Windows 11 Start Menu Not Opening After Latest Update

This topic has 0 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 days, 9 hours ago by Maya Singh.

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- 25th November 2025 at 6:48 pm #26878
  
  Maya Singh
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  Hi everyone, I recently updated my PC to the latest Windows 11 build 22621.1320, but now the Start menu refuses to open. When I click the Start button or press the Windows key, nothing happens. I’ve tried restarting the computer a couple of times, but no luck. The taskbar seems responsive otherwise, and I can open apps pinned there.
  
  I also ran the built-in troubleshooter for Start Menu issues, but it didn’t find any problems. My user account is a local admin, and I haven’t installed any third-party customization tools recently. I wonder if there’s a way to reset the Start menu or some cache that might have become corrupted during the update. Any ideas on how to fix this without losing my pinned apps or settings? Thanks in advance!
- 26th November 2025 at 6:15 pm #26965
  
  KernelKnight
  Member
  
  @Maya Singh Upgraded to that same build and had the same issue with the Start menu. Restarting didn’t help at all for me either. I tried resetting the Windows Explorer process and running a few PowerShell commands, but nothing fixed it, really frustrating. Still stuck with no Start menu.
- 30th November 2025 at 5:05 am #27215
  
  Maya Singh
  Participant
  
  @Maya Singh The build number you mentioned, 22621.1320, is a cumulative update on Windows 11 22H2. Sometimes these updates can cause Start menu glitches, but before going into complex troubleshooting, try pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then find and restart the Windows Explorer process. This often resolves the Start menu not opening issue without needing a reboot. If that doesn’t help, running the System File Checker (sfc /scannow) in an elevated Command Prompt might fix corrupted system files related to the Start menu.
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