Start10 menu hides right away

from Stardock Forums

Hello. I have an issue with Start10 menu where it hides right away after it is shown, before I have a chance to interact with it. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to try to do to fix it?

  • This problem only happens when taskbar is vertical. On horizontal taskbar seems to work fine.
  • This only happens when menu is shown via Win key. Showing by mouse cursor works fine. Actually, it's a little bit more complicated:
    • If I pressed Win key and menu got hidden right away, when I click by mouse cursor menu hides right away again. If I click by mouse cursor 2nd time, the menu stays open to allow me to interact with it.
    • If I've opened start menu via mouse cursor to where it opens correctly, then on next Win key press the menu will open and stay visible. On 2nd Win key press it'll hide right away after being shown.
  • The problem appears only with Start10 menu. Showing Windows 10 menu (CTRL+Click, choosing Windows 10 Style in settings, etc) always works fine.
  • I think this problem started on the latest Windows 10 update, maybe 2 updates ago. Not sure. It used to work just fine.
  • Problem only present on laptop (Intel 11th gen). Isn't present on desktop.

Any help would be appreciated.

9,954 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need to know more information on your system.

  1. Windows version, please use Windows "Winver.exe" to get full Windows version numbers.
  2. Start10 version.
  3. Details on Laptop, maker, CPU, GPU, etc.
  4. Do you have any sort of desktop manager software installed?
  5. Any other relevant information.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks for the information about the taskbar being vertical.

I was able to reproduce this with a vertical taskbar so we will investigate further to see whats up.

We will update this thread once we know more.

CursorFX - Customize your Windows cursor
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Having looked further into this, it seems this is yet another bug in the Microsoft news and interests feature they forced on everyone in the more recent Windows updates.  It really is the gift that keeps on giving.

In this case if the taskbar is vertical but news and interests are enabled you end up with it grabbing focus away if the menu is opened via a key vs clicking on the start button.  Quite why this is when the taskbar in vertical mode cannot show the news and interests button I have no idea!

We are working on a patch for this to avoid this stupid Microsoft behaviour, but until then you can drag your taskbar to the bottom, right click on the taskbar and turn off the news and interests feature and then drag your taskbar back.

Further testing shows this is a problem when the taskbar is anywhere but the bottom of the screen.  Not a problem on Win11 of course as the taskbar is fixed at the bottom :)

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

All,

We have a test build we would like you to try to see if it resolve this issue:

https://cdn.stardock.us/support/uploads/Start10_1.97.1-j139-Setup.exe

If so, please report back here and thanks for the time.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

The test build seems to be working. Disabling news and interests works as well. Thanks for the quick replies.

To go back to official releases, will I need to install older start10, and thin will update when final build is released? Or when you guys will do next official release the test build will offer to update?

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting leafreg, reply 5

The test build seems to be working. Disabling news and interests works as well. Thanks for the quick replies.

To go back to official releases, will I need to install older start10, and thin will update when final build is released? Or when you guys will do next official release the test build will offer to update?
End of leafreg's quote

That build is liable to be the official release so you don't need to worry.

If the official update ends up with further changes you will get prompted for the update the same way you would have been with the old version.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi,

I am having a somewhat similar problem on my desktop computer.  The relevant information is as follows:

  1. Windows version - Version 21H1, build 19043.1165
  2. Start10 version - 1.97
  3. Details on Laptop, maker, CPU, GPU, etc. - Dell XPS 8900 tower computer
  4. Do you have any sort of desktop manager software installed? - I do have Fences running.  Also I have Open Shell Menu installed, but it is not running.  Otherwise I don't have anything running that I think of as a desktop manager. 
  5. Any other relevant information. -  (a) I place my taskbar at the top of my screen.  (b) I have 2 monitors.  (c) On monitor #1 I sometimes need to press the Start button twice to get the Start 10 menu to stay open.  (d) When I have clicked on monitor #2 I only need to click the start button on that monitor once to get the Start 10 menu to stay open.  (e) When using monitor #1, clicking on the left Windows key yields the Start 10 menu opening and closing right away.  Similarly for the right Windows key. (f) When an application is active on monitor #2, pressing the left Windows key opens the Start 10 menu, which reliably stays open.  Pressing the right Windows key opens the 'traditional' Windows 7 start menu.

Let me know if you need any other information.

Totally unrelated, is there any way to have the Start 10 button by default open the traditional Windows 7 start menu?  Or one of the Windows keys?

Thanks for your help.

David

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting DavidL111, reply 7

I am having a somewhat similar problem on my desktop computer.
End of DavidL111's quote

Was your issue resolved by installing the test build or no..?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi Sean,

I had completely forgotten to try the test build until your reminder.  I think the answer to your question is kinda / sorta.  Meaning:

> Sometimes it takes 2 clicks on the Start button to get the start menu to open

> The left Windows key seems to work reliably, whereas the right Windows key does not work, i.e., no matter how many times I press it the start menu flashes but does not stay open.

> On monitor #2 pressing the Start button seems to work reliably to open the start menu on monitor #2.  Pressing the left Windows key reliably opens the start menu on monitor #1.  And finally pressing the right Windows key opens the Windows 7 start menu on monitor #2.

I think it is odd about the Windows 7 start menu, as I could find no setting in the Start 10 settings that allows one to opt to have the Win 7 start menu.

Best,

David

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting DavidL111, reply 9

Hi Sean,

I had completely forgotten to try the test build until your reminder.  I think the answer to your question is kinda / sorta.  Meaning:

> Sometimes it takes 2 clicks on the Start button to get the start menu to open

> The left Windows key seems to work reliably, whereas the right Windows key does not work, i.e., no matter how many times I press it the start menu flashes but does not stay open.

> On monitor #2 pressing the Start button seems to work reliably to open the start menu on monitor #2.  Pressing the left Windows key reliably opens the start menu on monitor #1.  And finally pressing the right Windows key opens the Windows 7 start menu on monitor #2.

I think it is odd about the Windows 7 start menu, as I could find no setting in the Start 10 settings that allows one to opt to have the Win 7 start menu.

Best,

David
End of DavidL111's quote

It sounds like you might have something else running too.  I recommend removing OpenShell as I think it may well be running and interfering with things.

The Windows 7 start menu would be the out of the box default for Start10.  Unless you have altered the settings on the control page in Start10 it will show when you click the button and when you press the windows key.

 

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Why on trial, desktop section is gray (not accessible) ?

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Robert84MK, reply 11

Why on trial, desktop section is gray (not accessible) ?
End of Robert84MK's quote

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Would be best if you start your new thread and more details on your issue will help much more.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 12

desktop section is gray (not accessible)
End of basj's quote

 

In Windows 10 desktop section is gray (not accessible) but in Windows 11 beta there is no desktop section at all. 

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Robert84MK, reply 13

In Windows 10 desktop section is gray (not accessible) but in Windows 11 beta there is no desktop section at all.
End of Robert84MK's quote

Let's continue on your own thread : https://forums.stardock.com/506938

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant