Broken Right Click Start menu on Windows 11

Question

Broken Right Click Start menu on Windows 11

Blue 36

Today, when I right click on the Start Menu icon on the Taskbar, normally, it will display a list of Windows configuration tools, such as Disk Management, Powershell, Shutdown, CMD, Device Manager, Task Manager, etc. Now, it just shows a blank box. I did use sfc /scannow as well as DISM /restorehealth thing to try to recover any corrupted file with no success and now, I can't access Task Manager easily instead of Ctrl+Alt+Del.

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Bishi 21 Reputation points

2022-01-12T10:57:37.093+00:00

Did you ever find a fix for this? I have the same issue and I'm not sure what caused it.

Note: Start Menu is fine, but right click start menu context menu is just a small empty box

Dave Goldberg 1

I am dealing this this problem right now. The PC is a day old and the right-click Start menu has stopped. I pasted the line into Windows PowerShell as an administrator and recieved the following error:

At line:1 char:135
+ ... ckage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxme ...
+                                                                  ~
You must provide a value expression following the '+' operator.
At line:1 char:136
+ ... mentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml)}
+                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unexpected token '\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml' in expression or statement.
At line:1 char:135
+ ... ckage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxme ...
+                                                                  ~
Missing closing ')' in expression.
At line:1 char:63
+ ... t-appxpackage -all *shellexperience* -packagetype bundle |% {add-appx ...
+                                                                 ~
Missing closing '}' in statement block or type definition.
At line:1 char:172
+ ... mentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml)}
+                                                                        ~
Unexpected token ')' in expression or statement.
At line:1 char:173
+ ... mentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml)}
+                                                                         ~
Unexpected token '}' in expression or statement.
    + CategoryInfo          : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExpectedValueExpression

Any idea what's going on and how I can restore functionality?

Tams 1 Reputation point

2022-11-29T09:53:49.25+00:00

None of the above have worked for me either.
Billy Rogers 1 Reputation point

2023-04-24T02:11:12.6166667+00:00

I fixed this problem but I can't remember what I did to fix it! Darn it!
Colin Campbell 0 Reputation points

2024-02-12T05:23:59.6+00:00

I cannot find Task Manager, Control Panel, or other right click menu items when I search, or by searching in Settings, either. Something appears to have gone missing.
Sherwood Peterson 0 Reputation points

2024-10-12T16:47:49.64+00:00

NONE of these fixes worked for me on a brand new PC, installation of Window 11 even after Windows 11 Major updated twice. Here is a temp fix until MS gets real and FIXES IT. Create a Folder on any Drive you desire called anything you want but I called it WinX for consistency.

Now go to C:\Users\yourProfileName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX You may need to unhide hidden folders first for access to this next step - if you don't see Users folder select View - Show - Hidden items.

OK - now open then copy contents (they're all shortcuts, not the actual app\utility) of folders Group2 and Group3 in the WinX folder you initially created. Now created a Shortcut of the initially created WinX folder to wherever you want (suggest Desktop).

You can change the ICON of this folder, right click-properties-change icon tab - choose you icon.

You can change access to this folder and subfolders with OneClicks by opening it (or File Explorer) and find the 3 dots on the upper right menu area - then select - options - click items as follows to Single Click (when you point at them ((probably for you__

You can also attached this to Quick Access but I found the Desktop Shortcut personalize icon with OneClick to be the most convenient for me as I don't use many desktop icons and it reduces one extra click
LESTER FLAX 0 Reputation points

2025-01-20T20:56:18.79+00:00

You didn't explain how to get to Group 2 and Group 3. The WinX folder is empty because nothing was put in it.

4 answers

Bishi 21 Reputation points

2022-01-12T10:57:37.093+00:00

Did you ever find a fix for this? I have the same issue and I'm not sure what caused it.

Note: Start Menu is fine, but right click start menu context menu is just a small empty box
Dave Goldberg 1 Reputation point

2022-01-28T02:12:49.537+00:00

I am dealing this this problem right now. The PC is a day old and the right-click Start menu has stopped. I pasted the line into Windows PowerShell as an administrator and recieved the following error:

At line:1 char:135 + ... ckage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxme ... + ~ You must provide a value expression following the '+' operator. At line:1 char:136 + ... mentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml)} + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unexpected token '\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml' in expression or statement. At line:1 char:135 + ... ckage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxme ... + ~ Missing closing ')' in expression. At line:1 char:63 + ... t-appxpackage -all *shellexperience* -packagetype bundle |% {add-appx ... + ~ Missing closing '}' in statement block or type definition. At line:1 char:172 + ... mentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml)} + ~ Unexpected token ')' in expression or statement. At line:1 char:173 + ... mentmode ($_.installlocation + \appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml)} + ~ Unexpected token '}' in expression or statement. + CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExpectedValueExpression

Any idea what's going on and how I can restore functionality?
Tams 1 Reputation point

2022-11-29T09:53:49.25+00:00

None of the above have worked for me either.
Billy Rogers 1 Reputation point

2023-04-24T02:11:12.6166667+00:00

I fixed this problem but I can't remember what I did to fix it! Darn it!
Colin Campbell 0 Reputation points

2024-02-12T05:23:59.6+00:00

I cannot find Task Manager, Control Panel, or other right click menu items when I search, or by searching in Settings, either. Something appears to have gone missing.
Sherwood Peterson 0 Reputation points

2024-10-12T16:47:49.64+00:00

NONE of these fixes worked for me on a brand new PC, installation of Window 11 even after Windows 11 Major updated twice. Here is a temp fix until MS gets real and FIXES IT. Create a Folder on any Drive you desire called anything you want but I called it WinX for consistency.

Now go to C:\Users\yourProfileName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX You may need to unhide hidden folders first for access to this next step - if you don't see Users folder select View - Show - Hidden items.

OK - now open then copy contents (they're all shortcuts, not the actual app\utility) of folders Group2 and Group3 in the WinX folder you initially created. Now created a Shortcut of the initially created WinX folder to wherever you want (suggest Desktop).

You can change the ICON of this folder, right click-properties-change icon tab - choose you icon.

You can change access to this folder and subfolders with OneClicks by opening it (or File Explorer) and find the 3 dots on the upper right menu area - then select - options - click items as follows to Single Click (when you point at them ((probably for you__

You can also attached this to Quick Access but I found the Desktop Shortcut personalize icon with OneClick to be the most convenient for me as I don't use many desktop icons and it reduces one extra click
LESTER FLAX 0 Reputation points

2025-01-20T20:56:18.79+00:00

You didn't explain how to get to Group 2 and Group 3. The WinX folder is empty because nothing was put in it.

Answer 1

Kapil Arya 38,716 Volunteer Moderator

Hello,

See if this fix helps you:

https://www.kapilarya.com/fix-start-menu-not-working-in-windows-11

Let us know if this helps!

Note: Included link in this reply refers to blog post by a trusted Microsoft MVP.

Billy Rogers 1 Reputation point

2022-03-10T04:12:55.6+00:00

None of that worked for me. NONE OF IT!

Answer 2

Limitless Technology 40,116

Hi there,

You can try some basic troubleshoots to sort this out. If you have installed any new updates try to uninstall them , they might have broken the start.

Try to Re-register Start Menu

In the administrative Windows PowerShell window copy and paste this command

Get-appxpackage -all shellexperience -packagetype bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + “\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml”)}

Once it is executed try to restart the PC . You can also try resetting the PC with keeping all the files.

--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept it as an answer--

Billy Rogers 1 Reputation point

2022-03-10T04:13:21.707+00:00

No help....
Hassan Gulzar 41 Reputation points

2022-07-01T06:33:25.607+00:00

This fixed the start menu immediately but the taskbar is still non-responsive. I can launch apps from the quick launch icons but I cannot right-click them. If I right-click and wait there for 3-5 minutes, eventually the menu opens but then I have to right-click the application within this menu again to get the Run As Admin option so wait again and most of the time, everything closes.

Answer 3

John Allsup 11

What worked for me (after trying everything previously mentioned here) is found at: https://thegeekpage.com/fix-right-click-not-working-on-start-menu-taskbar-in-windows-10/#google_vignette:~:text=fixed%20for%20sure.-,Fix%203%20%E2%80%93%20Replacing%20winx%20folder%20from%20somewhere%20else,-Step%201%20%E2%80%93%C2%A0

To summarise: There is a folder %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX
in which there are three folders containing links to what appears in your start-right-click menu.

The link supplies a .zip file you can use to populate the folders. Then Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch Task Manager and then restart explorer.

SHB2012 0 Reputation points

2023-10-08T05:23:31.8033333+00:00

Thank you. And this solution worked for me too.
Rasby Ali 0 Reputation points

2025-08-09T09:25:05.9133333+00:00

Thank you,,, Fix 3 Worked for me
Daniel York 0 Reputation points

2026-03-30T13:25:32.3166667+00:00

This worked for me. Thank you very much!
Alexander Dydula 0 Reputation points

2026-11-08T19:01:23.2033333+00:00

After several hours this one did the trick!

Delete those WinX folders and copy these..

Done!
THANKS!!!

Answer 4

Gabriel Dispemec 431

Check if these updates are installed, and if they are uninstall, restart and test.

KB5015882, KB5015814 and KB5014668

Or, you can also install the repair update:

https://download.microsoft.com/download/a/3/9/a39e5797-119b-4d83-b778-f1227243baa0/Windows%2011%20(original%20release)%20KB5014668%20220721_04201%20Known%20Issue%20Rollback.msi

cgyng49 0 Reputation points

2023-04-23T18:02:04.35+00:00

I had these updates installed, did not see a way to uninstall so installed the repair update. It did not fix the problem.