Windows 10 start button and task bar not working

[Lionel Trébuchon]

Hello
Specifications: Windows 10, Surface Pro 3 (Swiss version), 256 Gb. Uses avira, drawboard PDF, redshift, office, matlab.
Definition: "not working": no reaction to be seen on screen. Nor in the program behaviour.
Problem: the Windows keyboard button is not working. The windows icon button in the taskbar is not working. The wifi button in the taskbar is not working.
Importance: HUGE. The whole computer is just unusable. Can't turn it off without using force. I cannot even open a comand line without going through my folders to find the command.exe . And I am lucky that I can actually open the file explorer because I had a start button on my desktop.
Solutions tried: everything to be found on the net as of 16.09.2015.

Cheers,

 

[compnovo]

Are you getting a critical error message? My wife's desktop was exhibiting similar problems with taskbar and start button but was getting a "critical error start menu and Cortana" pop-up and had to click the log off button on the message itself to make her computer usable.
After some online research that pointed to activesync issues I uninstalled/reinstalled Outlook 2013 (she has Outlook set up to retrieve her Outlook.com email). It's only been one day, but she hasn't had any problems since I did that.

 

[Lionel Trébuchon]

Hello!
Sadly I don't get no error message. I just click on a button and there is no reaction. This includes the search button, the windows button, the wifi button, and the windows keyboard key. Right clicking on those results also doesn't give no results.
There simply is no reaction.
I don't use outlook.
Thanks so much for your help!
Anyone experiencing the same problem?
Lionel

 

[Lionel Trébuchon]

Little input though: right clicking on the start menu button (the windows logo) works so I can actually start a powershell. But I still haven't found a solution yet, sadly.
Keys of the taskbar that don't work:
"Start"
"Search"
"Sound"
"Wifi"
"New notifications" (but this might be because I simply cannot access internet)
"Time" (no calendar displays)
Keys of the taskbar that do work:
"Launcher icons of programs"
"Dropboc icon"
"Avira icon"
"Touch keyboard"

 

[uns3r]

I had this issue but I had a pop up for critical error after I restarted my computer manually. The issue for me was Avast Antivirus. I booted into safe mode than uninstalled Avast and computer went back to working normal. Hopefully this helps