I recently encountered a frustrating issue with my Windows 11 system after a recent update. Everything was functioning perfectly fine until I installed the latest update. Immediately after rebooting, I noticed that the Start Menu had stopped responding altogether. It wasn’t just a minor glitch—clicking on it or using the Windows key had no effect. The Start Menu was completely unresponsive, which made it incredibly difficult to access any of my applications or system settings.
I initially tried a few basic troubleshooting steps, such as restarting my computer and checking for additional updates, but nothing seemed to resolve the issue. The Start Menu remained stubbornly unresponsive, which was not only annoying but also significantly hampered my productivity. Given that the Start Menu is central to navigating Windows, this was a serious problem.
To tackle this, I decided to dig deeper into the issue. My first step was to ensure that the problem wasn’t caused by a temporary glitch. I booted my computer in Safe Mode, which is a troubleshooting mode that starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services. To enter Safe Mode, I restarted my computer and pressed the F8 key repeatedly until the Advanced Boot Options menu appeared. From there, I selected Safe Mode and logged in.
In Safe Mode, the Start Menu was still not responding, which suggested that the issue was more than just a temporary glitch or a problem with a specific user profile. This led me to believe that it might be related to system files or recent changes made by the update.
Next, I used the System File Checker (SFC) tool, which is a utility in Windows that allows you to scan and repair corrupted system files. I opened Command Prompt as an administrator by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting “Windows Terminal (Admin)”. In the Command Prompt window, I typed the command sfc /scannow and pressed Enter. The SFC tool began scanning my system for corrupted files and repairing them as needed.
The scan completed, and although it found some issues and fixed them, the Start Menu was still unresponsive. This indicated that the issue might not have been with corrupted system files but perhaps with the update itself or other system components.
I then decided to use the Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM), which can be used to fix Windows corruption errors that SFC might not be able to handle. Again, I opened Command Prompt as an administrator and typed the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealthDISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealthDISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
The DISM tool began its work, which took a little while. After it completed, I rebooted my computer and hoped that the issue with the Start Menu might be resolved. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The Start Menu remained unresponsive, which was disappointing after all the effort.
At this point, I considered rolling back the recent update as a possible solution. Sometimes, updates can introduce bugs or conflicts that affect system functionality. To roll back the update, I went to Settings by pressing Win + I, then navigated to “Update & Security” and selected “Windows Update.” I clicked on “View update history” and then “Uninstall updates.” I found the most recent update and selected it, choosing to uninstall it.
After uninstalling the update, my computer rebooted, and I checked the Start Menu. To my relief, it started responding again. It seemed that the update had indeed caused the problem. I could now access my applications and settings without any issues.
Finally, I decided to check for any newer updates that might address the problem caused by the previous one. I went back to “Update & Security” and checked for updates. After installing any new updates, I rebooted my computer once more. The Start Menu continued to function properly, and it seemed that the issue was resolved.
In summary, the problem with the unresponsive Start Menu after a Windows update was a challenging one, but by using Safe Mode, SFC, and DISM, I was able to diagnose and address the issue. Rolling back the problematic update proved to be the final step in resolving the problem. It was a reminder of how critical it is to approach such issues systematically and be prepared to roll back updates if necessary.