Microsoft tackles new Windows 10, 11 Start menu, app issues • The Register

Microsoft has offered a solution of sorts for Windows 10 and 11 users who have noticed that their Start menu suddenly becomes unresponsive and some applications do not open or function properly.

Unlike previous headaches with the Start menu and similar features, the latest problems are not caused by bad operating system patches, but possibly by broken updates to third-party applications that depend on Microsoft Office, according to the IT giant.

More specifically, it appears that some third-party apps, after an update or not, are triggering one or more errors when interacting with Redmond’s software, disrupting people’s desktop productivity.

Microsoft points the finger of blame in the general direction of app makers; at least one third-party developer blames a programming error in the megacorp’s code.

“Affected Windows devices may have corrupted registry keys or data that could affect apps that use Microsoft Office APIs to integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar,” Microsoft offered on its Windows Health Dashboard.

At the core of the problem, users are not only finding the Start menu unresponsive, but Windows Search and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps are also not working properly. This affects Windows 11 version 22H2 and 21H2 and Windows 10 version 22H2, 21H2 and 20H2.

As a workaround, Microsoft advises users to uninstall apps that work poorly that integrate with Windows, Office, Outlook, or the Outlook calendar, and also check for updates to affected software or guidance from developers of those apps.

In particular, the tech goliath pointed to ClickShare, an app used to wirelessly share the screen of a laptop or mobile device via a meeting or office room’s audiovisual system. Users will run into problems “when a third-party process like ClickShare uses Office APIs on a computer where Office is installed using Office ClickToRun,” Redmond wrote in a support file.

According to Barco, ClickShare’s maker, the Start menu app may ignore mouse clicks when the app starts reading the Outlook calendar, the Windows key may not work, and the desktop search function may ignore mouse clicks on the Search button as well as the Windows +S key.

Additionally, Outlook or OneDrive can no longer connect or sync.

“Multiple investigations have shown that the ClickShare app triggers a bug in the Microsoft Office API (MAPI)” that removes the application packages’ permissions from a specific registry entry, Barco wrote on its own support page.

The biz said users should ensure that the ClickShare app is updated to version 4.27.2 or later and that in-app calendar integration is disabled.

The ClickShare app throws an error in the Microsoft Office API

Barco also directed users to Microsoft’s pages that addressed the issue.

Microsoft said it was investigating the oddity and is expected to provide some sort of fix.

The tech titan has run into a few issues with its operating system in recent weeks. Its Defender for Endpoint this month went awry, removing icons and program shortcuts from the Windows 10 and 11 desktop, taskbar and Start menu.

Days later, Microsoft reported that users running the latest versions of Windows 11 lost some Office apps after running System Restore. There were also problems with tools like Notepad, Paint, Cortana and Terminal.

The Mega Corps offered some solutions to these problems. ®