4 Ways to Fix Windows 10 Start Menu and Cortana Not Working

The Windows Start menu is the ultimate tool for quick access to everything and everything you need to perform your tasks on your computer. Need to quickly find a file, launch an application, add nifty utilities or maybe change your user profile? The Start menu is the place to be. Cortana is also a really cool feature. But what happens when these Windows Start and Cortana menus stop working on your computer?

If you are trying to use the Start menu and Cortana on your computer and a “ Critical Error ” message appears on the screen, we have listed four troubleshooting options that may help you resolve the issue in the section below. -Dessous.

This error is most common when a user tries to use Cortana or the Start menu after a Windows update. Some other responsible agents include the presence of malware on your computer or antivirus software preventing them (read: Cortana and Start Menu) from working. Whatever the problem, the methods below will allow both to work again.

1. Disconnecting from the current profile

Simply logging out of the profile you’re currently logged in to and logging in again can fix errors in the Start menu and Cortana on your computer. Typically, you want to log out of the current profile from the Start menu, but since that doesn’t work, you can log out using other methods. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + the X button on your keyboard to display the quick access menu.

Alternatively, you can simply right-click on the lower left corner of your PC screen.

2nd step: Tap on the “Stop or Logout” option or simply hover your mouse over the option.

Step 3: Select Sign out.

This would log you out of the profile you are currently logged in to. Now log into the same profile and check if Cortana and the Start menu work. If they do not work, restart your computer.

And if that doesn’t work, try the following method below.

2. Disable or update the antivirus

Some antivirus applications may cause the “ Start Menu and Cortana not working ” error to appear when you try to use Cortana or activate the Start menu on your device. This error is particularly common for users who have installed Avast Antivirus on their PC.

If you cannot use the Start menu or Cortana on your computer and an antivirus is installed, you must update it to the latest version, or a version compatible with the operating system of your PC.

If Cortana and the Start menu still don’t work after updating your antivirus, you should uninstall it. Then restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.

3. Create a new user profile

This is another workaround that can resolve the issue with Cortana and the Start menu on your PC. During our research, we discovered that some users who have struggled with this problem in the past have been able to solve it by simply creating a new user profile on their computer.

It should work for you, too, and here’s how

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I button to display the Windows Settings menu.

2nd step: Select “Accounts”.

Step 3: In the right pane / section of the Accounts page, select “Family and other users”.

Step 4: Scroll down to the Other Users section and tap on the “Add someone else to this PC” option.

Pro tip: Disconnect your PC from the Internet before continuing. Otherwise, you would be required to create a Microsoft account online (using an email or phone number) for the new user profile. You don’t need that.

Step 5: Fill in the credentials required for the new profile and tap Next.

Just to let you know, you can create the profile without a password. However, using a password secures your account, files, etc. Then the next thing to do is give the new profile administrative privileges, so that you can access your files from it.

Step 6: Right-click on the newly created user profile and press the “Change account type” button.

Step 7: Press the Account type drop-down button.

Step 8: Select Administrator and press OK to save the change.

Finally, log out of the current profile and log in to our computer using the newly created profile. The Start menu and Cortana should now work. Use the new profile for a while and return to the old profile to see if the Start menu and Cortana have returned to their normal state.

If that doesn’t work, try the following method below.

4. Resave Cortana

Re-registering (resetting and reinstalling) the Cortana application using Windows PowerShell also resolves the Start menu, and Cortana does not work. This gives them (Start Menu and Cortana) a refresh and makes them work again.

Follow the steps below to do so.

Step 1: Press Windows key + R button to open the Run dialog box.

2nd step: type PowerShell in the area provided for this purpose and press OK or Enter on your keyboard.

This launches the Windows PowerShell console.

Step 3: Press or paste the code below into the PowerShell console and press Enter on your keyboard.

$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + 'AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest

Step 4: Wait for the code to run (takes about 5 to 10 seconds) and restart your computer.

The Start menu on your PC and Cortana should now work without any error messages when you log in after a reboot.