[SOLVED] Windows start menu and search bar not working

[Mr.snobdam]

I've had this really small problem for a while now where if i pressed the windows key or start menu it would say critical error your start menu isnt working or something like that. At first i tried to fix it but not really anything was working so i just decided to ignore it because i could just wipe the error message off my screen and right click the start menu icon and it would do the same thing but now i cant even right click the start menu icon anymore and i cant search in the search bar so i basically cant do much. also, i tried some fixes on the internet but couldnt do most of them cause i didnt have my start menu but when i had to do something with a fix using file explorer i noticed that i couldnt type in the search bar in the bottom right aswell. i also cant do some off the stuff with right clicking the task bar like taskbar settings and the search bar seems a little greyed out but i cant tell for sure. the things that do work are task manager and windows+R does anyone have any solutions??
PS: im not really good at tech stuff so please dont use tech language that i might not understand.

 

[Colif]

It is the same thing. file explorer also runs the desktop.

It should have worked - https://www.windowscentral.com/how-restart-explorerexe-fix-common-ui-problems-windows-10

If you clean install this isn't a problem (or shouldn't be)

 

[Mr.snobdam]

It is the same thing. file explorer also runs the desktop.

It should have worked - https://www.windowscentral.com/how-restart-explorerexe-fix-common-ui-problems-windows-10

If you clean install this isn't a problem (or shouldn't be)

ok so i am gonna try a clean install for windows but can i just simply plug out my harddrive?? and also i cant open my settings. even if i type ms-settings in run new task it sais not found so how exactly do i clean install windows without settings??

 

[Colif]

Hard drive - turn PC off, unplug it and then remove the power cable from the hdd and leave it in case. then once win 10 is installed on ssd, you can turn PC off again, unplug it and then attach power cable back to the hdd inside case. You will need to take ownership of all the folders on hdd but WIn 10 will offer to do that when you open a folder the first time.

Clean install doesn't need windows, its run off a USB - On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB - you boot off this. It doesn't need windows to be on the PC at all. This is how you install it on new drives.

 

[Mr.snobdam]

Hard drive - turn PC off, unplug it and then remove the power cable from the hdd and leave it in case. then once win 10 is installed on ssd, you can turn PC off again, unplug it and then attach power cable back to the hdd inside case. You will need to take ownership of all the folders on hdd but WIn 10 will offer to do that when you open a folder the first time.

Clean install doesn't need windows, its run off a USB - On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB - you boot off this. It doesn't need windows to be on the PC at all. This is how you install it on new drives.

what do you mean with ''You will need to take ownership of all the folders on hdd''?

 

[Colif]

Since its a brand new install, when you re attach the hdd, windows will know another user made the files, even if that user is you. Even if name is exactly the same, the details of your user aren't in the background, every user account is unique.

All you need to do is try to open a folder first time and windows will offer to give you ownership

Its nothing to worry about, its normal.

 

[MJS WARLORD]

I had this happen after a faulty update earlier this year.
One thing that might help , unplug your keyboard before starting your pc , wait a while and when you see the message to say no keyboard found pug it in ... you might be lucky.

 

[Colif]

Does Windows still do that? i know it used to on old keyboards plugged into the PS/2 connectors but I hadn't noticed in windows