SOLVED Critical Error: Start menu and Cortana aren't working.

[Malcolm Rubins]

That's what my husband's laptop says after signing in to Windows 10. He installed an upgrade to Windows 10 about a week ago, and no problems until yesterday - 8/9/2015. A window comes up saying "Critical Error - Start menu and Cortana aren't working. We'll try to fix it the next time you sign in." Then there is a button within that window that says, "Sign out now." When he clicks on "Sign out now" his laptop restarts, shows the page with the date, he is able to clear that to the sign in page, he puts in his password, hits enter, and the same critical error shows again on his desktop. He is locked into this round robin. The toolbar doesn't load all the usual icons. He clicked on the google chrome icon on the desktop one of the times, and its homepage came up, but he was unable to use the page or to access the internet. At first he was able to click on something in the lower right corner and learned that he had internet access, but he still couldn't access the internet. Now that piece of information is unavailable to him. When he right clicks on his desktop, the right-click window comes up as usual, but when he clicks on "display settings" for example, he gets another window that says, "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel." However, the slide show of his photos he uses for his desktop display or background is working well. What can he do to fix his Start Menu?

47 Pages of people suffering the same issue here on the Microsoft Community Forum for Windows 10.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...771-9f93-55a75a71df87?page=1&tm=1441036054583
Some suggestion that it may be related to a third party security suite (Avast, AVG, Norton, etc., mentioned)
Another post from someone @MSFT suggesting that they are at least aware of the issue and have provided some fixes but apparently those are not working for "everyone".

 

[Malcolm Rubins]

The only way to fix the problem is to restart instead of signing in. This has happened three times to me and is a real nyuscance

 

[Ath]

I started getting this error message after downloading Malwarebytes. Having read comments to the effect that third party security software may be causing the problem, I uninstalled Malwarebytes and have not seen the Windows 'Critical Error' since, although it is too early to say for certain that it won't return. It may also be coincidence, but Windows downloaded and installed updates as soon as Malwarebytes had gone. There were no such updates in the 4 days between installing and uninstalling Malwarebytes. I do not run any other antivirus software on my PC, just Microsoft Defender.

 

[Trouble]

Thanks for that heads-up Ath and welcome to the forum.
An interesting observation.
While I have not personally had any such issues with MalwareBytes (been using the Pro version for a long time and it was present during the upgrade process), it's still worth a note and perhaps seeing if anyone else has had similar results.
Much appreciated.

 

[Ath]

Thanks for the welcome and kind comments, Trouble. I sure hope Malwarebytes is not the issue as I have been using the software with other Windows versions for some years now and rate it highly. So far though, no Critical Error messages since I uninstalled it.

 

[Trouble]

from what I've seen and heard that message can take a week to 10 days or more before it returns.
So it might be a while.

 

[Garthman]

Hello. This happened to me for the first time today. I've been using 10 since it launched in July without problem.

Could it be something to do with updating? I was using Chrome and went to unpin the icon from the task bar but nothing worked - start button, other icons - nothing. I right clicked the start button and the option menus came up which allowed me to shut down. When I restarted a few minutes later the "Critical error - start menu & cortana blah blahetc" message showed. I rebooted several times - same thing. Fed up, I shut down and cooked some food. A few hours later I switched on and the usual post-update "Getting windows ready, Don't turn off your computer" message came up and stayed up for about 1/2 an hour. Then windows started - message saying "updates complete" - then everything working normally.

Could there be some sort of conflict going on when updates download?

 

[Trouble]

Hello Garthman and welcome to the forum.

Could it be something to do with updating?

That could very well be.
There are a lot of things still going on behind the scenes at Microsoft with respect to some of the nuisance bugs that various people are experiencing.
I was just recently reading this article http://www.winbeta.org/news/windows-store-on-windows-10-currently-force-closing-no-explanation-why
Where apparently a recent update seems to have negatively impacted the Windows Store App (at least for some people).
So best advice.....
If something seems to be acting weird, check for Windows Updates, Check for Store Updates, and as you've reported..... a reboot, might just help.

 

[Aad Wirtz]

I have also suffered the 'Critical Error' bug.

It appeared shortly after having upgraded from 8.1. None of the suggested 'fixes' and solutions worked and the problem got gradually worse until my PC wouldn't even power-up anymore and couldn't even access the BIOS to change the boot-up. The only way I managed to get the machine to boot-up sequence was to resort to removing the BIOS battery momentarily to force access to the BIOS after it had re-set itself by the short loss of the BIOS back-up power.

At that point I managed to back-up all my critical files to an external drive so didn't lose anything and re-formatted my internal drive and re-installed all software from the ground up direct with W10.

Everything has worked fine since until today and the 'Critical Error' returned. I immediately restored the PC to an earlier known point and, so far, it is behaving.

When did it go wrong? Not really sure but the last thing I did immediately before the error came back was to accidently select, and subsequently de-select 'Show Task View Button' on the Task Bar.

Obviously this could be a red herring (and I don't want to try again!) and have nothing to do with it.

One thing I was pleased about is that to restore to an earlier Restore Point got rid of the problem so one thing I will do is to make frequent restore points manually.

Come on Microsoft! This fix is taking an unacceptable long time to materialise!

 

[Wariqueen]

I encountered the same problem some moments back! Last night or the night before, i was using perfect 365.. It was working fine but then it began to "not responding" i couldn't close the app and after several attempts upon clicking the start menu, i couldn't access it.. So, I opened my task manager, ended all the running apps and tried starting my menu again.. But it still didn't work.. So, i just switched off my laptop.. Today, just some moments back, in fact, when I switched on my laptop, it showed me the "critical error" message. I signed out and signed in again twice in hope that it would work.. But it didn't.. So i tried signing in into another account that i never used before.. meanwhile, i googled it and found this forum.. i was thinking about trying what many suggested but it was really taking time to "set things up" i waited and waited but all i was getting was "its taking longer than usual, it should be ready soon" desperate, i long pressed on the power button on the laptop itself to shut it down.. I waited 2 mins and switched it on again.. And then it began to show me "working on updates" and so on.. It took about 5 mins max.. then got on to the sign in page.. And it was not my usual sign in page photo.. It had changed.. Like, a reset! Then instead of trying the safe mode,I tried signing in one last time given that it was working on updates and so on.. I signed in (praying at the same time ) and it worked! And its still working fine.. I hope that it continues to!
Just try to shut down your laptop and switch in on again,it will work on updates and it will be ok!

 

[Garthman]

Right Wariqueen. This , I think, confirms my suspicions that the problem has something to do with updating (see my post above ^ ^ ^)

Come on, Microsoft, get it sorted!

 

[Garthman]

Hello Garthman and welcome to the forum.

That could very well be.. . . .

OK. I'm now pretty sure it's something to do with updating. It happened again a couple of days ago. Firstly the task bar freezes - nothing happens when you click on an icon to close, same with the start button. Right clicking the start button does bring up the menu box allowing you to turn off or restart, Whichever you use, you get the "Critical Error - no start menu etc" message when you do restart. Then you have to use the safe mode start up routine to get the start menu and task bar menu. While the computer is booting you get the "Please wait - working on updates" message.

So come on Microsoft.

 

[ConnieBlu]

Hello and welcome to the forum,
Try starting his computer in safe mode and see if the same problem persists.
Instead of logging in.... at the login screen use the power button (bottom near the left next to the ease of access icon), hold the shift key and select restart. Then you'll need to navigate the subsequent screen(s) to get to startup options and then select safe mode (I think option 4)
I believe the screen selection will be
Troubleshoot
Advanced options
Startup Settings
Restart
and then select the number next to safe mode
Good luck
Keep us posted.

Hi
I'm typing from my phone. Tried the details above and now laptop stuck in safe mode as keyboard & mouse will NOT work for me. I'm so frustrated. This is the 3rd time laptop messed up since Windows 10 installed. I've tried other options to fix previous times. HELP!!! I've got so much work to do!!!

 

[Trouble]

Tried the details above and now laptop stuck in safe mode as keyboard & mouse will NOT work for me.

If at all possible, see if you can acquire a usb keyboard and mouse to test and see if you can overcome your current issue.
Often, laptops require specific drivers to support their integrated keyboard and trackpad. Likewise, wireless dongles used with wireless keyboards and mice will often not work either.
Hopefully wired devices will help, if your laptop does not also require some unique drivers to support your integrated USB ports.

 

[Jon Campbell]

This problem is not solved by anything you can do on your system, it is a serious bug in the current release of Windows 10. Microsoft's official word is that it has been fixed in an Insider version which will be released to the public in November. I just joined Insider so I can try this version. Once I get it I will report back here, and unfortunately I have too much work to do for the next several days to get to it.

The "safe mode" workaround is just a workaround, so far as I can tell, and does not help my situation at all. I get the fatal error when attempting to remove AVG TuneUp (which I found to be too invasive and, in some cases, just plain wrong). Apparently there is some issue that the AVG uninstall software is having, and it crashes and takes Start and Cortana with it. If I put the system in safe mode, it just tells me that the program "Windows" is not responding (!). And at that point I can't even reboot the system unless I bring up Settings -> System -> Power and Sleep and specify reboot or shutdown.

I finally gave up and disabled AVG TuneUp manually, inside the application. The company does not make it easy to do so, and it comes along for free when you buy AVG Ultimate. (Sorry for the rant, only reason I'm reporting it here in detail is because it somehow invoked the Windows 10 bug...)

 

[Jon Campbell]

Oops, sorry, I was not explicit enough. The message I just posted above is a reply to the general question of the Windows 10 start/cortana bug, not specifically to the previous desperate post of ConnieBlu and others stuck in safe mode.

You will need a working mouse and keyboard.

Start Menu (may not respond at first, try 3 or 4 times). Then All Apps, scroll down to Windows System, click and select Command Prompt. Type msconfig to start up the Windows configuration app. Select the Boot tab, uncheck Safe Boot, click OK. Then Start->Power->Restart

 

[solos60]

I hope Jon Campbelll is correct in his above posting regarding Microsoft putting out a fix for this continuing problem... every 3 to 5 days I have to go through this procedure to get my old Windows Pro 7 back up and running.... it's getting tedious...

 

[Tim Draper]

3 months in and start menu and bottom toolbar and edge still all regularly crashing
Same on the wifes laptop
Most of the time a restart solves the problem
I can't believe that this isn't happening to millions of people
Microsoft how long does it take for a company your size to solve such a fundamental problem
Kind regards

 

[Hung Quoc Ly]

Hello and welcome to the forum,
Try starting his computer in safe mode and see if the same problem persists.
Instead of logging in.... at the login screen use the power button (bottom near the left next to the ease of access icon), hold the shift key and select restart. Then you'll need to navigate the subsequent screen(s) to get to startup options and then select safe mode (I think option 4)
I believe the screen selection will be
Troubleshoot
Advanced options
Startup Settings
Restart
and then select the number next to safe mode
Good luck
Keep us posted.

Thank you so much for this. My Windows 10 just give me this "Critical Error" on Saturday morning while it still working perfectly fine on Friday evening. All I want is a good weekend to relax with the computer but sometime Windows just want to screw with me.

 

[Ath]

About six weeks ago I posted on this forum that my Windows 10 desktop had failed with the "Critical Error" fault, immediately following a download and setup of Malwarebytes Premium. As there were no real answers to the cause of the problem at the time I decided to remove Malwarebytes temporarily to see how things worked out. For six weeks there has been no recurrence of the "Critical Error" fault on my PC, until today when I reinstalled Malwarebytes.

I am no expert, but it seems to me that Microsoft has to look carefully at possible conflictions between Windows Defender and other anti-virus, anti-malware products. I have run Malwarebytes on a number of previous Windows versions; I like the software and I really want to keep it on my PC. Why Windows 10 is suddenly having issues with it, I know not. All I know is that I really do not want to remove my Malwarebytes protection while Microsoft searches indefinitely for answers. These Windows upgrades should not be released into the public domain until they have been thoroughly tested and proved to work with other leading non-Microsoft products. I am now off to reluctantly unload Malwarebytes again.

Incidentally, when the "Critical Error" message appears on my desktop I follow the instructions to sign out and then back in, and this always fixes the problem for a while. I do not get caught up in a kind of repeat error cycle, as some appear to have experienced.