Windows 10 How to reset the Windows Start Menu

*UPDATE - 12/05/2019* -- I rewrote the code to handle the appx package name changes.

*UPDATE - 04/14/2019* -- I'm updated the code to make it more reliable and to simply the instructions

This tutorial will help you reset the Start Menu if you are experiencing issues such as it won't load at all or the icons appear faded.

• Press [Windows key + r]
• Type powershell in the run box and press enter
• Copy everything from the "Code" section below and paste into the Powershell prompt and hit enter

* Window explorer (start button and task bar should disappear and come back on it's own) if it does not come back press [windows key + r] and type explorer and press enter*

# Need to stop explorer since it keeps an open handle to the appx package setting directory
Taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 500

# Collect package details
$PackagesDirctroy = "$($env:LOCALAPPDATA)\Packages\"
$SEHPackage = Get-AppxPackage -Name "*ShellExperienceHost*"

if(-not($SEHPackage))
{
    Write-Host "Unable to locate the package, try changing the text after -Name" -ForegroundColor Red
    Pause
    Exit
}

$SEHPackageFullName = $SEHPackage.PackageFullName
$SEHPackageManifest = "$($SEHPackage.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"
$UserSEHPackageSettingsDirectory = "$PackagesDirctroy$SEHPackageFullName"

# Rename settings directory and re-register the package
Rename-Item $UserSEHPackageSettingsDirectory -NewName "$SEHPackageFullName.bak" -Force
Add-AppPackage -Path $SEHPackageManifest -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

#Restart explorer
Start-Process explorer.exe

Test your Start Menu.

 

[Abdul Ahad]

.ps1 file is not running while i am trying to locate it to the location

 

[Neemobeer]

To run it with the .\ you need to be in the same directory or type the full path.

 

[pete20000]

To run it with the .\ you need to be in the same directory or type the full path.

Got following errors:

Rename-Item : Access to the path
'C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy' is denied.
At line:1 char:1
+ Rename-Item "$($env:Userprofile)\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Win ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : WriteError: (C:\Users\Admini...t_cw5n1h2txyewy:String) [Rename-Item], IOException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : RenameItemIOError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.RenameItemCommand

 

[FunHD2]

*UPDATE - 12/05/2019* -- I rewrote the code to handle the appx package name changes.

*UPDATE - 04/14/2019* -- I'm updated the code to make it more reliable and to simply the instructions

This tutorial will help you reset the Start Menu if you are experiencing issues such as it won't load at all or the icons appear faded.

• Press [Windows key + r]
• Type powershell in the run box and press enter
• Copy everything from the "Code" section below and paste into the Powershell prompt and hit enter

* Window explorer (start button and task bar should disappear and come back on it's own) if it does not come back press [windows key + r] and type explorer and press enter*

# Need to stop explorer since it keeps an open handle to the appx package setting directory
Taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 500

# Collect package details
$PackagesDirctroy = "$($env:LOCALAPPDATA)\Packages\"
$SEHPackage = Get-AppxPackage -Name "*ShellExperienceHost*"

if(-not($SEHPackage))
{
    Write-Host "Unable to locate the package, try changing the text after -Name" -ForegroundColor Red
    Pause
    Exit
}

$SEHPackageFullName = $SEHPackage.PackageFullName
$SEHPackageManifest = "$($SEHPackage.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"
$UserSEHPackageSettingsDirectory = "$PackagesDirctroy$SEHPackageFullName"

# Rename settings directory and re-register the package
Rename-Item $UserSEHPackageSettingsDirectory -NewName "$SEHPackageFullName.bak" -Force
Add-AppPackage -Path $SEHPackageManifest -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

#Restart explorer
Start-Process explorer.exe

Test your Start Menu.

So I open PowerShell admin, and put that code in that order in?

 

[kapred]

Still nothing but I made progress.

I managed to fix the search issue but it looks like it's causing some other issues. I created a second admin user then booted to safe mode. Once safe mode was loaded, I went into my user directory and renamed %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows to Windows.bak and %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows to Windows.bak. Rebooted and the start menus was fixed. However, a bunch of buttons throughout the settings app do nothing!

I may slowly try to restore files until I figure out what it is...going to take forever though.

 

[Neemobeer]

Roaming shouldn't have anything major in it I would undo that change.
Looking at the directories in the Local 'Windows' dir I would think the most likely culprits would be
'explorer', 'cloudstore' and 'shell' directories

 

[kapred]

I think you're right. It's either that or the User.dat file.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Neemobeer]

User.dat is part of your user registry hive