SOLVED This week's update has broken my start menu and task bar

[Linda Tanner]

I'm not getting any error messages on boot up, but the start menu doesn't work and my task bar contains only the start menu, cortana, task view and an icon for no new messages. No clock, none of my programs or even edge. If I hadn't put some of my programs from the taskbar in a folder on the desktop, I'd have a hard time getting to them.

What the heck is going on here. I've rebooted 4 or 5 times since this started on Wednesday and tried the critical error fix of holding down the F8 while rebooting and nothing has worked. I've been running win10 since August and have had the critical error message a few times, but have always been able to clear it before.

Any thoughts?
LT

 

[Trouble]

Let's try working on your taskbar first.
Right click the start button and choose "Run" and in the run dialog box type
ms-settings:notifications
hit enter or click OK
Select Turn system icons on or off
Adjust the sliders to on according to your preferences Clock, Volume, Network, etc.
Click the back button top left
Click the link "Select which icons appear on the taskbar
You can turn them all on with the top slider or
Choose which ones you want.
Does any of that work for you?

 

[Linda Tanner]

That would probably be fine, but the start button does not work - right or left click.

Thanks
LT

 

[davehc]

try Windows key + R. It will, or should, open the run dialogue

 

[Linda Tanner]

Ok, the windows key + R gave me the run box. I keyed in the first command and got an error:
ms-settings:notifications
file system error (-2018375670).

 

[Trouble]

Well.... that didn't go exactly as planned.
How about taking some time and clean booting the system and see if that provides any relief from the problem
Use the steps for Windows 8 / 8.1 (same for Windows 10)
Basically, you're disabling all start-up items and all non-Microsoft services.
Pretty easy to do and just as easy to undo.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929135
Just be sure not to mess with any of the actual Microsoft services, check the box to hide them.

 

[Linda Tanner]

I did the clean boot and when it came up, the task bar and start menu were operational. Now my wireless AIO prints, but it won't scan. So I restarted the services of what I knew I needed and did a normal restart. Now it scans and it appears that everything is working normally - just a little sluggish.

So, there was some sort of conflict? But now it's gone? This is getting curiouser and curiouser.

Thanks so much for your assistance. Until the next time.

LT

 

[Trouble]

Yep.... no problem.
You just need to track it down.
By very deliberately and one at a time or small groups of two or three switching the startup items and non-Microsoft services back as they were, keeping in mind that often a startup item may have an associated service.
You'll need to reboot the computer after each change to assess the impact on the system.