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I've already done my due diligence and searched through Microsoft's help forums which didn't have any solutions as usual.

What happened?

My computer froze/locked up (so the only way to fix it was holding down the power button) to force shut it down. When I turned it on again, it installed some update automatically (even though I had updates paused).

Since then, the start menu and the search bar next to the start icon are completely broken. The search bar doesn't respond to typing, and the start menu icon does nothing when clicked.

I've been looking for any instructions on how to roll back updates. All of the instructions given require Windows key + I (which opens the start menu - but that's broken). I also tested Windows key + R, then type in "control" to open the Control Panel but there's no option to roll back updates in there.

UPDATE #1: I already tested the Windows Recovery Environment (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/windows-recovery-environment--windows-re--technical-reference?view=windows-11), which "ran into a problem and won't be able to uninstall the latest feature update". Unsurprising considering Microsoft's recent record of quality problems.

UPDATE #2: I found the option in Windows Recovery Environment to access system restore points - it's currently restoring to the last good configuration. I'll post an update after evaluating the outcome. If this fixes it, I'll post a step-by-step instruction of how to do this and answer my own question.

WHAT SPECIFICALLY I AM ASKING FOR: How do I get the start menu working again? Alternately, how do I roll back the bad update when the UI to do so is missing?

NOTE: I do not want to wipe my computer or reinstall Windows. Any answer involving "wipe and start again" will be downvoted/rejected. I have also read Creators Update Broke Start Menu and found it's not a solution because the person who posted ended up wiping the computer and starting again.

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    > Unsurprising considering Microsoft's recent record of quality problems. Recent, since 1990 or so.
    – mitts
    May 20, 2022 at 5:46

1 Answer 1

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Answering my own question because Windows Recovery Environment (WRE) worked.

Boot your computer to the login screen (it should show your username, icon, and a text field for password). If you are already logged in, log off or lock your computer so it shows the login screen.

Click on the power icon in the lower right corner to bring up the shut down/restart/sleep menu. Hold down Shift, and click restart as you are holding the Shift key. If you did this properly, WRE will start.

Click "Troubleshoot". From here, you can attempt to uninstall the latest quality and/or feature updates. If this fails, you can open the list of "restore points" (created on every update) and tell WRE to revert your computer to the last restore point (that's what I did, and it worked for me). In my experience, Windows always saves at least 1 restore point (marked as "System", not "Install") whenever an update is installed. If a bad update breaks the computer and you don't get any further updates, you should be able to revert to the last "System" restore point.

Start menu and search bar work again. Consider this question answered.

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