8 Ways to Overcome the Windows 10 Start Menu Not Working

 Can't you open or click the Start menu search bar in Windows 10 now? If so, don't worry, because this time we will provide several ways to deal with the Windows 10 Start Menu not working so that you can use it normally again.

If you want to do a quick search on your Windows 10 PC, you'll definitely use the Start Menu. But when trying to click on the search bar, you find that the feature is not working.

Make no mistake, even though Windows 10 is a phenomenal operating system, it is still prone to lots of errors, such as Start menu search not working. In the following, you will learn how to solve the Windows 10 Start Menu not working.

How to Overcome the Windows 10 Start Menu Not Working

While there's still no clear explanation as to what causes Windows 10 Start menu search to stop working, we've put together some of the best methods to get rid of it, starting with uninstalling the latest Windows Update.

1. Uninstall Windows 10 Updates

Updates play an important role in the Windows 10 environment. Regular updates are necessary to fix all kinds of bugs that appear in any software, and more importantly, to fix security holes that make programs a target for malicious hackers.

But oftentimes, updates can also be the cause of some system crashes in Windows 10. So, if your Windows 10 Start menu search is not working after updating, you need to uninstall the update. To get started with rolling back the update, follow the steps below:

Uninstall Windows 10 Updates

1. Go to Windows Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.

2. Once there, click View update history > Uninstall updates.

3. From the update list, right click on the latest update and click uninstall to remove the update.

If the Start menu search started working after removing the update, then the update is the cause of the problem. But wait, does this mean you can't update Windows 10 anymore? Not exactly. Microsoft is notorious for releasing buggy updates.

Whenever a new update comes, it usually brings a lot of problems with it. But since updates are important for security, you can't avoid installing them either. In such a situation, you can use the Windows search tool. free. As soon as Microsoft fixes the bug, you can start using the Windows search bar again.

2. Run an SFC System Scan

All systems are vulnerable to accidental data loss, which will result in the breakdown of critical functions. You can use SFC (System File Checker) scan to fix your computer in such situations. This is a free tool from Microsoft designed to find and repair corrupted Windows 10 files.

Run SFC

1. Press Windows key + R type cmd then press CTRL + SHIFT + Enter to open Command Prompt as administrator.

2. After the Command Prompt opens, type the command sfc /scannow and press Enter.

3. SFC will check your entire computer for corrupted files and other issues.

If it finds something, it will try to repair corrupted files. Give it a few minutes for the scan and repair to complete, and if Windows 10's Start menu search isn't working due to corrupted system files, the problem will be fixed once and for all. If not, don't worry, you can move on to the next method.

3. Reset File Explorer

File Explorer, formerly known as Windows Explorer, is a file manager application that provides a graphical user interface for managing the Windows file system. To ensure that File Explorer isn't affecting the smooth running of the Start menu search, it's not a bad idea to reboot it. Here's how you do it:

Reset File Explorer

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open Task Manager. Next, click on the Task Manager option.

2. Click More details to see all programs and background processes running in the background.

3. Right-click on Windows Explorer and select Restart.

File Explorer along with Start menu search box will reboot quickly. But if your Windows Start menu search still isn't working, don't give up just yet. Try one of the other fixes below.

4. Turn off Cortana

Due to unknown issues, Windows programs are prone to crashes. If you are using Cortana for your search, maybe your Start menu search is not working due to some issues with Cortana. To make sure that's not the case, a quick restart will probably fix the problem. To do this follow the instructions below:

Turn off Cortana

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager.

2. Right-click the Cortana process and select End Task.

3. Still in Task Manager, go to the Startup section.

4. Right-click on Cortana and select Disable.

5. This will close or kill the Cortana app.

If Cortana is the cause of the problem, then you shouldn't have any problems with Start menu search after this.

5. Reset Entire Start Menu Search Bar

This guide contains many resets. If your Start menu search is still not working, then you can try resetting. Note that you have to reset all pre-installed and later-installed apps along with the Start menu. For that you have to use Windows PowerShell (with administrative privileges) for this one.

Reset Entire Start Menu Search Bar

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. There, type PowerShell and press CTRL + SHIFT + Enter.

2. In the PowerShell terminal, type the following command: Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

3. This command will install native Windows applications, including Start menu searches.

Wait for the command to be fully executed, and once done, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Windows 10's start menu search should work now.

6. Open Windows Search Services

Another possible reason for your Start menu search not working is because the Windows platform's Windows Search service that indexes content on your Windows computer has stopped working. To make sure that's not the case, open windows services.msc. Here's how you do it:

Open Windows Search Services

1. Press Windows Key + R shortcut to open Run, type services.msc and press Enter.

2. Find the Windows Search program in the list and check its status, it should be set to running. You have to start over if you don't.

3. Right click on Windows search and select Properties. From there, click Start to start the service. Also, set the Startup type to Automatic.

4. Finally, click OK to apply the changes.

7. Run Windows Troubleshooter

Windows Troubleshooter is another free utility from Microsoft. This can be useful for dealing with minor bugs on your Windows device, such as update issues, app crashes, and more. Running the Troubleshooter will help you fix the Start menu search problem. Follow the steps below to do this:

Run Windows Troubleshooter

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window.

2. Type control and press Enter to open Control Panel.

3. Click Troubleshooting > System and Security > Search and Indexing.

4. Now, click Next and check Files, folders, apps, or settings don't appear in search result.

5. Click Next to continue scanning.

This tool will automatically scan and fix any problems it finds, including fixing the Start menu that isn't working properly.

8. Do Factory Reset

Alright, so this is the last method. And with good reason too. Remember, only proceed with this solution after you have tried all the methods from above. Why? Because Factory Reset does exactly what it says in its description: it will wipe your Windows operating system and then install it again. This will make your Windows like new.

You can apply Factory Reset in two ways. First, you can do a full-reset and wipe the operating system and all files from your system or the second method, you can keep your files and only the operating system will be wiped.

Do Factory Reset

1. To get started, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Under the Reset this PC heading, click Get started.

2. Select Reset settings and follow the simple steps to complete Factory Reset.

3. Factory Reset will format your entire PC to make it almost new, without additional files and applications.

Conclusion

So there you have it, some ways to fix the Windows 10 Start Menu not working. Hope this short guide helps you to fix your problem. Even though the cause of the error is not known for sure, now you know how to get rid of it.

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Resa Risyan

Just an ordinary person who wants to share a little knowledge, hopefully the knowledge I provide can be useful for all of us. Keep in mind! Useful knowledge is an investment in the afterlife.