Start menu not working & other Windows probs

[Loosie]

Hello,

Seems various & sundry probs all of a sudden. I am not aware of a recent update, but that’s not that it definitely hasn’t happened since probs…

Clicked on Start Menu (Windows symbol bottom left) and nothing happened. So I went Googling. Came across some ‘fixes’ that… didn’t. They have uncovered some other issues though…

Cleared caches etc.
Tried sfc /scannow & came up with no errors or repairs needed.

Tried reinstalling Windows Apps via powershell & "Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} ". First time I tried, came up with errors. Just tried again now, to tell you what errors were… & it gave me ‘access denied’.

Tried to download apps via Windows Store & that wasn’t working. I couldn’t ‘repair’, that wouldn’t work either, via ‘advanced options’, so I uninstalled & reinstalled Windows Store but couldn’t work out how to download appropriate apps.

Tried creating new user accounts thru the powershell via “net user NewUsername NewPassword /add”. This appeared to work, but when I went to log in, to the new one, then to the ‘USER’ account that was already there, it started up with ‘Hi. Setting up your account’ or some such, then just went to a blank black screen. Dinged when I clicked the mouse but nothing happened. Had to turn off & on again & can only log in to my existing account. I then deleted the new accounts & thought I’d try again… now I can’t even add accounts - in settings/accounts/family, clicking on ‘create new user’ it opens a window momentarily & then stops. I tried thru Windows+R to run ‘newuser2’ or some such, but this wouldn’t work either. Tried thru the powershell via “net user NewUsername NewPassword /add” again but it says ‘access denied’ even though it worked earlier too!

So… any other ideas before I have to do something drastic like reinstall windows?

Thanks for your time!

[veeg]

Hello

Is your windows update set to automatically to update? Check to see if you had an update called ( KB4515384)

@gus @phillpower2

[Bastet]

It‘s a bug with a recent update.

[jmarket]

What issues are you having with Windows?

You have changed a LOT of configuration, maybe making things worse. See if you have a restore point before whatever issues you had started.

As per @vger post, see if you have KB4515384 and if so uninstall it. KB4515384 is known to cause start menu problems.

[Loosie]

Thanks guys.

Vger, I’m pretty sure it’s set to automatic updates - don’t know how to check/change that. Gives me options for ‘postponing’ and stopping updates for a certain amount of days but can’t see whether or not I can choose to have them automatically… Yes, I have received the update KB4515384 Should I try to restore to prior to that update?

Gus, what issues? As described above. Not able to get Start menu. Windows Store wasn’t working/disappeared but seems to be fixed after reinstall. User accounts do not seem to be working. I gather “You have changed a LOT of configuration” is meant to be ‘have you changed…?’ Or else what are you seeing I’ve changed?

[jmarket]

Or else what are you seeing I’ve changed?

Just reading your original post.

Probably safer if you uninstalled KB4515384 through add remove programs.

You cannot turn off Windows updates through Windows settings BUT because Windows update runs as a service you can disable it there. You will have to be diligent though because disabling the update service is not permanent so you will have to regularly check it.

WE DO NOT recommend not patching Windows with updates as this leaves it exposed to possible security leaks, but every so often Microsloth release updates that cause grief to their users, and yours is one example of this.

Some users are happy to disable
[ol]
[li]Windows updates[/li][li]Driver updates through Windows (only get driver updates from the hardware manufacturer, and only when the old one is broken)[/li][/ol]
Until a time when it suits them and they have been released in the wild for some time.

OH, and get in the habit of making regular system images.

[Loosie]

Thanks again. So I will uninstall that update, but do you advise I leave Win updates on automatic? I don’t know about ‘patching’ anyway. And what are System Images & how do I make them please?

[Loosie]

Right, can’t seem to find that update in Add/Remove programs list, though I definitely saw it before… somewhere in the Updates bit. What I have in Installed updates is screenshotted here.

[veeg]

Ok then try this one since it is on your list KB4517389.. Coming out of the bad update news as another one that cause’s issue’s..

[phillpower2]

Any update Loosie?

[COLOR=rgb(44, 130, 201)]Edit to add: Is this the same computer as in your malware removal thread here[/COLOR]

[Loosie]

Hello! Sorry, forgot to update… I couldn’t get anything happening - that particular update wasn’t on the list in the systeminfo.exe, tho it had showed before. I tried to restore back to an earlier date before the troubles, but it kept hanging on me. There was only one restore point available. So I ended up doing a complete reset of Windows. All is now working, tho the start menu does look different than it did for some reason.

[jmarket]

Is you issue fixed. And please one thread only on one issue.