The Windows Start, Search and UWP opening issue is back

[harlan4096]

Microsoft has updated a Windows issue on May 18, 2023 that has plagued Windows users since January 2023.

It describes an issue that affects the opening of apps on the Start Menu, Windows Search and UWP apps in general. Microsoft has not updated the description of the issue, but it has added Windows 10 version 22H2 to the list of affected operating systems.

The issue affects client versions of Windows only. Microsoft lists Windows 11 version 21H2 and 22H2, and Windows 10 versions 20H2, 21H2 and 22H2 as affected.

Microsoft writes: "The Start menu, Windows search, and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps might not work as expected or might have issues opening."
Windows devices affected by the issue "might have damaged registry keys or data which might affect apps using Microsoft Office APIs to integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar."

Clickshare by Barco was mentioned previously as an app that may be causing the issues. The company published a support page that describes the issue.

Windows users may experience one or multiple of the following issues if their devices are affected:

• The Windows Start Menu does not open when the Windows-key is used or when the Start icon is clicked.
  
• Windows Search does not react to mouse clicks, pressing the Search button or using the Windows-S shortcut.
  
• Microsoft Outlook and OneDrive can't connect or sync.
  

A workaround suggests to update the ClickShare app to the latest version, disable Calendar integration, and follow Microsoft's guidance on recovering user profiles. Barco confirms that the issue may still persists and that users may need to correct the user profile manually in that case.

Microsoft admits that there may be other apps that are causing the issues for users and notes that this issue was not caused by a Windows update, but that it may be exposed on Windows when applications are updated that use Microsoft Office APIs.

Microsoft's workaround suggests uninstalling any application that is integrating with Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar. Application updates by the developer of the app may also resolve the issue on the user's end.

The first step in analysing the issue is to identify the application or applications that are causing the issue; this alone may not be an easy task. Once apps have been identified, administrators should check for updates and support pages that describe the issue. Uninstalling affected apps may not be practicable, depending on what these applications are used for.

Microsoft engineers are working on a resolution of the issue.

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