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Question

Settings disappears from Windows 10 start menu

Jun 25, 2016 8:24AM PDT

After a restart left-clicking on the windows icon displays the Start menu, but later that ceases to work. Then, right-clicking on the windows icon displays a different start menu with no entry for Settings. Does anyone know a quick way to get the left-click to work again without having to restart ? This is not of critical importance since one can get to Settings other ways, e.g. holding the microsoft key down and pressing "i".

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Pressing The "Windows" Key Brings Up That Start Menu, But..
Jun 25, 2016 8:59AM PDT

I don't have that problem here.. I'm always able to access the left click start menu from the start button. It doesn't "cease to work" as you describe. Have you used any registry cleaners or optimizers that may have caused the issue? We see such problems when unnecessary optimizers are used as they can frequently delete something they shouldn't.

In the meantime, pressing the "Windows" key on the keyboard should bring up the start menu you're referring to.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Post was last edited on June 25, 2016 9:08 AM PDT

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Pressing Windows Key on the keyboard does nothing.
Jun 25, 2016 3:43PM PDT

Pressing Windows Key on the keyboard does nothing, but if I left-click on the Windows icon on the task bar, after a recent restart, shows the Start menu with Settings. Right clicking on the icon shows the Start menu without Settings; in its place is Control Panel which, of course, is a Windows XP concept, not Windows 10.

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Control Panel is in W10
Jun 25, 2016 4:01PM PDT

If is was gone, I'm sure I would not find it so easy (Win+X)

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Answer
Left button, is that the graphic/touch...
Jun 25, 2016 8:59AM PDT

start?

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Win + X
Jun 25, 2016 3:44PM PDT

Win + X displays the "right click" menu, i.e. the one with Control Panel but not Settings.

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You're right. Here's how to get to Settings.
Jun 25, 2016 3:57PM PDT

Use Win+X then tap R

Type in

ms-settings:

Press enter.

Post was last edited on June 25, 2016 3:58 PM PDT

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But how to stop the left-click from not functioning.
Jun 26, 2016 3:31AM PDT

Yes, your suggestions all get Settings back, but my question is why does Settings disappear in the first place or, in other words, why does left=clicking the Windows icon on the task bar stop working, only to resuscitate itself after a restart ? As I have said this is not crucial, since I can get to Settings by the methods you (and others) have suggested.

Also, a thought to ponder: When going to Windows 10, why did Microsoft leave Control Panel on the machine ? If they replaced Control Panel with Settings, why confuse things by leaving it as an option ?

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Settings and Control Panel Have Different Things
Jun 26, 2016 6:55AM PDT

And they don't really replace each other. Just different shortcuts to the locations wanted.

As to why yours disappears, I don't know. Have you tried running Chkdsk as below? It sometimes fixes those minor issues.

In the "Search the web and Windows/Cortana" box, type CMD. You'll see "Command Prompt" listed at the top. RIGHT click on it, choose "Run as administrator". When the command window loads, type: chkdsk C: /f /r /x. (Be sure to leave spaces in the appropriate places.) Then press Enter. Because the "x" switch is an instruction to lock the drive, type "Y/yes" when it asks if you'd like to run the scan upon the next boot, then close the command window and you'll need to restart the computer to allow Chkdsk to run correctly. The utility takes quite a while to run and you'll be unable to use the computer while it runs but when it's done, the left click start menu should work normally.

https://www.tekrevue.com/tip/fix-hard-drives-chkdsk-windows-10/

Hope this helps.

Grif

Post was last edited on June 26, 2016 7:00 AM PDT

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Chkdsk
Jun 27, 2016 5:44AM PDT

Per your suggestion I ran chkdsk and the left-click, Winddows 10 Start Menu came back. Now, all I have to do is to press the Win key and that menu appears. The right-click menu also continues to work. Next, I want to see how long it will last !

Thanks.

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(NT) Glad To Hear It.. Thanks For Posting Back !
Jun 27, 2016 10:12AM PDT
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Sorry but I don't know that.
Jun 26, 2016 11:23AM PDT

There are plenty of discussions about it but no forensics so far. I've seen far too many banged up Windows from registry cleaners, malware and more that I can only agree with the Hal 9000.

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Answer
Win + X (new way to know about.)
Jun 25, 2016 10:08AM PDT

Try pressing the Win + X key combo and here I see settings in the list among other items.

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Interesting, Here Win + X Shows The RIGHT Click Start Menu
Jun 25, 2016 1:18PM PDT

Simply pressing the Windows key brings up the left click start menu which shows "Settings" among other things. I believe that's what the OP is asking for. I've checked three different Win10 comps and they display the same thing.

Hmmmm

Hope this helps.

Grif

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I see what Bob sees Grif.
Jun 25, 2016 1:34PM PDT

Dafydd.

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Strange Indeed.. I AM Using the RIGHT Handed Mouse Settings
Jun 25, 2016 7:56PM PDT

All three of my Windows 10 Pro upgrades show the same thing. If I press the Windows key alone, it shows the left click start menu with 'All Apps", "Power", "Settings", "File Explorer" shown at the bottom of the list along with "Most Used" and various touch-type display tiles, even though none of the screens have a touch screen.

If I press the Windows key + X, I get the RIGHT click start menu which includes "Programs and Features", "Mobility Center", "Power Options" and more.

Windows Logo Key Keyboard Shortcuts
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12445/windows-keyboard-shortcuts

If you're seeing something different, I'm wondering why.

Then again, this thread is about missing "Settings" options. One easy way to access the "Settings" panel is to click on the "Notifications" icon in the lower right corner, then click on the "All Settings" tile.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Post was last edited on June 27, 2016 10:21 AM PDT

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There are folk that have Settings missing so
Jun 25, 2016 2:00PM PDT
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I had a computer with that missing but...
Jun 25, 2016 6:19PM PDT

I don't remember if I fixed or not. I did remember this one didn't have the graphic/touch start menu though.