Windows 10 has come a long way since it was first launched in Each update brings a lot of new features, and Microsoft has embraced the open source community in a way that was windows 10 home screen button not working free 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. 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. After that, try to open the Start Menu. Sometimes an update goes awry, or you accidentally deleted an important file while digging around the filesystem.

If the Start Menu is still giving you trouble, or other core Windows apps are crashing, then you can try to restore any missing or corrupt Windows system files.

To do this, you'll need to open the Windows Command Prompt as an administrator and run the System File Checker program. System File Checker will start going through all your system files and replace any corrupt or missing files with a cached copy. This process can take a little while, so feel free to do something else for minutes. Just be careful not to close the window while sfc is doing its thing. Once System File Checker is finished, you'll either see a report of all the files it replaced, or if everything was fine, you'll see a message like this:.

If System File Checker replaced any corrupt or missing system files, save all of your open work and restart your computer. Once you log back in, try to open the Start Menu to see if that fixed your issues. The next thing you can try is to reset the Start Menu entirely, along will all the Windows 10 apps that were preinstalled or installed from the Microsoft Store.

To do this, you'll need to open PowerShell as an administrator — Command Prompt won't work for the command you'll run. It will also register a manifest file for each program it reinstalls. You don't need to worry about the manifest files, though — it's just something Windows needs to run each program. Don't windows 10 home screen button not working free about them — most are just warnings about why a program can't be reinstalled:.

If none of the above methods fixed the Start Menu, the last thing you can try is to do a factory reset of your Windows 10 installation. But keep in mind that this is an "almost-scorched-earth" method, and should only be used as a last resort. Resetting your Windows 10 installation should keep all of your personal files intact documents, pictures, videos, and so onbut will uninstall all the other drivers and programs you've installed. Basically this resets your computer to the state it was in when you first turned it on.

In the PowerShell terminal, run the command systemreset to bring up the Windows reset wizard. Wait a moment while the wizard analyzes your system. Then, you'll see a list of all the programs that'll be removed:. Once you're finished resetting Windows and creating a new user, the Start Windows 10 home screen button not working free should be working again. Did any of windows 10 home screen button not working free methods work for you?

Is there another way to open the Start Menu that I missed? Let me know about it on Twitter. If you read this far, tweet to the author to show them you care. Tweet a thanks. Learn to code for free. Get started. Search Submit your search query. Forum Donate. Kris Koishigawa. 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. How to repair corrupt or missing Windows system files Sometimes an update goes awry, or you accidentally deleted an important file while digging around the filesystem.

Once System File Checker is finished, you'll either see a report of all the files it replaced, or if everything was fine, you'll see a message like this: If System File Checker replaced any corrupt or missing system files, save all of your open work and restart your computer. How to reset the Start Menu with default Windows 10 apps The next thing you can try is to windows 10 home screen button not working free the Start Menu entirely, along will all the Windows 10 apps that were preinstalled or installed from the Microsoft Store.

There are many ways to open PowerShell, but one of the fastest ways is to use the Run program. Give it minutes, and make sure you don't close the PowerShell window until it's finished.

Don't worry about them — most are just warnings about why a program can't be reinstalled: When the Get-AppXPackage command is finished, restart your computer, log in, and try to open the Start Menu.

How to reset your Windows 10 installation If none of the above methods fixed the Start Menu, the last thing you can try is to do a factory reset of your Windows 10 installation. In fact, make two backups. You probably won't need them, but it doesn't hurt. Next, click the "Keep my files" button: Wait a moment while the wizard analyzes your system. Then, you'll see a list of all the programs that'll be removed: Click the "Next" button, and follow the instructions to reset your Windows 10 installation.

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