How to Fix Windows 10 Start Menu Freezes – 3 Solutions

The Start menu has been one of the key elements in the Windows operating system since its introduction with Windows 95. The Start menu has evolved multiple-folds ever since as Microsoft keeps introducing new features to it. This menu is so essential, operating a Windows 10 PC without it would be tough. Issues with the Start Menu is not a very common occurrence, but some of the users reported the Start Menu freezing. This could be frustrating and counter-productive while carrying out some essential tasks.

Why is Start Menu Freezing on my PC?

You can never be sure what could be causing the Start menu to freeze in Windows 10. However, the main culprits could be stuck processes, broken system files, or a couple of other issues in your PC.

How to Fix Start Menu Freezing Issue on Windows 10:

In the following section, we look at some of the solutions to try to get rid of the Windows 10 Start menu freezing issue.

#1 – Restart Windows Explorer Process

Here’s a solution that has worked for most of the users facing the Start Menu Freezing issue. All you need to do is restart the Windows Explorer process on your PC. You can do this through the Task Manager window, and the steps involved are pretty necessary.

Begin with launching the Task Manager window. To do this, press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys.

In the Task Manager window that opens, make sure to stay on the Processes tab. Among the list of processes in this window, look for the File Explorer process. Make a right-click on it select the Restart option.

Once the process restarts, close down the Task Manager window and see if you can launch the Start Menu without any issue.

#2 – Run SFC Scan in Windows 10

At times, Windows 10 runs into troubles because of problematic or corrupt system files on your PC. These troubles may include serious issues as well as simple issues like the Start Menu crashing. While carrying out troubleshooting for various Windows 10 issues, running an SFC scan is highly recommended. This is a command-line scan that looks into your PC for problematic system files. When such files are found, the utility automatically tries to repair them. Running this scan has helped numerous Windows 10 users in getting rid of issues on their PC.

Here are the steps to run an SFC scan:

Step 1: Launch Windows PowerShell with Admin privileges on your PC. To do this, press Win + X keys at a time. The Windows power menu will open. Here, select the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option.

Step 2: In the Windows PowerShell window that opens, type sfc /scannow and press the Enter key.

The SFC scan will commence. Allow the scan to complete. When it is complete, close down the PowerShell window. Following this, restart your PC. Once you have booted into Windows 10, press the Start key and see if the Start Menu Freezes.

#3 – Run DISM Scan

If the SFC Scan is unable to fix the Win10 Start Menu issue on your PC, you can try running the DISM scan. This is also a command-line tool that looks for issues on your PC and fixes them independently. The scan is a bit more extensive than the SFC scan yet takes comparatively more time to complete. Before running a DISM scan, make sure your PC is connected to an uninterrupted power supply. If you use a laptop, charge its battery to full before running the scan.

You can run this scan on the PowerShell interface. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Open PowerShell in Admin mode on your PC. For this, follow Step 1 of the above solution (#2).

Step 2: When in the PowerShell window, type the command that is provided below and press the Enter key:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

The scan will take a while to complete, so we suggest you wait patiently until it reaches 100% progress. Make sure not to interrupt the scan as it progresses. When the scan is over, exit the PowerShell window and reboot your PC. Now check if the Start Menu in Windows 10 is freezing. If yes, try out the next solution.

#4 – Rebuild Index to Fix Frozen Start Menu in Windows 10

Here’s the final solution that you can try if the Start Menu on Windows 10 freezes. Go ahead and rebuild Index in your Windows 10 PC by following the steps available below:

Step 1: Launch the Run box on your PC by pressing the Win + R keys. Copy and paste the following command in the Run box and press Enter:

control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions

Step 2: The Indexing Options window will open. Here, click on the option named Modify.

Step 3: In the Indexed Locations window that opens, click on the Show all locations option. Now, go to the top section and uncheck all the boxes. Then, click on, Ok.

Step 4: You will now get back to the Indexing Options screen. Here, click on the Advanced button.

Step 5: The Advanced Options screen will open here. Go to the Troubleshooting section and select the option that says Rebuild.

As soon as you click that button, you will see a dialog box stating that the process will take a long time to finish; click on Ok to proceed.

Now, wait as the index rebuild in your Windows 10 PC. As mentioned earlier, this is going to take some time, so be patient. When the process is complete, make sure to reboot your PC.

After the PC restarts, check Windows 10 Start Menu for freezing issues.