With Windows 11, Microsoft has made several changes to the Start menu. However, it's still a work in progress and can sometimes malfunction. One such example is when the Windows 11 Start menu fails to display app and file icons.
If the missing symbols are from start menu" If you're frustrated, don't worry. Here are some effective troubleshooting tips that should help you recover your lost codes in no time. So, let's check them out.
1. Restart Windows Explorer.
The Windows Explorer process is responsible for providing a graphical interface for many utilities, including the Start menu. Therefore, if the Start menu isn't loading properly, restarting the Windows Explorer process should be your first step.
Step 1: Right click Start code and select Task Management from the list.
Step 2: in Operations tab , Locate Windows Explorer locationRight-click on it and select Reboot.
The taskbar will disappear. It will take a few seconds and reappear. After that, check to see if the Start menu loads icons.
2. Reboot the test host from the BOOT menu.
Start Menu Experience Host is a process that handles the Start menu in Windows 11. If the process encounters any problems, the Start menu may fail to display icons or It stops working completely.To fix it, you can restart the Start Menu Experience Host by following the steps below.
Step 1: Click on Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to turn on Task Management.
Step 2: Go to Details tab and select StartMenuExperienceHost.exe locationRight-click on it and select finish the job.
Step 3: Click "End the process" For confirmation.
The process will start automatically and your Start menu should display the icons.
3. Enable folders in the Start menu
If you cannot locate the icons for the settings,File Explorer , Downloads, etc., in the Start menu, you may have accidentally disabled them. Here's how to enable them again.
Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the empty space on the desktop and select Customize.
Step 2: in Settings app Which opens, click on Start.
Step 3: go to the Folders.
Step 4: use switch keys To enable all Favorite icons You have it in your start menu.
Once Empowerment You will see all these symbols in start menu , next to power button.
4. Rebuild the token cache
Windows temporarily stores all Application and file icons It displays icons. This eliminates the need for Windows to repeatedly retrieve icons from the source. However, if the icon cache database becomes corrupted or inaccessible, Windows may fail to display icons in the Start menu. If this is the case, forcing Windows to rebuild this cache should help resolve the issue.
Step 1: Click on Windows key + X and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.
Step 2: Copy and paste the following command to navigate to the directory where Windows saves the icon cache:
cd / d% userprofile% \ AppData \ Local \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Explorer
Step 3: Run the following command to:Clear the icon cache.
from iconcache*
Restart your computer After running the above commands and see if the icons appear in the start menu.
5. Re-register the Start menu in Windows
It's possible that a recent change to the system or Start menu caused this issue. If you can't seem to pinpoint the exact cause, you can use the following method to re-register the Start menu on Windows.
Step 1: Click Search code in Taskbar , And type Task Management , And press Enter.
Step 2: Click New Task Run Button above.
Step 3: Type PowerShell In the box and select the box that reads Create this task with administrative privileges. Then click "OK".
Step 4: turn on Next command in PowerShell window.
Get-appxpackage -all *shellexperience* -packagetype bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + “\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml”)}
Wait for the process to complete and then Restart your computer.
6. Run SFC SCAN
Corrupted or missing system files on your computer can also cause problems with the Start menu. In such cases, running SFC (or System File Checker) can help verify and repair the integrity of all system files. Here's how to run it.
Step 1: Click on Windows key + S to reach Search menu. Write Bus Terminal In the box, right-click on First result and select Run as administrator.
Step 2: in Control unit , run the following command.
sfc / scannow
Check to see if the tool was able to repair any system files. Afterward, restart your computer and see if the icons are still missing from the Start menu.
7. Update the graphics driver
It can also lead to Outdated graphics drivers Or disabled, causing such problems with Windows user interface elements. You can easily fix such problems by updating your computer's graphics drivers.
Step 1: Open Search menu , And type device Manager , And press Enter.
Step 2: Expand Display adapters , right click on Display card your own, select Update the driver.
From there, follow the on-screen instructions to finish updating the drivers and see if that resolves the issue.
Are you missing what's important?
The Start menu is an integral part of Windows 11, allowing you to access apps, files, settings, and more from one place. When the Start menu fails to load icons for your apps and files, recognizing them becomes difficult. Hopefully, one of the tips above has resolved your Start menu issues and gotten things back to normal.
