Windows 11 Start Menu not opening, frozen, or just not responding when you click it? Before you reset your whole PC, work through these nine fixes — they are ordered from quickest to deepest, and most people are back up and running by Fix 4.

Fix 1: Restart Windows Explorer

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find "Windows Explorer" under Processes, right-click it and choose Restart. Your taskbar will blink and reload — try the Start Menu again.

Fix 2: Restart your PC (a real restart)

Use Start > Power > Restart if you can, or press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and use the power icon.…