Laptop start button.

[hallmark]

Select  Keep Personal Files option!
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[andrewalston]

So:
The taskbar in general is working - you can open Task Manager.
Clicking on the Start button at the left hand end of the taskbar does nothing.
The "Windows" button on the keyboard does nothing.
Have you tried the old-fashioned way of getting the start menu - Control-Esc ?

If there's still no joy, try a clean restart. You can do this from Task Manager. Click on "More Details" at the bottom, then the File menu of the fresh view should have Run New Task. Enter
   shutdown /r
Tick the box for Admin Privileges and click OK.
Windows should then perform the same actions as if you had selected Restart from the Start menu.
Note that Restart does more in the way of initialising things than a normal Shutdown followed by switching on with the power button.

[doch]

All,thanks for your advice.i followed hallmarks instruction and reset this infernal machine,it worked alright as in i can now access apps via the start button,the downside (sorry Hallmark )is there are a few apps missing,and all bookmarks are gone with their passwords,now i'll have to try and remember all the daft words i used as passwords for these sites.but not to worry i could be in a worse place than trying to access a few websites,so thanks again all and no doubt i'll be back looking for more help soon

[doch]

Update,found my bookmarks, would help if I hit the right keys.

[hallmark]

All,thanks for your advice.i followed hallmarks instruction and reset this infernal machine,it worked alright as in i can now access apps via the start button,the downside (sorry Hallmark )is there are a few apps missing,and all bookmarks are gone with their passwords,now i'll have to try and remember all the daft words i used as passwords for these sites.but not to worry i could be in a worse place than trying to access a few websites,so thanks again all and no doubt i'll be back looking for more help soon

You did ask how to fix the start button!!  Now it's fixed.     

[hallmark]

Update,found my bookmarks, would help if I hit the right keys.

If you selected Keep Files etc you should have lost nothing!

How often do you Defragment?

[Mart 'n' Al]

"How often do you defragment?"

Every time the dilithium crystals on the Enterprise transporter beam fail.  I'm in bits.

Martin

[doch]

Update,found my bookmarks, would help if I hit the right keys.

If you selected Keep Files etc you should have lost nothing!

How often do you Defragment?

I couldn't imagine what a Defragment is,as I said before i'm not the most techy minded person ever. all I want from my machine is to turn it on in the evening,go to my favourites,and browse around,if iv'e been out with my camera,upload a few pics,maybe edit them and post them up onto flickr,all simple enough stuff.it's when something happens to prevent that happening the panic starts.i'm probably only using a fraction of this laptops capabilities.

[hallmark]

Update,found my bookmarks, would help if I hit the right keys.

If you selected Keep Files etc you should have lost nothing!

How often do you Defragment?

I couldn't imagine what a Defragment is,as I said before i'm not the most techy minded person ever. all I want from my machine is to turn it on in the evening,go to my favourites,and browse around,if iv'e been out with my camera,upload a few pics,maybe edit them and post them up onto flickr,all simple enough stuff.it's when something happens to prevent that happening the panic starts.i'm probably only using a fraction of this laptops capabilities.

Basically, it puts all files back where they should be and in correct order

You obviously had all the files needed BUT the computer couldn't find where the file had been put!

I do mine once a week and don't even notice it running.

The Reset you did is much the same except that it puts all your Files aside and reassembles Windows first