vidiat

Join Date 04/2025

I hate the method I use to start Start11!

Here's my problem. I am using Start11 2.51 on a new Lenovo laptop and all is good. So I just built a new desktop based on a Gigabyte X870 GAMING X WIFI7 motherboard running Windows 11 and installed Start11. It didn't run! The start menu and taskbar that appeared was the standard Win11 UI.

I spent a couple of days trying to solve the problem, and finally experimented with killing & restarting Explorer and suddenly Start11 worked perfectly! I continued to experiment with things and finally wrote a batch file that waited for 5 seconds and stopped Explorer and then restarted Explorer and put it in the Startup Folder...and Start11 worked fine.

I tried many things like uninstalling Start11 and immediately reinstalling it. That didn't work.

Below is a screen grab of the Windows specs screen. Start11 style is Modern with Modern sub-style.

I would like some help solving this problem. I don't like the idea of using my batch file trick for the duration of my new computer's life.

Thank you in advance!!

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Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try Clean boot, refer here: https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1334935592/Start11+Clean+Boot. Please do these steps with some care. Try it and report back.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Basj,

The instructions are confusing. It says:

Windows 10 & 11

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/create-a-local-user-account-in-windows-10

Log in under that account and try. If it fails, and while still under that account, please click the link below for performing a 'clean boot' under it:

When it says, "Log in under that account and try." please explain what it is that I am supposed to try.

When it says, "If it fails..." -- what is the "it" that fails?

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Here is another way to do a clean boot via Microsoft

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd#id0ebbd=windows_11

Of course on step 3 and 5 you would leave start 11 enabled instead of disabled.

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I have know how to do a clean boot. I'm just asking you to please explain what it is that I am supposed to "try".

When it says, "If it fails..." -- what is the "it" that fails?

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Quoting vidiat,

reply 4

I have know how to do a clean boot. I'm just asking you to please explain what it is that I am supposed to "try".

Basically the clean boot is supposed to see if there is interference from two running services or programs. For example, start 11 is an explorer extension, if by chance you had another explorer extension running it could cause interference. I have seen this type of behavior, for example, between an out of date explorer patcher running with start 11.

Basically we are just deducing all the possibilities and starting by making sure nothing is preventing start 11 from starting up properly service or program wise

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Am I correct that the steps you recommend are:

1) Create a new Windows Administrator account.

2) Log onto the new account.

3) Then do a clean boot.

4) Then run the batch file inside StartStart10 11.zip

5) And then -- what? Reboot to my original Windows Adminstrator account? or the newly created Windows Administrator account? And then what?

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Quoting vidiat,

reply 6

5) And then -- what? Reboot to my original Windows Adminstrator account? or the newly created Windows Administrator account?

According to the documentation that is exactly what support is asking you to do. You would want to reboot in your newly created administer account.

Quoting vidiat,

reply 6

And then what?

If start 11 boots up as expected then we would know that a program or service is blocking start 11 from booting up correctly. And in that case it would come down to figuring out what is causing the interference. (programs like explorerpatcher, startallback, windhawk, and other taskbar tweak type programs all come to mind as common possible culprits)

In that case you would be able to test services and startup programs as you reactivate them

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Unfortunately it didn't work. I have an account that is clean booted with all startup apps disabled. Strangely, Start11 is not listed in the Startup Apps list so it is obviously not disabled.

If I restart Explorer, Start11 seems to work fine just as with my original account.

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I think the next thing I would check is to make sure start 11 is not set to " automatic delayed" in your services but rather "automatic"

https://forums.stardock.com/527516/page/1/#3966524

See reply #11 here

Quoting vidiat,

reply 8

trangely, Start11 is not listed in the Startup App

Thats normal. Start 11 is not listed in the startup apps

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The service is set to automatic.

Interestingly, at one point I thought I'd try setting the service to delayed automaattic, but when I tried it I got a rejection warning from Windows saying it couldn't be done.

I still have the startup problem and I am using my batch file trick--but I really wish it was possible to identify the source and solution to the problem!

Thank for continuing to support me!

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Please try purge and reinstall steps as mention here : [Link]. Just make sure to redownload the latest version from your account page. Reboot after the purge. Reinstall and reboot again after the installation. Retest and report back here.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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I just did the purge, reboot, re-install and reboot.

No joy!

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Tough one. At this point, if I were to take a guess, it would be that there may be a conflict with explorer opening up properly at startup.

Things to check

Check for corrupt system files

Run command prompt as administrator and type in "sfc /scannow" (no quotations) and press enter

Check your drivers

especially your graphics card (I have seen gpu driver's in particular end up being the cause issues for start 11, even up to date ones when they are released with bugs)

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