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

Topic

New Reply

[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 8 months, 3 weeks ago by Susan Bradley.
• This topic was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by WSbluntsword.

1 user thanked author for this post.

WShawky99

Reply | Quote

Replies

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

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

Reply | Quote

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 22621.2361 + Microsoft 365 + Edge

1 user thanked author for this post.

WShawky99

Reply | Quote

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!

Reply | Quote

That looks like the Properties page for ExplorerPatcher.

2 users thanked author for this post.

WSbluntsword, b

Reply | Quote

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.

Reply | Quote

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.

Reply | Quote

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

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created IT- AE

2 users thanked author for this post.

WShawky99, PKCano

Reply | Quote

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

 

Reply | Quote