The Windows 10 Critical error is similar to the Start menu not working. It happens when some files become corrupted. Sometimes, the Start menu alone is affected; however, the search feature, Cortana, and the Start menu are all involved.
SOLVED a Windows 10 Critical Error
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This walkthrough will teach you how to solve the error. For more methods that deal with a Start menu icon not working, press here.
Perform a System Backup
Before making any changes to your computer, you should always perform a system backup to prevent lost files.
Here is how to backup your Computer:
Step 1
Press the [X] and the [Windows] keys on your keyboard at the same time. Select “Settings” on the menu that appears.
Step 2
In the Settings window, press on Update & Security. Then choose “Backup” from the left panel in the Update & Security window.
Step 3
Connect an external drive such as a USB drive to your computer. Press “Add a Drive” and then select the drive you attached.
It may take some time, but Windows will create the backup on the drive for you.
Resolving the Windows 10 Critical Error
Fix 1: Reboot Windows
The most comfortable method to deal with this problem is to restart your computer.
Step 1
Click the [ctrl], [alt], and [delete] keys on your keyboard at the same time. This opens the Task Manager menu.
Step 2
Press the Power icon in the lower right corner. Select “Restart.”
Once the computer restarts, see if the Critical Error is still now. If it is, continue to the next process.
Fix 2: Run a System File Check and Repair the Windows Image
The system file check is designed to repair and fix corrupt files on your Computer automatically. You can access this app through the Command Prompt.
Step 1
Press the [X] and the [Windows] keys on your keyboard at the same time.
Select “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” on the menu that appears and Selects “Yes” if the system asks if you want to enable that app to make changes.
Step 2
In the PowerShell window that opens, type “SFC /scannow” (without the quotation marks) into it and press [Enter].
Wait until the method is done. It may take some time to finish.
Step 3
When the scan is completed, and you see the latest prompt, type “Repair-WindowsImage -RestoreHealth” (without the quotation marks) into it or copy and paste the command.
Click [Enter] when you are done. Again, it may take some time for the Repair to complete.
Step 4
When the scan finishes, you must restart your pc.
As before, click the [ctrl], [alt], and [delete] keys on your keyboard at the same time, click the Power icon, and select “Restart.”
If you still see the Windows 10 Critical Error, continue to the next process.
Fix 3: Reinstall the Start Menu App
When the Start menu app becomes corrupt, it is sometimes best to reinstall that app and corrupt Microsoft Windows 10 apps that may interfere with it. To do this, Windows 10 has a command that you can access through PowerShell.
Step 1
Press the [X] and the [Windows] keys on your keyboard at the same time.
Select “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” on the menu that appears.
Again, select “Yes” if the system asks if you want to enable that app to make changes.
Step 2
In the PowerShell window that opens, type or cut and paste the following command:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
and press [Enter].
Wait until the process is done. This will take some time to complete.
Step 3
Now, you need to restart your computer again.
Return to the [ctrl], [alt], and [delete] menu by pressing the keys simultaneously on your keyboard, press the Power icon, and select “Restart.”
If you still see the Windows 10 Critical Error pop-up, continue reading to find a different method that will work to resolve your Computer’s error.
Fix 4: Create a New User Account With Administrative Privileges
If your settings or any changes that were automatically made to your computer settings cause the Start menu or Cortana to stop working, creating a unique user account is the best option for resolving the problem.
Step 1
Right-click on the taskbar, and when the menu opens, select “Task Manager.”
Alternately, you could press the [Ctrl], [Shift], and [Esc] keys at the same time to open it.
Step 2
When the Task manager opens, press “File” in the upper left-hand corner.
Choose “Run new task” from the drop-down menu.
Type “PowerShell” into the window that opens and make sure the “Create this task with administrative privileges” box is checked before clicking “OK.”
Step 3
When the PowerShell opens, type
“net user DifferentUsername DifferentPassword /add”
without the quotation marks.
In this case, you should replace DifferentUsername with the actual username you want for the new account.
DifferentPassword is replaced with the password you want to use for the new account.
Neither the password nor the username can contain any spaces, and both will be case-sensitive.
When you have completed typing the command in, Press [Enter] to execute it.
Step 4
As with the different methods, you have to restart your computer.
Close the PowerShell window, press the [ctrl], [alt], and [delete] keys simultaneously on your keyboard, press the Power icon, and select “Restart.”
When the computer restarts, log on to the new user account you created using the unique username and password you typed into the PowerShell command.
The Windows 10 Critical Error should be gone when you log in to your new user account. If it is, transfer all your files to your new account and remove the old one.
Otherwise, continue reading for more methods of dealing with this problem.
Fix 5: Do a Clean Boot
Sometimes third-party apps will interfere with the Start menu function. A clean boot starts the Computer with only necessary Microsoft apps running. If a third-party app is a cause, you can try updating it or uninstalling it to fix the problem permanently.
Step 1
Once you log in as an administrator and see the Critical Error message, press the [R] key and the [Windows] key together to start the Run box.
Type “msconfig” and click “OK.”
Step 2
The System Configuration window will appear.
Press the services tab.
“Hide all Microsoft services” should have a checkmark next to it. (Press it if it doesn’t.)
Then press “Disable all.”
Step 3
Now, press the “Startup” tab while you are still in the System Configuration window.
Press on “Open Task Manager” there.
Step 4
The Task Manager will open. Press the tab labeled “Startup.”
Select each item you find there and press the button to “Disable” it if it isn’t already disabled.
Now you can close the Task Manager.
Step 5
On the System Configuration window that is still open, click the “Apply” button and then “OK.”
Step 6
Restart your computer.
As the computer restarts, see if you get the Critical Error message. If the message is gone, repeat the steps above, but this time “enable” each app one at a time until you find the app causing the error.
Until you determine which app is interfering, you will need to use your Computer in the Clean Boot state. If this method did not work, continue to the next way.
Fix 6: Update or Uninstall a Third-Party Antivirus
If you are using a third-party antivirus, the antivirus may be interfering with some components of Windows.
Since Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender, first, you should make sure Windows Defender has been deactivated if you are running a third-party antivirus. Running two antivirus programs at the same time can cause issues because the programs interfere with each other.
To find out how to deactivate Windows Defender, press here.
Since each antivirus is different, the instructions below are general and not specific to any antivirus program. Visit the manufacturer’s website for detailed instructions on how to update or uninstall your antivirus.
Step 1
When you open the third-party antivirus program, you should find an “Update” area.
Sometimes, this is located in a “General” folder. In other cases, you might find it under “Settings.”
Press the button to update the program.
Step 2
After you update and restart your computer, if you still see the Critical Error message, you need to uninstall your antivirus software.
Press the [X] and [Windows] keys at the same time. Select “Settings” from the list.
Step 3
Press “Apps” in the Settings window.
In the “Apps & Features” sub-menu, scroll down until you find your antivirus program.
Press on it and then press the “Uninstall” button.
Step 4
Before restarting your Computer
If the issue is resolved, you can try reinstalling your third-party antivirus. If the problem appears after you reinstall the antivirus again, you will need to uninstall it and find a different one or turn on Windows Defender and use that.
Fix 7: Download the Microsoft Start Menu Troubleshooter
Shortly after Windows 10 came out, it was notorious for having Start menu/ Cortana critical errors. As a result, Microsoft created a special troubleshooter that you can still find here.
This option works best if you think the errors might be related to problems with missed updates. All you need to do is download the Troubleshooter and run it, following the on-screen instructions.
Fix 8: Reinstall the Start Menu and Re-register Cortana
If the Start menu is corrupt or the registration method for Cortana is missing on your computer, this is the best option to fix it.
Also, if you run the Start menu Troubleshooter, and it tells you, “Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost” and “Microsoft.Windows.Cortana” applications need to be installed correctly; the following directions will resolve the problem.
Step 1
Press the [X] and the [Windows] keys together. Press on “Windows PowerShell (Admin).”
Select “Yes” if the system wants permission for the app to make changes.
Step 2
In the PowerShell window that opens, type:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage –DisableDevelopmentMode –Register “$($_.InstallLocation) AppXManifest.xml”}
into the PowerShell and press [Enter]. Wait until the process is done.
Step 3
When that finishes, type:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage –DisableDevelopmentMode –Register “$($_.InstallLocation) AppXManifest.xml”}
into it or copy and paste the command.
Click [Enter] when you are done. Again, it may take some time for the Repair to finish.
Step 4
Now, restart your computer.
Fix 9: Perform a System Restore
If you manually created a system restore point before the Start menu stopped working, you can restore your system to that point. Although some of your information might be lost, this method enables you to fix many problems. You can find out how to turn the system Restore feature on and create a restore point here.
Step 1
As mentioned previously, press the [X] and [Windows] keys at the same time.
Select “Settings” from the menu that appears.
Step 2
Select “Update & Security.”
In the Update & Security window, press “Recovery” on the left side menu.
You should see “Advanced Start-up” on the right. Press the “Restart now” button found underneath that.
Step 3
This will cause Windows to restart, and you will see the “Choose an Option” menu.
Step 4
Pick “Troubleshoot” and then “Advanced Options.”
Step 5
Choose “System Restore.”
Fix 10: Reset the Computer
If you don’t have a system restore point and if none of the different methods mentioned in this walkthrough work, you will have to reset your Computer if you want your Start menu functionality back.
Step 1
Press the [X] and [Windows] keys together.
Choose “Settings” from the menu.
Step 2
Press on “Update & Security.”
Then select “Recovery” on the left side.
You should see “Reset this PC” on the right. Press the “Get started” button found underneath that.
Step 3
Now press “Keep my files” and continue.
The PC will reset to Windows 10 factory conditions.
Hopefully, you have rectified your Windows 10 critical error.
