Windows 11 update KB5022303 – Start menu disabled! (Not necessarily a bad thing)

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[Susan Bradley]

Last night my PC updated with Cumulative update 2023-01 (KB5022303), and this morning I found the Start menu was failing to open. I tried various recommended fixes but none of them worked. However, I also found a YouTube video of ‘hidden’ features in this update, among them a Search option for the taskbar, which I added out of curiosity. Right-clicking on the magnifying-glass icon gave me a whole new menu under Properties (attached), including the option to change to a Windows 10 Start menu. Hooray – I always preferred this anyway. So now I have a working Windows 10 Start menu!

 

Edited to add: I’ve subsequently updated a different PC, and the taskbar Search option gives a search bar instead of just a magnifying-glass icon; on the PC decribed above it was only an icon. I couldn’t find any way of switching between them, and on the different PC there’s no effect of right-clicking on the search bar. So maybe not everyone will be as lucky as I was, especially as I’ve found no other reports online of a disabled Start menu.

• This topic was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Susan Bradley.
• This topic was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by WSbluntsword.

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WShawky99

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Do you have any third party software installed that edits/adds a menu?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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I was going to ask that, but I believe what must have been added (after viewing the YouTube video mentioned) is ViVeTool:

Windows 11 January 2023 Update (KB5022303) includes two hidden features – ability to customize search bar on taskbar and a modern design for Windows Search Panel.
…
Remember that these features are ‘hidden’ and they can be turned on only if you use a third-party tool called “ViveTool”.

Windows 11 January 2023 Update comes with hidden features

Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 build 22621.1483 + Microsoft 365 + Edge

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WShawky99

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Thanks for the query, Susan. I didn’t think I’d added any third-party menu software (and not ViVeTool as mentioned by b), though ISTR some time ago doing a registry hack that restored full menus rather than the frustratingly truncated ones offered by Windows 11.  steeviebops has it right, though, I think – my C: drive does have ExplorerPatcher on it. How quickly one forgets (especially at my age!).

I’m not sure whether to mark this as Resolved; it was more of an observation than a query in the first place, in case it helped someone else. Either way, I’m more than happy with my Windows 10 Start menu!

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That looks like the Properties page for ExplorerPatcher.

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WSbluntsword, b

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Just for info:

I also had Start Menu & Search bar issues on new lWin 11 22H2 Laptop (5th Jan), but only after installing OpenShell to help remove Bloatware/unnecessary prog’s @ startup.

After reading JustWoody update, which I have only again recently subscribed to – as going from Win 7 to latest Win 11… I thought was a bit of an uncertain jump.

So, I just left it until today, ran 2023-01 update, now Start menu/Search bar options are restored. But I have disabled OS from loading at startup for present & created a restore point, until I know OS may work again …. as lack of Search capability on new laptop is far more important at present.

… May also try ViveTool as mentioned.

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I found that Open Shell didn’t work correctly on Win11.
But Stardock’s Start11 and StartAllBack do work and will give you a similar Classic Menu experience.

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Have you tried Open Shell 4.4.189 (pre-release) there have been a lot of changes/ updates since the 4.4.170 (last final release build) Open Shell Github

Keep IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

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WShawky99, PKCano

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Ok right, may try Openshell 4.4.189, but don’t really want to loose either Srat meu or Serach bar use again, so may just uninstall, then try those alternatives, thanks

 

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