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The message “Critical Error: Your Start menu isn’t working. We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in” is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It can accompany a Start component crash, a package activation or registration problem, Windows system-file corruption, or a configuration issue such as a policy or recent customization. Work through the checks below in order, using the evidence on your PC to decide which repair to try.
First, check what changed
Note when the error started and whether it followed a Windows update, registry edit, folder-permission change, Start menu customization, policy or device-management change, or installation of a driver or application. Microsoft recommends considering update history, timing, registry or folder changes, and Group Policy or mobile device management settings when investigating Start failures. The message by itself does not identify the cause. See Microsoft’s Start menu troubleshooting guidance.
- Press Windows key + R, type
winver, and press Enter to record your Windows version and build. - Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history and note recent updates, especially those installed shortly before the problem began.
- Write down any recent changes to Start customization, folder permissions, registry settings, policy, device management, drivers, or applications.
On a work- or school-managed PC, ask your administrator whether a policy or device-management change could affect Start before changing settings yourself.
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Windows uses the Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost package and the StartMenuExperienceHost process for Start. Microsoft’s diagnostic guidance includes checking the package and process; package commands are useful when an installation or registration issue is suspected, but they are not a routine first repair for every Start error.
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Check the package for your account
- Right-click Start and choose Terminal or Windows PowerShell. Use a regular, non-elevated window.
- Run:
Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost - If package information appears, the package is present for your account. If no results appear, that is a clue to investigate, not proof of the underlying cause.
Check package registration across user accounts
To inspect all users, open PowerShell as an administrator and run:
Get-AppxPackage *StartMenu* -AllUsers
Microsoft cautions that registration commands should be run in a non-elevated PowerShell window for the intended user. Do not run a registration command elevated simply because the all-users check required elevation; the account context matters. Use Microsoft’s Start troubleshooting instructions for the documented registration procedure if the package exists but is not registered for your user.
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Do not download Start AppX files from unofficial sources or try to install the package manually if it is absent for every user. Microsoft warns that unsupported installation methods are unreliable in that situation.
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Look for a crash or package activation failure
If Start is installed but still fails, check Windows logs for evidence that distinguishes a crash from a package activation problem. Microsoft identifies Application log events for StartMenuExperienceHost.exe and activation messages in the TWinUI operational log as useful clues.
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- Search Windows for Event Viewer and open it.
- Go to Windows Logs > Application. Look for Event IDs 1000 and 1001 involving
StartMenuExperienceHost.exe. - For activation errors, inspect Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > TWinUI > Operational for messages such as “Package was not found” or “Package could not be registered.”
Depending on the symptoms, Microsoft also lists AppX Deployment, Shell-Core, AppReadiness, PushNotification, CloudStore, and Start layout logs as potentially relevant. Crashes in explorer.exe, Search, or ShellExperienceHost.exe may also be related. These entries help narrow the branch to investigate; they do not, by themselves, prove that one particular repair will fix it.
Try Microsoft’s system-file repair sequence when corruption is plausible
If Windows system-file corruption is a reasonable possibility, first install available Windows updates and restart. Then run Microsoft’s repair commands in order. Microsoft Support explains that “System File Checker (SFC) is a Windows tool that checks system files for corruption and helps fix problems that may cause Windows to malfunction.” Read Microsoft Support’s SFC instructions.
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- Search for Command Prompt, right-click it, and select Run as administrator.
- Run
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealthand wait for DISM to report successful completion. - Then run
sfc /scannowand let the scan finish. - Restart Windows and check whether Start works.
DISM and SFC address Windows image and system-file problems; they are repair attempts, not guaranteed fixes for every Start menu failure.
Isolate third-party software if Start is installed but will not run
If the package is present but its process is not running, Microsoft suggests checking whether the problem persists in Safe Mode or isolating third-party drivers and applications with System Configuration (msconfig). These tests can help determine whether non-Microsoft software is interfering. On a managed device, consult your administrator before changing startup configuration.
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For Microsoft’s diagnostic branches and suggested isolation steps, refer to its Start menu troubleshooting guidance. If the error remains, preserve relevant event-log details and share them with your administrator or support technician rather than making broad registry or package-folder changes.
Quick Recap
Choose the next step from the evidence
| Finding | What it points toward | Appropriate next step |
|---|---|---|
| The issue began after an update or configuration change | Update, policy, customization, registry, or folder-permission branch | Review the timing and change history; involve the administrator if the device is managed. Microsoft’s guidance |
| Package is missing for your account or activation logs report a package problem | Registration or package activation branch | Follow Microsoft’s account-context instructions; do not manually download package files. Microsoft’s guidance |
| Application log shows Start component crashes | Application termination or crash branch | Use the event details to guide further diagnosis; test Safe Mode or isolate third-party software if the component is installed but not running. Microsoft’s guidance |
| System-file corruption is plausible | Windows image or protected system-file branch | Run DISM, wait for completion, then run SFC. Microsoft Support’s instructions |
What not to assume or try first
- The wording does not establish that a Windows update, corrupted user profile, antivirus product, or system-file damage is the cause.
- Avoid deleting registry entries or cleaning out package folders based on anecdotal fixes. Those changes can introduce additional problems without confirming the fault.
- Do not treat PC reset or Startup Repair as proven universal remedies for this exact Start message. Microsoft’s cited recovery directions concern File Explorer issues; use recovery options only when supported by the situation and after reviewing the applicable data implications.
