To "refresh" the Start Menu, follow these steps:
- Open the "Run command" window by pressing WIN+R. (i.e. hold down the Windows key and then press R.)
- Type "cmd" at the prompt, and press Enter.
- Wait for the command prompt to open. (It will be a flashing cursor block.)
- At the command prompt, type this: taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F You should notice these all vanish: Start Menu, Taskbar, any open File Explorer windows.
- Type this at the command prompt: explorer.exe Now those components should all load back in.
- Close the command prompt and try the Start Menu. Hopefully it should have refreshed.
Full Answer
How do you restart Start menu?
You may even try force restarting the PC before rechecking the start menu functionality. Press Alt+F4 and restart your PC since you cannot access the start menu for the traditional method.
How do I refresh the start menu in Windows 10?
To “refresh” the Start Menu, follow these steps:
- At the command prompt, type this: taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F. …
- Type this at the command prompt: explorer.exe. …
- Close the command prompt and try the Start Menu. Hopefully it should have refreshed.
How to clean up your Windows 10 Start menu?
To hide the apps list in the Start menu:
- Open Settings on your desktop
- Click the Personalization icon
- Select the Start tab in the left sidebar
- You’ll see the Show app list in Start menu option in the right-side pane. ...
- You can still click the All apps button at the top left of the Start Menu to expand the apps list you’ve hidden
How to properly refresh the Windows desktop and Start menu?
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- Method 1. Uninstall IDT Audio Codes. The desktop refresh problem in Windows 10, commonly appears in systems with a IDT Audio sound card. ...
- Method 2. Disable the Windows Error Reporting Service. ...
- Method 3. Disable Unwanted Startup programs. ...
- Method 4. FIX Windows corruption errors with DISM & SFC tools. ...
- Method 5. Update, Rollback, or Uninstall Display Drivers. ...
Issue
Occasionally the Windows desktop, either natively or inside a Citrix desktop is not rendered properly and some desktop or start menu items are missing or not shown properly.
Solution
As per the article at https://blog.barthe.ph/2010/02/23/force-desktop-refresh/, it appears that simply using the F5 shortcut inside a Windows desktop is not enough to properly refresh the desktop (and associated start menu items). This is because a certain system call needs to be invoked via the Windows API.
