The Task Manager On The Start Menu Is Not Working

HDL · Thursday at 6:26 PM

When I Right click the Start button and choose Task Manager it does nothing. I am not sure how long this has been the case. I can open Task Manager various other way but I'd like to get the Start menu's Task manager to work. Another forum directed me to this forum through this link Add or Remove Default Shortcuts on Win+X Quick Link Menu in Windows 11

I believe it is called Win X. I have read and tried to understand it but I'm not sure I do. Under Option 2 -
Restore (add) Default Shortcuts on Win+X Quick Link Menu; would this be what I want to use to fix the Task Manager I already have in the Start menu? If so, this is where I am not understanding the tutorial very well. I don't know why I am to open File Explorer and paste %LocalAppdata%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX. I see Task Manager under Group 2 but have no idea how to use it to restore the Task Manager I see when I right click the Start button. Please see attachment below.

Is this Win X program what I want to be using to restore that which can be seen inside the Red box? If so, please give me a little guidance because I'm definitely lost in trying to understand the tutorial. Maybe there is another way for me to fix the Start menu and if there is how?

HDL · Friday at 9:34 AM

I have tried to follow the tutorial and restore Task Manager first but when I get to step 8 as can be seen above, it does not look like the tutorial. In the tutorial This PC is highlighted and for me, my user name is highlighted. I only have that one account on this machine but I'm not sure what to do here. I cannot highlight This PC because if I do, this is what I get.

So in the first attachment should I drag Task manager and drop it on my name? Also, there are a few from Group 3 that I need to restore, would I just go back and open Group 3 and drag and drop them on my name? Would these actions then restore the Right click options on the Start menu button?

HDL · Saturday at 8:56 AM

OK, one more try at fixing my problem since I think I did what was instructed in the tutorial. I drug files from the Group 2 folder I opened from the ZIP folder and dropped them in the same Group 2 folder that opened when I opened a separate File Explorer window and had it go to %LocalAppdata%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX. If, I in fact, did everything correctly, it did no good. When the windows key plus the X key is opened, Task Manager is still dead.

Berton · Saturday at 9:52 AM

Task Manager on all my computers, with default installs, is still on the right-click of the Taskbar. There is another choice in Start, All, Windows Tools that works with the double-click.

HDL · Saturday at 12:02 PM

Berton said:
Task Manager on all my computers, with default installs, is still on the right-click of the Taskbar. There is another choice in Start, All, Windows Tools that works with the double-click.

It is on mine also but it is supposed to work from Right Clicking the Start Button and choosing it there as well. Mine does not and that is what I'm trying to fix. Thanks for the reply.

Berton · Saturday at 12:18 PM

TM opens fine from the right-click of Start.
Properties of the TM in Windows Tools:

HDL · Saturday at 2:19 PM

Berton said:
TM opens fine from the right-click of Start.
Properties of the TM in Windows Tools:
View attachment 135599

I have various ways to open Task Manager, that really isn't the concern. I was trying to fix, what I am going to call, the Win X menu. I have an attachment showing what I am referring to in the OP. There is a tutorial here Add or Remove Default Shortcuts on Win+X Quick Link Menu in Windows 11 in this forum that I thought was supposed to fix that for me. If I have followed the instructions, as I think I have, it didn't work for me. I must have done something wrong but I don't know what it is. Thanks for your reply.

Berton · Saturday at 4:39 PM

Forgot to include this, what I get with Win + X:

HDL · Saturday at 5:22 PM

Berton said:
Forgot to include this, what I get with Win + X:
View attachment 135614

Yes, I get that too but Task Manager along Device Manager, Disk Management, and Event Viewer are all dead. That's what I was trying to repair using the link I posted above, which is a tutorial in Windows 11 Forum supposedly with the ability to restore those links on the Win X menu. But it did not work for me. Thanks for the reply.

antspants · Saturday at 8:28 PM

Two things I came across that I have not tried because mine work. Likely similar to the tutorial you mentioned.
System backups are always advised..

Rebuild the Win+X menu with Powershell
(Run as Admin)

Powershell:

# Stop Explorer process
Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force

# Clear and rebuild shell experience host cache
Remove-Item -Path "$env:LocalAppData\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\TempState\*" -Force -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# Clear Windows cache
Remove-Item -Path "$env:LocalAppData\Microsoft\Windows\Caches\*" -Force -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# Rebuild WinX folder (backup first)
$winxPath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\WinX"
$backupPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\WinX_Backup_$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd_HHmmss')"
Copy-Item -Path $winxPath -Destination $backupPath -Recurse -Force
Remove-Item -Path $winxPath -Recurse -Force
New-Item -Path $winxPath -ItemType Directory

# Restart Explorer
Start-Process explorer

Alternatively try: Clear and rebuild shell experience host cache. (Alternative to cache section in the script above)
(Run as Admin)

Powershell:

Get-AppXPackage Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

HDL · 2025-06-01T06:03:09-0400

Thank you very much. I will look in to that.

HDL · 2025-06-01T10:43:25-0400

antspants said:
Two things I came across that I have not tried because mine work. Likely similar to the tutorial you mentioned.

I am not sure what is happening but I just want to show this:

This is what I see when I open a file explorer and paste this, %LocalAppdata%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX . It shows I am in the Win X > Group 2 folder and I can open Task Manager from this folder when it is open like this. Yet when I close out of this folder, Task Manager will not open from the Win X menu.

It is there but is not functional. Ant idea why this is happening?

antspants · 2025-06-01T11:42:19-0400

I have no idea why, no.

But at this point I think I would try a repair install. It’s quite painless

Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything. If you need to repair or create a new recovery partition or having problems with the Windows 11 operating system on your PC, and the usual solutions will not fix it...

www.elevenforum.com

antspants · 2025-06-01T11:50:49-0400

There’s also a good chance that if you created a temporary user account that the Win X might work, which would mean there is corruption with your current user account.

If you want to find out

Add Local User Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to create and add a local account as a user on the PC in Windows 11. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and...

www.elevenforum.com

Delete User Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to delete a user account to remove it from your Windows 11 PC. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and desktop...

www.elevenforum.com

HDL · 2025-06-01T12:20:38-0400

antspants said:
There’s also a good chance that if you created a temporary user account that the Win X might work, which would mean there is corruption with your current user account.

If you want to find out

Add Local User Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to create and add a local account as a user on the PC in Windows 11. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and...

www.elevenforum.com

Delete User Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to delete a user account to remove it from your Windows 11 PC. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and desktop...

www.elevenforum.com

Thank you for your help.

glasskuter · 2025-06-01T13:40:44-0400

You can't fix something until you prove WHERE the problem is which you have not done.

@antspants suggestions in posts #13 and #14 are spot on. If it works in another user account, the problem is not Windows. If it doesn't work in a new user account the problem IS Windows and a repair install would be the next step.

HDL · 2025-06-01T15:36:25-0400

glasskuter said:
You can't fix something until you prove WHERE the problem is which you have not done.

@antspants suggestions in posts #13 and #14 are spot on. If it works in another user account, the problem is not Windows. If it doesn't work in a new user account the problem IS Windows and a repair install would be the next step.

Thank you for that and I know he is right. I have never created a user account and a bit apprehensive about doing so. There are 4 out of 16 items on the Win X menu that don't work. I created a desktop folder with working shortcuts to those 4 items. Maybe that is the safest route I can take to not mess up anything further.

I know there is a link above on how to add a user account maybe after I study it and feel more comfortable, I may try that. Currently there is only 1 account with admin privileges on my computers but somewhere in the past, I seem to remember reading about a hidden admin account. If I could access that account, if there is one, I could probably test it out there. Thanks for the reply.

HDL · 2025-06-01T15:41:01-0400

OK I googled and found this about a hidden administrator account:

Is there a hidden Administrator account in Windows 11?

Enable the Hidden Administrator Account:

Select Windows Terminal (Admin) to open the command prompt with administrative privileges. In the command prompt, type the following command and press Enter: net user administrator /active:yes. This will enable the hidden administrator account

If I follow those instructions would I be able to test the Win X menu without creating a new user account?

antspants · 2025-06-01T19:12:23-0400

Brink makes the Tutorials as simple and as well as he possibly can.
There is no issue creating a User Account then removing it if you have to.
You may also need to actually keep the new user account and here’s why:

If you create a new user account and test it, and find that you no longer have an issue with the Win X, it would mean that there is corruption in your current user account. You will have a few choices:

Keep the new user account, make it your new admin account and copy your current profile over to it
Reinstall Windows
Take advice from others.

Before any of this, I would advise that you carefully read first, then proceed with a Repair install in-place upgrade.
A repair install is purposeful and often the quickest rout to fixing many Windows issues

Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything. If you need to repair or create a new recovery partition or having problems with the Windows 11 operating system on your PC, and the usual solutions will not fix it...

www.elevenforum.com

You've created a thread asking for help
You’ve received advice/options
You’re hestitant or reluctant to take the advice

You can lead a horse to water …

There maybe other options available to you, but none have really been offered to you via other members. I don’t know what else to say.

HDL said:
Is there a hidden Administrator account in Windows 11?

Enable or Disable Built-in Administrator Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the built-in Administrator account in Windows 11. Windows 11 includes a hidden built-in Administrator account that serves as the local system administrator with elevated rights by default without needing Run as administrator or UAC (User...

www.elevenforum.com

HDL · 2025-06-02T07:16:22-0400

Thank you for the links. I am going to read the tutorials especially repair and install. I know I did one of those a couple years ago on a Win 10 Pro machine and it did not come out as well as I had hoped. But I am open to any advice and appreciate it. Thanks for your reply.

The Task Manager On The Start Menu Is Not Working

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