In this post, we provide 3 fixes for the Windows 10 Start Menu critical error. It’s an annoying error that can totally destroy your productivity.
When it comes to irritating errors inflicting Windows 10 computer, the list could be very long, and it would be hard to establish which of the potential errors could more irritating.
It is not a competition, though, but high on the list of errors that are a nightmare to fix, there should be the following: Windows 10 Start Menu Critical Error.
Lots of people experience it- just look at Twitter:
“Windows 10 – Critical Error: Start Menu and Cortana aren’t working.”
I’m getting this error on my computer. How do I fix it?
— 💀❄Felicity Lucille❄💀 (@AttackOnSylveon) August 14, 2015
I have the Windows 10 Critical Error Start menu bug. My productivity has crashed to zero.
— Kaimatai (@kaimatai) November 19, 2015
Anyone else getting the Critical Error with the Windows 10 Start Menu? #Windows10 #tech #help #criticalerror #cortana #startmenu
— Wave (@iAmUrmi) March 7, 2016
It is not unusual to hear from Windows users who have been dealing with this issue for days on end before they are able to fix it. This error can be quite intricate and hard to fix, so sometimes it can take a huge amount of Internet searching to stumble upon something that will fix it once and for all.
Quick Video Fix
The Tech Whizzz YouTube channel provides a tutorial that, they say, solves this Windows 10 Error Message so you can have your Start Menu back in no time!
Get The Windows Start Menu Troubleshooter
The Windows Start Menu Troubleshooter can also help, according to a bunch of sites. Microsoft Support provides some links if you need access to it:
Hi, Wendy. We’re here to lend a hand. Let’s start with our troubleshooters:
Windows 10 Update troubleshooterhttps://t.co/0tKFpusYiO
Windows 10 Audio troubleshooterhttps://t.co/qFD7c73C6i
Windows 10 Start Menu troubleshooterhttps://t.co/BnQinJkk5P
Hope that helps— Microsoft Support (@MicrosoftHelps) February 15, 2018
More Details
If you do not have the time or the patience to spend hours (or days!) trying to find a solution for the Windows 10 Start Menu critical error, do not worry, that is exactly what we are here for. I have done all the research into this error so you will not have to.
Most of this article is, in fact, a tutorial the specific steps you will have to take in order to fix this error effectively. All that being said, I will begin with some helpful context that I hope will help you understand this error before you tackle it.
As it is often the case with errors affecting Windows computers, there is more than just one possible method to fix it. In this case, as in all others, finding the right method will depend on what is actually causing the error in the first place.
And this is why it is so important to try to understand the error before making an attempt to fix it. This is important, but just to be clear, not essential. You could go ahead and try out different methods until you happen to stumble upon one that will do the trick for you.
You could, for instance, follow the list of possible fixes included in this article or you could even just pick out the possible fixes randomly (i.e., not necessarily in the order in which they are presented here). This is all, of course, entirely up to you.
What Is Windows 10 Start Menu Critical Error?
The first thing to say about this error is that it was first reported back in 2015. This error originally affected a lot of users (I don’t have the exact numbers but my research seems to suggest that it was a large number of them).
Soon after users began reporting this error, Microsoft began issuing possible fixes and workarounds.
Because it has been sometimes since this error was first reported, we are now in a position to gather the really effective fixes for it. All that being said, there is a lot that you would need to go through online before you can find what will work for you. But, as I said in the introduction to this article, that is precisely what I am here for.
I have read whatever is worth reading about this error, so I can present the most effective methods for you.
Here’s the error message you will get:
“Critical Error: Start menu and Cortana aren’t working. We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in”.
You can see right there why this error is so irritating! You won’t be able to do much with your Windows 10 computer until this error has been fixed. Of course, the first port of call should be to restart your computer and see if the error has “gone away” when you sign in again. If that does not make any difference at all, do not worry, there are a few things that you can try out.
As you will see when you read all the possible fixes (you do not have to read them all, of course), this error is caused by a variety of problems. Therefore, each possible cause has a specific fix. So, unless, you have a strong suspicion about what may be causing the error in your case, you may need to try out several possible fixes until you are lucky enough to stumble upon one that works for you. That being said, you might just be lucky and have the first fix you try do the trick for you!
So, now, without much further ado, here is the list of all possible fixes for this error.
4 Potential Fixes
Possible Fix Number 1
If restarting your computer does not do anything to fix this error, then you should try to get your Windows 10 into safe mode. If you are not sure how to do this, all you will need to do is follow these simple steps:
- Grab your Windows 10
- Hold the following two keys simultaneously: the Windows Key and the R Key. This action will open the run dialog prompt.
- Once the run dialog prompt displays, type the following text into it: “MSCONFIG” (no quotation marks).
- Click or tap on the OK This action will prompt the System Configuration Utility to display on your scream.
- Once the System Configuration Utility displays click or tap on the Boot
- Once you are on the Boot tab, select the following checkbox: Check the Safe Boot.
- Click or tap on OK.
- Click or tap on Yes. This action will restart your computer.
- Once your Windows 10 has fully restarted, choose the safe mode (you may need to sign in first).
- Hold the following two keys simultaneously: the Windows Key and the R Key. This action will open the run dialog prompt.
- Once the run dialog prompt displays, type the following text into it: “MSCONFIG” (no quotation marks).
- Click or tap on the OK This action will prompt the System Configuration Utility to display on your scream.
- Once the System Configuration Utility displays click or tap on the Boot
- Once you are on the Boot tab, uncheck the following checkbox: Check the Safe Boot.
- Click or tap on OK.
- Click or tap on Yes. This action will restart your computer.
Make sure that you follow those steps to the letter and do not skip any of them. You should be able to access both the Windows 10 Start menu and Cortana now.
If this fix does not work for you, there are still a few things that you could try out.
Possible Fix Number 2
If the first possible fix does not work for you, then it could very likely that what is causing the error is a third-party program or application.
The most likely culprit could be antivirus software. If you are using a third-party antivirus, you should try the following:
Uninstall the antivirus program by locating it on the applications’ list in the Start menu and right clicking on it. Then, select uninstall from all the different options and confirm this if prompted. Once you have uninstalled it, make sure that you install it again as you originally did.
Possible Fix Number 3
A solid workaround, particularly if you are not using third party antivirus software, would involve creating a new administrator account and deleting the original one. Make sure that you create one before you delete anything. Then, simply attempt to sign in using the new administrator account.
Possible Fix Number 4
Okay, if you have reached this error it must be because you have tried the previous three possible fixes and none of them worked for you. In case that you have come to this possible fixes randomly, I would strongly suggest that you first try out all the possible fixes (particularly, the first one if you have not already).
If you are not using a third-party anti-virus or have already uninstalled it and reinstalled it (see possible fix number 3), it is still possible that some other piece of third-party software may be responsible for this error.
So, at this point, when you have already tried out everything else, would be to look through your list of applications under the Start Menu application menu. This may involve quite a bit of digging and, therefore, time, which is why this possible fix is the last one that you should ever attempt.
It might just take you a lot of time to finally discover that none of the apps is responsible for this error. However, if nothing else work, then one of them might be causing it.
Watch out for Dropbox and other applications similar to it. You will have to go one by one uninstalling them, restarting your Windows 10 computer, checking whether the error has been fixed, and installing the application in question again.
As you can see, fixing the Windows 10 Start Menu Critical Error does not need to be actually difficult but, depending on your approach, you can easily waste a lot of time trying to fix it. I just hope that this article will save you some time and frustration so you can go back to enjoying your Windows 10 computer as soon as possible.
