Most Windows users use the Start menu almost every day, in fact, multiple times a day. You can use it to search for apps, pin your favorite apps, access system settings, and more. If you facing problems with the Start menu such as not opening, being unresponsive, laggy, or the search not working, restarting the Start menu will fix the problem. In this tutorial, we’ll show you two easy methods to restart the Start menu. These methods will work in Windows 10 & 11. Let’s get started.
Restart the Start Menu Process in Task Manager
Unlike the older versions, Microsoft separated the Start menu process to make it more reliable. When your Start menu is not working or causing problems, restarting the Start process restarts the Start menu. It’s pretty easy to do. Here’s how.
First, open the task manager. You can do that by pressing the “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” shortcut. Alternatively, right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.
In the Task Manager window, navigate to the Processes tab. Here, scroll down the list of processes till you find the Start process.
Note: On Windows 10, the Task Manager might open in minimal view. In that case, click the More Details option at the bottom.
Once you have found it, select the Start process and click the End Task button.
As soon as you do that, Windows will stop the process and restart it automatically. With that, you’ve restarted the Start menu.
Restart Windows Explorer to Restart the Start Menu
If the above method didn’t work or if you are in need of an alternate method, restarting the Windows Explorer process might help. This method is especially useful for older Windows versions such as 8, 8, and 8.1.
First, right-click on the taskbar and choose the Task Manager option.
Go to the Processes tab in the Task Manager window. On the right panel, find the Windows Explorer process and click the Restart Task button.
The above action will restart the Windows Explorer process and free up and Explorer module that’s locking and interfering with the Start menu. From now on, you can use the Start menu normally.
That is all. It is that simple to restart the Windows Start menu. If the start menu is still acting funny, I’ve already written detailed steps to fix start menu problems. Follow that guide. If you have any questions, comment below and we’ll answer.
