Guide: Windows 10 Start Menu Not Working - Six Solutions

Cortana has a bug that causes the Start button and the notifications icons to become unresponsive. The November Update "fixed" the issue by forcing the installation of a new instance of Windows 10, thereby resetting customized user defaults back to Windows defaults. Unfortunately, the November Installation has the same Cortana bug, meaning the Start button and notifications icons can become unresponsive again. Here are five methods for dealing with the issue.

Guide: Windows 10 Desktop Icon Recovery - 12 Solutions

NOTE: Windows 10 desktop icons are sometimes very slow to load. If one or two Taskbar and Desktop Icons are missing it may take 20 - 30 minutes for Windows 10 to load them. If all of your desktop icons are missing, one of the various methods listed below may help you recover them.

I've noticed when using a laptop, just closing the lid (to put computer in sleep mode) frequently causes this error. Whereas using Start > Shutdown menu > Sleep does not cause this error.

Guide: Windows 10 Desktop System Icons Missing - Two Solutions

Missing System Icons

By Windows 10 default, some of the System Icons are not placed on the Desktop. Here's two methods to get your System Icons back.

Windows 10 - Method 1
1. rt. click desktop
2. personalize
3. themes
4. desktop icons
5. checkmark the icons you want
6. apply, then ok

Windows 10 - Method 2
1. rt. click Start button
2. click Control Panel
3. click Appearance and Personalization
4. click Personalization
5. click Change Desktop Icons
6. checkmark the icons you want
7. apply then ok

List: Windows 10 EXEs and File Names

Executable File Names

(Use in elevated command prompt or in Run (Win Key + R); some of these EXEs may return errors or may not do anything).

Windows (Accessories, etc.)

ImagingDevices.exe - Photo Viewer

MovieMaker.exe - Movie Maker

mspaint.exe - Paint
psr.exe - Problem Step Recorder

wlstartup.exe - Windows Essentials (?? Sign in with live account)

WLXPhotoGallery.exe - Photo Gallery

wmplayer - Windows Media Player (??may return error)

wordpad.exe - WordPad

Windows (System 32, Program Files etc.)
calc - calculator

charmap - character map

cmd - command prompt

compmgmt.msc

devmgmt.msc

diskmgmt.msc

eventvwr.msc

GamePanel

getmac - MAC / NIC

isoburn - burning tool

mmc - management console (opens console root to create customized mgmt console - use with compmgmt.msc, etc)

netplwiz - advanced UAC (add/remove users)

notepad

optionalfeatures - turn Windows Features on/off (ex. Hyper-V)

rstrui - system restore

runas - run as administrator

sethc - shortcut keys

setupcl - system clone tool

shutdown

SmartScreenSettings

SndVol

SnippingTool
systeminfo (use msinfo32.exe to open sysinfo console)

systemreset

takeown - Take Ownership of File

unregmp2 - Media Player Setup Utility ***

UserAccountControlSettings - UAC Notification Settings

workfolders - Work Folders
wpr - Performance Recorder
write - WordPad

MS Office

EDITOR.EXE - Code Editor

EXCEL.EXE - Excel

GROOVE.EXE - Groove

INFOPATH.EXE - InfoPath

MSACCESS.EXE - Access

MSPUB.EXE - Publisher

ONENOTE.EXE - OneNote

ONENOTEM.EXE - OneNote SideNote (Mini)

OUTLOOK.EXE - Outlook

POWERPNT.EXE - Power Point

PPTVIEW.EXE - Power Point Viewer

SELFCERT.EXE - Self-Certification
VISIO.EXE - Visio

VPREVIEW.EXE - Visio Preview
WINWORD.EXE - Word

Guide: Methods to Adding a New User in Windows 10

Two Methods to Add New User Profile (using Mouse)
Once Control Panel is open, navigate to PC Settings to Add New User
(NOTE: these may not work if Cortana has failed).

1.  Under “User Accounts” click “Change Account Type” > click “Add a new user in PC settings” > click "Add someone else to this PC" > Under “Family & other users” click “Add someone else to this PC”