Microsoft Blames Third-Party Apps for Breaking Windows 11 Start Menu

The next planned Windows 11 update breaks the Start menu if certain third-party apps are installed, and it’s not a problem Microsoft intends to fix.

As XDA Developers reports(Opens in a new window), Microsoft is preparing to release an update for Windows 11 version 22H2. However, a preview version (KB5028254(Opens in a new window)) of the update is breaking the Start menu for some users who can’t open it anymore after the preview installs. Microsoft identified the cause of the problemt to be third-party user interface modification apps, such as the popular ExplorerPatcher(Opens in a new window), which “aims to enhance the working environment on Windows.”

Rather than work on a solution to the problem, Microsoft’s “fix” is suggesting users uninstall these third-party apps(Opens in a new window) before installing the update. If the Start menu on your version of Windows 11 has already been affected by this problem, Microsoft suggests contacting the developer of your chosen app for help.

With no fix planned, it means anyone running a Start menu customization app for Windows 11 could end up with a broken operating system when the 22H2 update officially gets released. With that in mind, users either need to uninstall these apps, or hope their developers come up with a fix and release an update in time.

The Start menu in Windows 11 has sparked many complaints and offers less functionality than the Windows 10 version. If you hate it, then there are options to change or replace it, but until the problems related to the 22H2 update are solved, taking a wait-and-see approach and enduring the stock Start menu experience seems to be the most sensible course of action.