Peruse the “Known issues” part of the discharge notes for the newest launch of Windows 11 22H2, and also you’ll see “Third-party UI customization apps might prevent the Start menu from opening” proper on the prime. Those apps is likely to be acquainted to anybody who’s turned to aftermarket tools to return some Windows 10 performance to the smoother, cleaner, and markedly less functional Windows 11 Start menu and taskbar. Microsoft isn’t significantly serious about fixing the difficulty. The official advice for the 22621.30000 construct is, “uninstall them.”

“We recommend uninstalling any third-party UI customization app before installing “KB5028254 to prevent this issue,” says the documentation, with additional directions to contact buyer assist for the app developer in case your Start menu has already disappeared. According to XDA, a number of customers of the awesome and popular ExplorerPatcher program are experiencing the difficulty. The free, open-source program provides again options from the Windows 10 taskbar and alt-tab interface.

Of course, Microsoft doesn’t have a duty to assist customers of apps that intentionally alter the consumer interface it’s designed. But often the corporate not less than tries to accommodate Windows customers when its updates trigger points for fashionable software program. In this case, the corporate appears uninterested, recommending that folks merely cease utilizing the instruments or take their issues to the builders as a substitute. Undoubtedly, the builders of such instruments will try to repair the issues on their finish, as has occurred earlier than.

It’s value noting that maybe so many Windows 11 customers wouldn’t be looking for out these sorts of interface tweaking apps if Microsoft hadn’t eliminated a lot of the fundamental performance of the Windows 10 Start menu and taskbar in favor of a more streamlined appearance. Such primary choices as all the time exhibiting textual content labels or putting the taskbar on the highest of the show are nonetheless unavailable in vanilla Windows 11, practically two years after the working system’s official launch.

So far the KB5028254 is simply in preview going out to Windows Insiders and different early customers, however will probably be hitting the final launch within the subsequent few weeks. If Microsoft’s perspective to those points within the assist documentation is indicative of its new laissez faire method to interface tweaks, you possibly can anticipate to see related issues sooner or later.