Windows 10 has come a long way since it was first launched in 2015. Each update brings a lot of new features, and Microsoft has embraced the open source community in a way that was once thought impossible.
Still, like with any operating system, there are bugs. And one of the more common bugs people running Windows 10 have faced is that the Start Menu suddenly stops working.
Sometimes the open Start Menu freezes up and is unresponsive, and other times it won’t open at all when you click the Start Menu button.
Whatever specific issue you’re having with the Windows 10 Start Menu, we’ll go over some quick and not so quick fixes in this article.
How to restart Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer, which is now called File Explorer, is the application you use to browse your file system and open programs and files. But it also controls things like the Start Menu, the taskbar, and other applications.
If you have an issue with the Start Menu, the first thing you can try to do is restart the “Windows Explorer” process in the Task Manager.
To open the Task Manager, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then click the “Task Manager” button.
Click “More details” to see a full list of open programs and background processes you’re running:
Scroll through the list until you find the “Windows Explorer” process.
Then right click on “Windows Explorer” and select “Restart”.
There will be a brief flash while Windows restarts Windows Explorer/Finder, along with the taskbar and Start Menu.
