On Windows 11, you can use a PowerShell command to reset the Start menu components to fix common problems. For instance, the command will come in handy when the menu doesn’t open, freezes, or when something is not working as expected.
The Reset-AppxPackage command option was introduced with the Windows 11 Insider Preview build 20175, and it’s not available only to reset the Start menu. You can also reset other components and built-in apps (such as Mail and Calendar, Microsoft Store, Windows Security, and others) to fix issues when it’s not possible to uninstall or reset the component using the Settings app.
In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to reset the Start menu components to resolve issues with the experience on Windows 11.
Reset Start menu with PowerShell on Windows 11
To reset the Start menu to fix problems on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Start on Windows 11.
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Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to reset the Start menu components and press Enter:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost | Reset-AppxPackage
Once you complete the steps, the Start menu app will reset without affecting custom settings you may have configured.
Update June 2, 2022: These steps were originally published in 2020, but it’s been updated to reflect that the feature is available for Windows 11.