How to fix broken Windows 11 Start menu (Microsoft emergency fix) 2022

In July 2022, Microsoft fixed a known issue that stopped the Start menu from working on some Windows 11 PCs after they installed recent updates. The issue only affected devices running Windows 11 version 21H2 (the original release). Microsoft acknowledged it after receiving customer reports about Start menu problems.

Update (October 2026): Windows 11 version 21H2 no longer gets updates (support for Home and Pro ended on October 10, 2023). If your Start menu doesn’t open on a current Windows 11 version, go to the fixes for current Windows 11 versions at the end of this post.

In this article

1. What was the problem?
2. How Microsoft fixed it: Known Issue Rollback
3. For IT admins: install the KIR Group Policy
   1. How to apply the rollback on one PC
4. How to use Group Policy to deploy a Known Issue Rollback
5. Start menu not opening on a current Windows 11 version?

What was the problem?

Microsoft explained the issue on the Windows health dashboard:

“A small number of devices are unable to open the Start menu after installing updates released June 23, 2022 or later.”

“After installing KB5014668 or later updates, we have received reports that a small number of devices might be unable to open the Start menu. On affected devices, clicking or selecting the Start button, or using the Windows key on your keyboard might have no effect.”

How Microsoft fixed it: Known Issue Rollback

Microsoft fixed the problem with a Known Issue Rollback (KIR). This Windows feature reverts a buggy non-security fix that was delivered through Windows Update, without removing the rest of the update.

For home PCs and business PCs that are not managed by IT, the rollback arrives automatically and usually reaches all of them within a day. You can speed it up by restarting the affected PC.

For IT admins: install the KIR Group Policy

On PCs managed by an organization, IT admins have to install and configure the special KIR Group Policy for their Windows version to fix the issue. Microsoft said:

“The special Group Policy can be found in Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > KB5014668 220721_04201 Known Issue Rollback > Windows 11 (original release).”

You can download the KB5014668 220721_04201 Known Issue Rollback Group Policy for Windows 11, version 21H2, from here, or with the first button below.

How to apply the rollback on one PC

These are Microsoft’s steps for a single device:

1. Download the KB5014668 220721_04201 Known Issue Rollback .msi file. Make sure the Windows version in the file name matches your PC.
2. Run the .msi file. It adds the policy to the Administrative Templates.
3. Open the Local Group Policy Editor: select Start and type gpedit.msc. The Group Policy Editor is not included in Windows 11 Home.
4. Go to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > KB5014668 220721_04201 Known Issue Rollback > Windows 11 (original release).
5. Right-click the policy, select Edit, choose Disabled and click OK. Disabled is correct here: it turns off the change that caused the problem.
6. Restart the PC.

In a company network, you do the same with the domain policy on your domain controller, using the Group Policy Management Console, and choose the Windows version you want to target. Details on how to deploy and configure KIR Group Policies are on Microsoft’s support website.

Download KB5014668 220721_04201

The second download is an older rollback package for Windows 11 21H2, KIR Group Policy KB5011563 220428_20001. It belongs to an earlier update (KB5011563), so it is not the one for the Start menu problem.

Download KB5011563 220428_20001

How to use Group Policy to deploy a Known Issue Rollback

Click the button to open Microsoft’s full explanation:

Microsoft’s support website

Start menu not opening on a current Windows 11 version?

The 2022 rollback above is only for Windows 11 21H2. On a current version, try these steps:

1. Restart your PC.
2. Restart Windows Explorer: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer on the Processes tab, right-click it and select Restart.
3. Install the latest updates: press Win + I to open Settings and go to Windows Update.
4. Repair your system files. In Task Manager, click Run new task, type cmd, check Create this task with administrative privileges and click OK. Then run these two commands one by one:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

If the problem started right after an update, uninstall that update. The free FixWin 11 repair tool also has a one-click fix for an unresponsive Start menu.