📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses a user experiencing a hazy, gray overlay over the Windows metro interface, similar to transparency effects, which appeared after a faulty NVIDIA driver update. Various community members suggest troubleshooting methods, including adjusting transparency settings and resetting the Start Menu via PowerShell commands. The original poster successfully resolves the issue after correctly setting the PowerShell execution policy, indicating the problem was related to system configuration changes caused by driver issues.
Bear

Bear

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Thread Author #1
Ok, idk what in the world is going on but suddenly yesterday or day before the entire metro thing looks weird..
it's like there is a gray skin cast over the area.. It started about the same time as the faulty nvidia driver update.
the tiles got stuck flashing and then I restarted and that problem went away but had other issues with programs.. upgraded nvidia again last night.. other issues fixed but not this.
Any clue?
An image from 'Hazy metro'. Windows 10 start menu and personalization color settings being customized with browser search in background.
 

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Solution
Neemobeer
You can try the following. I'd recommend running the following code as a script because the first two commands need to run pretty quick together
First open a elevated powershell prompt and type Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine this will allow scripts to be run.

Copy the following code into a file and name it whatever.ps1
Code: 
Stop-Process -Name "ShellExperienceHost"
Rename-Item "$($env:USERPROFILE)\Appdata\local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy" "$($env:USERPROFILE)\Appdata\local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy.old"
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml" -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

Then run it from the...
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MikeHawthorne

MikeHawthorne

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#2
Hi

That looks like it's applying transparency to one of the layers and showing what's behind it.
Have you messed around with the color setting to see if it changes, maybe try a different theme and then switch back etc.

See of there's someplace to switch off transparency.

Mike

There is a place to turn transparency on and off under "Colors", see if that helps.
 

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Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#3
I have seen the flashing titles before, but not the hazy look. The start menu is handled by the ShellExperieceHost.exe process. You can try killing this process and see if that temporarily resolves the issue. It should automatically respawn.
 

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Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#4
Hmm I think I have discovered how to fix broken start menus in the process, I will write up a tutorial for it tonight.
 

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Bear

Bear

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Thread Author #5
MikeHawthorne said:
Hi

That looks like it's applying transparency to one of the layers and showing what's behind it.
Have you messed around with the color setting to see if it changes, maybe try a different theme and then switch back etc.

See of there's someplace to switch off transparency.

Mike

There is a place to turn transparency on and off under "Colors", see if that helps.
Click to expand...
yeah, didn't help.. was strange is change just happened... if you notice all the icons have heavy overlay
 

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Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#6
You can try the following. I'd recommend running the following code as a script because the first two commands need to run pretty quick together
First open a elevated powershell prompt and type Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine this will allow scripts to be run.

Copy the following code into a file and name it whatever.ps1
Code: 
Stop-Process -Name "ShellExperienceHost"
Rename-Item "$($env:USERPROFILE)\Appdata\local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy" "$($env:USERPROFILE)\Appdata\local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy.old"
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml" -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

Then run it from the elevated powershell prompt C:\...pathtpwhatever.sp1

This should reset the Start Menu
 

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Solution
Bear

Bear

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Messages
128
Thread Author #7
Code: 
Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine

cmdlet Set-ExecutionPolicy at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
ExecutionPolicy:
Set-ExecutionPolicy : Cannot bind parameter 'ExecutionPolicy'. Cannot convert value "" to type
"Microsoft.PowerShell.ExecutionPolicy". Error: "The identifier name  cannot be processed because it is either too
similar or identical to the following enumerator names: Unrestricted, RemoteSigned, AllSigned, Restricted, Default,
Bypass, Undefined. Use a more specific identifier name."
At line:1 char:1
+ Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-ExecutionPolicy], ParameterBindingException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgumentNoMessage,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetExecutionPolicyCommand

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine

cmdlet Set-ExecutionPolicy at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
ExecutionPolicy: c:\reset-startmenu.ps1
Set-ExecutionPolicy : Cannot bind parameter 'ExecutionPolicy'. Cannot convert value "c:\reset-startmenu.ps1" to type
"Microsoft.PowerShell.ExecutionPolicy". Error: "Unable to match the identifier name c:\reset-startmenu.ps1 to a valid
enumerator name. Specify one of the following enumerator names and try again:
Unrestricted, RemoteSigned, AllSigned, Restricted, Default, Bypass, Undefined"
At line:1 char:1
+ Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [Set-ExecutionPolicy], ParameterBindingException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgumentNoMessage,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetExecutionPolicyCommand

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine
it was asking for a policy..
 

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Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#8
Forgot to add that in haha.
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope LocalMachine -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
 

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Bear

Bear

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Messages
128
Thread Author #9
not yet...
An image from 'Hazy metro'. PowerShell error showing 'Access to path is denied' for reset-startmenu command.
 

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Bear

Bear

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Messages
128
Thread Author #10
wait, actually even though it errored, it fixed it.. when I entered the first command it asked if I wanted to allow for all or what.. I chose all, do I need to change that now that its fixed?
An image from 'Hazy metro'. Screenshot showing a Windows 10 Start menu overlaying a browser on a tech forum discussing a topic.
 

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Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#11
The shell experience process probably still had a handle to the folder and that is why it errored. I think just re-registering the process resolved it which works.
 

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