No Startup Menu

Ensure the Background Tasks Infrastructure Service is running and set to Automatic, because Windows 10 requires this service for a functioning Start menu.^1^

1. Check the required service

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Select File > Run new task. If File is not visible, select More details first.
3. Enter services.msc, then select OK.
4. Find Background Tasks Infrastructure Service.
5. Open it and verify:
   • Startup type: Automatic
   • Service status: Running

This service cannot normally be stopped while Windows is running. If it is not running, check its required Power Dependency Coordinator driver:

1. In Task Manager, select File > Run new task.
2. Enter cmd, select Create this task with administrative privileges, and select OK.
3. Run:

sc query pdc

The expected result includes STATE : 4 RUNNING. If PDC is disabled, missing, or cannot start, restore Windows components using the repair commands in step 3 rather than manually editing its registry configuration.^1^

2. Check and re-register the Start menu package

The correct package depends on the Windows 10 version. Run winver through Task Manager > File > Run new task to check the version.

For Windows 10 versions later than 1809:

1. Open a non-administrator PowerShell window through Task Manager.
2. Run:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost

If that returns no package, open PowerShell as administrator and check whether it exists for another user:

Get-AppxPackage *StartMenu* -AllUsers

If package details are returned, close the administrator window. Open a non-administrator PowerShell window and register it for the affected account:

Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml" `
  -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

Run the registration command non-elevated; otherwise, it registers the package for the administrator rather than the affected user. On Windows 10 version 1809 or earlier, check Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost instead.^1^

If the package is absent for all users, do not download or copy Start AppX files from another computer. Microsoft’s supported recovery choices are returning to a known-good configuration, restoring a backup, rolling back the relevant update, or resetting Windows.^1^

3. Repair Windows components

If the service and package are present, open an administrator Command Prompt through Task Manager and run these commands in order:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow

Wait for each command to finish; do not close the window before SFC reaches 100%. DISM repairs the Windows component source, and SFC then checks protected system files and replaces damaged copies.^2^

Restart Windows and test both the Start button and Windows key.

If Start still does not open

• If the issue began immediately after an update, use Windows Recovery Environment > Troubleshoot > Advanced options to uninstall that update or use a restore point.
• If the package is installed but its process will not remain running, check Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application for Event IDs 1000 or 1001 involving StartMenuExperienceHost.exe. Also check Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > TWinUI > Operational for package activation errors.^1^
• If Windows reports unrepaired files or the Start package is missing system-wide, back up important files before using restore, rollback, or reset options.

References

1. Start menu troubleshooting guidance
2. Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files | Microsoft Support