How to Fix StartMenuExperienceHost.exe on Windows?

Fix StartMenuExperienceHost.exe – There are many reasons behind this problem such as Third-party programs, especially the free PC optimizers and antivirus, Corrupted system files, or install updates, any windows services Stopped not responding, etc. Here we have a few effective solutions applied to fix if the windows 10 start menu not working or won’t open.

If you’ve installed third-party antivirus or anti-malware programs temporarily turn them off or disable them to see if they’re causing your Start menu not working problem.

How to Fix the StartMenuExperienceHost.exe High CPU Usage Issue

Fix StartMenuExperienceHost.exe – Although this program improves the performance of the Start Menu, it causes some new problems. Many Windows users complain that StartMenuExperienceHost.exe stops working or crashes. Sometimes it even eats up almost all CPU and memory resources.

There are 2 simple methods to fix the StartMenuExperienceHost.exe high CPU and memory usage problem.

1. Disable StartMenuExperienceHost.exe in Task Manager

The first and fastest method to fix the high CPU and memory usage problem is to restart StartMenuExperienceHost in Task Manager. To do so, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys.
2. Go to the Details tab, and then right-click the StartMenuExperienceHost.exe from the list of processes and select End task.
3. Click on the End Process button to confirm this operation. Then the process will end automatically and you can see restart it.

2. Revert Your Windows 10 to an Earlier Date

As mentioned above, the StartMenuExperienceHost.exe was released on Windows 10 1903 version. If you don’t want to use this program anymore, you can try performing a system restore.

Fix StartMenuExperienceHost.exe – Run the Start Menu Troubleshooter

Microsoft launched a Start menu troubleshooter diagnostic package that finds and fixes problems with the Start menu and Cortana. This wonderful tool does comprehensive checks to determine what exactly is preventing the Start menu from functioning correctly.

• Download Start menu troubleshooter from Microsoft and run it.
• To apply the fixes automatically, click the Advanced button and enable Apply repairs automatically. But if you just want to do a dry run first uncheck the option.
• The Start menu troubleshooter primarily checks if the following potential issues are present:

1. Required Applications are not Installed Correctly

Checks if “Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost” and “Microsoft.Windows.Cortana” applications are installed correctly or not, and reinstalls the packages automatically if required.

In case the troubleshooter can’t reinstall the packages, try reinstalling ShellExperienceHost manually. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for instructions.

2. Permission Issues with Registry Keys

Checks if the current user has permissions to access the following registry key, and fixes the ACLs if required:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global

3. Tile database is corrupt

The tile database file is located here: %localappdata%\TileDataLayer\Database\vedatamodel.edb. The troubleshooter checks if this file exists, and is currently in use by the logged-on user. If so, it’s taken as a good sign. Otherwise, it deletes the corrupt tile database file and regenerates a new copy.

Kill StartMenuExperienceHost.exe

Windows 10 start menu now has its dedicated process called ShellExperienceHost.exe. If Start Menu not working or not responding mouse click then kill StartMenuExperienceHost.exe probable help fix the problem.

• Open task manager using Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys.
• Look for the Start process in the given list, right-click on it select end task.
• Go to the Details tab, look for the “StartMenuExperienceHost.exe” process right-click on it select end task.
• This will kill the start menu process and restart it, Now check if the start menu problem is resolved.

Restart Windows Explorer

• Press Ctrl + Shirt + Esc key simultaneously to open task manager.
• Click “More Details” to see a full list of open programs and background processes you’re running.
• Scroll through the list until you find the “Windows Explorer” process. Then right-click on “Windows Explorer” and select “Restart”:
• After that, try to open the Start Menu and check if the problem is resolved.

Run Windows Update

Microsoft regularly releases windows updates with the latest bug fixes and security improvements. Installing the latest windows updates fix previous problems as well. Let’s check for and install Windows updates that may have bug fixes for the windows 10 start menu problem.

• Press Windows key + I to open settings,
• Go to Update & security the hit check for updates button,
• This will start the download and install the latest windows updates from the Microsoft server.
• Once done you need to reboot your computer to apply them and check if the start menu problem is resolved.

Fix StartMenuExperienceHost.exe – Repair Corrupted System Files

Start with basic whenever you face problem like this simply Restart your computer and get windows a fresh start. Also, Run System file checker Utility to make sure corrupted system files not causing the issue.

To run the system file checker open the Command Prompt (Win + R, then type cmd ) and type sfc/scannow. This will check Windows for corrupted files, then repair them if possible.

If that fails, still in the Command Prompt, use the “Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management” tool which can repair corruptions that were preventing SFC from doing its job. In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press enter key: dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth.

This will run the DISM tool. After, run another SFC scan to fix any outstanding errors.

Re-register Windows 10 Start Menu

This is the most working solution several users found to fix all windows start menu app problems. Simple re-register the windows 10 start menu using the command below. To do this you need to open Powershell with admin privileges.

As the start menu not working simply right-click on the taskbar and open task manager. Here on task manager click on file -> type PowerShell and checkmark on create this task with administrative privileges. Then type the following command and press Enter:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

After executing the command simply restart windows and check on the next login, I am sure this time the windows start menu works properly without any problems.

Also Read: How to Fix service host SysMain on Windows?