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Today, in this article we will discuss about how to Fix “Windows start button not working” issue. When you turn on/restart your system or work on it, you do a few basic things. These include refreshing the system, hitting the start button, changing the tabs, opening new Windows, opening PC, and many more. Since Windows 95, the Start Menu has been an important part of Windows. If you want to know more information about this Visit Official Microsoft Support site.
Since it comes with almost every version of Windows, it is greatly missed when it stops working. Since the start menu was created, computers have had the Windows key, which is also called the Winkey. This is a key on most keyboards that has the Microsoft Windows logo on it and is tied to the Start Menu. When you press this key, the Start Menu opens, and if it doesn’t, either the Start Menu or the start button not working windows.
Some keyboards have two as well, one on the right and one on the left. On a Windows computer, pressing the Windows key quickly brings up the start menu, which is the most usual way to do things. This saves time because you don’t have to move the mouse to the screen’s Start button. We mentioned below are the ways to fix windows start button not working.
Ways to Fix “Windows start button not working” issue
Restart Windows Explorer in Task Manager
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
- Select More details.
- Under Processes, scroll down to Windows Explorer and select it.
- Right-click and select Restart.
Logout From Your Account and Log Back in
- Press Alt and F4 key together to open the Shut down Windows dialog box.
- Under the dropdown picklist, select Sign out.
- Once at the login screen, enter your password to sign in again.
- Wait until the Start Menu icon is loaded and see if you can access it.
Using DISM Utility
- Press Win and R key together to open the Run window.
- Type powershell.
- Press Ctrl + Shift together and click on OK. This opens Powershell in Admin mode.
- Type the following. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
- Wait until the DISM tool finds and fixes any issue with your disk files.
Use Sfc Utility
- Press Win and R key together to open the Run window.
- Type powershell.
- Press Ctrl + Shift together and click on OK. This opens Powershell in Admin mode.
- Type the following. sfc /scannow and press Enter.
- Wait until Windows detects and repairs any corrupted system files.
Turn Off Game Mode
- Press Win + I together to open the Settings window.
- Select Gaming.
- On the left navigation pane, select Game Mode.
- Toggle the Game Mode button to turn it off.
Use Taskkill Command
- Press Win and R key together to open the Run window.
- Type powershell.
- Press Ctrl + Shift together and click on OK. This opens Powershell in Admin mode.
- Type the following one after the other. This basically kills off the explorer.exe responsible for the start menu and starts it back up.
- taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
- Start explorer.exe
Turn Off Filter Keys
- Press Win and R together to open the Run window.
- Type control and press Enter to open the Control Panel.
- Select Ease of Access.
- Select Change how your keyboard works.
- Scroll down to the Make it easier to type section.
- Uncheck the Turn on Filter Keys option.
Run Antivirus Scan
- Press Win and I together to open the Settings window.
- Select Update & Security.
- On the left navigation pane, select Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Do a quick scan to make sure your system is not infected by malware.
- If you use third party anti-malware programs, make sure to do a scan using them as well.
Reasons why your Windows Button does not Work
This problem could be caused by your PC settings, such as the software you have loaded, or by your keyboard. If you have another computer, that’s your best bet. If the problem goes away, that means there was a bad key on the first computer. If the problem doesn’t go away, it’s probably a Windows issue. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to bring up task manager. If the task manager doesn’t open, it could be because of malware.
As can be seen on game keyboards, this problem is often caused by the same thing. There are two modes on these keyboards: a normal mode and a game mode. You can switch between these modes with a switch. To switch between modes, you might flip a switch, press a button, use software, or do a mix of these things. In gaming mode, the Windows key doesn’t work. This keeps your game from ending if you accidentally press the Windows key.