your version and build number when you compare notes with a known issue.

Fix 3: Register the Start package again

Start is a system app package. If it is no longer registered for your account, the button may do nothing or show a critical error. First check whether it is there. Open Windows PowerShell or Terminal as a normal user, not as administrator, and run:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost

If it returns details, register it again with the command Microsoft documents, also in a normal window:

Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml" -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

Why not elevated? Microsoft notes that running it as administrator registers the package to the admin account instead of yours. Restart Explorer afterwards, as in Fix 1.

Many sites share a longer one-liner that loops through every package with Get-AppxPackage. It is not on Microsoft’s page, so we stick to the documented command above.

Warning: if the first command returns nothing, check every account from an admin window with Get-AppxPackage *StartMenu* -AllUsers. When the package is missing for everyone, Microsoft says there is no supported way to install Start files by hand. Its advice is to roll back the latest update, reset the PC or restore a backup, so skip download sites that offer the files.

Fix 4: Repair Windows system files

Damaged system files can stop Start and other built-in apps from loading. Open Terminal as administrator (Windows key + X, then Terminal (Admin)) and run these two commands one after the other:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow

DISM fixes the store of good copies, using Windows Update, then SFC uses that store to replace broken files. Each can take a while; let both reach 100% and restart. Our guide to running sfc /scannow in Windows 11 and 10 explains every result message.

Fix 5: The 2025-2026 XAML package issue

Microsoft has confirmed a problem on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 after monthly updates from July 2025 onward: some XAML packages don’t register in time, so Start fails with a critical error, Explorer crashes or a black screen appears at sign-in, and Settings may fail silently. It mainly hits managed PCs, during first sign-in after setup or on non-persistent virtual desktops; Microsoft says personal devices are very unlikely to be affected.

A fix shipped with the June 23 2026 update KB5095093, rolling out gradually, so installing current updates is the main remedy. For PCs still affected, Microsoft’s workaround registers the three packages in the user’s session:

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode
Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode
Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core_cw5n1h2txyewy\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

Afterwards Microsoft restarts SiHost so the shell picks up the change; signing out and back in has a similar effect. IT teams with non-persistent desktops can use the logon script on Microsoft’s KB5072911 page.

Fix 6: Test a new user account

If Start works for another person on the same PC, the fault is in your profile rather than Windows. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users, select Add account and create a local test user. Sign in to it and try Start. When it works there, moving your files to a fresh account is often quicker than repairing the old one. The same test also helps when you can’t type in the Windows search bar.

Fix 7: Check policies and Start customization tools

Microsoft warns that untested Start customizations, and group policies written for older Windows versions or that restrict folder or registry permissions, can break Start. On a work PC, ask IT whether a Start layout or policy changed recently. At home, uninstall any third-party Start menu or taskbar tweaker, then restart.

Also leave the Background Tasks Infrastructure Service alone in Services. Microsoft says Start needs it, so it should stay on Automatic and must never be stopped. Avoid registry tweaks from forums for Start; if you do follow one, create a restore point first.

Last resort: roll back or reinstall

If Start broke right after an update and nothing above worked, uninstall that update from Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates. Failing that, Reset this PC under Settings > System > Recovery reinstalls Windows; choose Keep my files, but back up first anyway. Recent Windows 11 versions also offer a repair reinstall through Windows Update on the same Recovery page.

Related guides

• Taskbar icons missing in Windows 11 or 10: how to get them back
• Windows key not working: how to fix it in Windows 11 and 10
• Can’t Type in Windows Search Bar? 7 Fixes for Windows 11/10
• How to run sfc /scannow in Windows 11 and 10 (and read the results)
• Widgets not working in Windows 11: how to fix them

Official sources

• Microsoft Learn: Troubleshoot Start menu errors
• Microsoft: KB5072911, Explorer, Start menu and XAML-dependent apps might not start
• Microsoft: Use the System File Checker tool