FIX: Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost & Microsoft.Windows.Cortana applications need to be installed correctly.

If you are a Windows 10/11 user and you cannot open the Start menu or the Cortana search bar and the Windows Troubleshooter displays the error "Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost and Microsoft.Windows.Cortana applications need to be installed correctly", continue below to fix the problem.

Problems with the Start menu and search function in Windows 10/11 can be caused by various reasons, such as corrupted system files, faulty Windows updates, outdated drivers, malware, etc. But don't worry, in this guide you will find step-by-step instructions to fix the "Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost" and "Microsoft.Windows.Cortana" applications need to be installed correctly" issue.

This is a comprehensive guide to fix the"Start Menu not working" & "Search not working" problems in Windows 10.

How to fix: "ShellExperienceHost" and "Cortana" applications need to be installed correctly" on Windows 10.

 

Method 1: Restart Windows Explorer.

One of the simplest solutions to fix the mentioned error is to restart Windows Explorer. Restarting Windows Explorer will refresh the desktop and taskbar, including the Start menu and Cortana search bar.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.

2. Find and select the "Windows Explorer" process under the "Processes" tab in the Task Manager window and click the Restart button on the bottom right.

 

3. After you click "Restart", your taskbar and desktop icons will disappear for a few seconds and then reappear. When this happens, check to see if the problem has been resolved.

Method 2: Install Pending Windows Updates.

The "ShellExperienceHost" & "Cortana application" errors may occur if important Windows updates are missing. So, check for missing Updates and if any found install them.

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type ms-settings:windowsupdate in the run command box and press Enter.

3. Click Check for updates and if any updates found click Install to install them.

Method 3. Run CTF Loader (ctfmon.exe).

The CTF Loader (ctfmon.exe), is a legitimate Windows process (ctfmon.exe), which controls the User Input and the Language bar. In some cases, the 'ctfmon.exe' process may not function properly and must be started again. To restart, the CTF Loader (ctfmon.exe) process:

1. Simultaneously press the Windows + R keys to open run command box.
2. In run command box, copy paste the below command and press Enter:

• C:\Windows\system32\ctfmon.exe

3. Now try to see if the Start menu and the Search is working.

 

Method 4: Repair Windows with DISK & SFC commands.

Since many Windows errors are most often caused by corrupted system files, try to see if the problem is solved by fixing them.

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box

2. In the run command box, type: cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt as Administrator.

3. At the command prompt window, type the following command & press Enter:

• Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

4. Be patient until DISM repairs component store. When the operation is completed, (you should be informed that the component store corruption was repaired), give this command and press Enter:

• SFC /SCANNOW

5. When SFC scan is completed, restart your computer.
6. After restart check if the problem is fixed.

Method 5. Check if the Problem persists in Safe Mode.

Safe mode boots Windows in its most minimal configuration, with a limited selection of files and drivers. Starting Windows in safe mode is not the solution to the problem, but it will help you determine if the problem is caused by bugs in the operating system or by some other third-party program or device driver.

 

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box

2. In the run command box, type: msconfig and press Enter to open the System Configuration utility.

 

3. Go to the Boot tab, tick the Safe boot checkbox and click Apply and OK.

 

4. Finally click the Restart button to restart your PC in Safe Mode.

 

5. When windows enters safe mode, check if the Start menu and the Cortana Search are working. Now according the result, proceed as follows:

• If the error does not occur in safe mode, usually means that the default Windows settings and basic device drivers are not causing the problem. At such a case proceed to Method-6 below to re-install the Graphics drivers.
• If the error also occurs in safe mode, then proceed to Method-7 to disable the third-party startup programs.

Method 6: Reinstall Graphics Driver.

Drivers are software components that allow hardware components to communicate with the operating system. When a driver becomes outdated or corrupted, it can interfere with the proper functioning of the ShellExperienceHost and Cortana applications, leading to problems.

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.

2. Expand the Display adapters section.
3. Right-click on your display adapter and select Uninstall Device.

4. At next window, choose to Delete the driver software for this device and click Uninstall.

5. Wait a few seconds and then restart your PC.

6. After restart, Windows will automatically re-install the graphics driver from the Windows Update servers.

* Note: To make sure the driver installation is complete, go to again Device Manager and check that your display adapter model is listed there. If not, check and install all available Windows updates or install the latest graphics driver from the GPU manufacturer's support site.

7. If the problem persists after reinstalling the graphics drivers, proceed to next methods.

Method 7. Disable Third-Party Startup Programs.

Many times, a non-Microsoft program launched at Windows startup can cause the Start menu not to work. So, proceed and disable any third-party startup programs as instructed below, and see if this fixes the issue.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.

2. At Startup tab, select and Disable any third-party (non-Microsoft) programs that are running at Windows startup (e.g. iTunes, Dropbox, uTorrent, etc.)*

3. When done, restart your PC.
4. Finally, if after rebooting the problem is resolved, then turn on the disabled programs one-by one-to find the culprit.

Method 8. Disable Third-party services.

Sometimes the reported problem may occur because of a third-party service. To see if this happens:

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

2. In the run command box, type: msconfig and press Enter to open the System Configuration utility.

3. In the System Configuration utility, select the Services tab and…

a. Check the Hide all Microsoft services box.

b. Click the Disable all button to disable all the non-Microsoft Services.

c. Click Apply > OK and then click Restart to reboot your PC.

 

Method 9. Uninstall Dropbox.

Dropbox is a cloud storage and file syncing service that can cause conflicts with the "ShellExperienceHost" and Cortana apps, and many users have reported that removing Dropbox is the solution to the problem.

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type appwiz.cpl in the Run dialog box and press Enter to open Programs and Features in Control Panel.

3. In the Programs and Features select the "Dropbox" (if installed) and then right-click on it and select Uninstall from the context menu.

4. When the uninstall is completed, restart your PC and check if the problem persists. If the issue is resolved, go ahead and install the latest version of Dropbox if you need it.

 

Method 10. Scan for Viruses & Malware.

Viruses or malicious programs can cause your PC to work abnormally.  So,use this Malware Scan and Removal Guide to check and remove viruses or/and malicious programs that may be running on your computer.*

* Important: In some cases a third-party antivirus program can cause the start menu and the search bar to crash or freeze. At such a case, I suggest to temporarily uninstall the AV program and then to check if the issue is fixed. If yes, then install your AV program again or find another AV program to protect your PC. *

* Note: If you have installed Spybot AV then probably this is causing the problem.

 

Method 11. Re-install Windows.ShellExperienceHost & Windows.Cortana

The "Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost" and "Microsoft.Windows.Cortana" applications need to be installed correctly error can occur due to issues with their installation or registration on your system.

1. Simultaneously press the Windows + R keys to open run command box.
2. Type powershell and then press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to open PowerShell as Administrator.

3. Inside the Administrator PowerShell window, (copy &) paste the following command but DO NOT press Enter yet.

• Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Foreach{Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

4. Then press Ctrl+ALT+DEL and open Task Manager.

5. (Now you have to be fast …)…

1. At the Processes tab, right-click at Windows Shell Experience Host and click End Task.

2. Then, click immediately at the PowerShell window and press Enter.

6. When done, copy-paste the following command in PowerShell to re-install the Cortana app.

• Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

 

Method 12. Re-install all Modern Apps on your account:.

1. Simultaneously press the Windows + R keys to open run command box.
2. Type powershell and then press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to open PowerShell as Administrator.

3. Inside the Administrator PowerShell window, (copy &) paste the the following command & press Enter:

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

4. When the deployment operation process is completed, ignore any errors and close the PowerShell window.
5. Reboot your computer and then check if the start menu and the Cortana search is working.

 

Method 13. Reinstall System Apps, Cortana & ShellExperienceHost for all Users.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator and give the following three (3) commands in order:

• Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*SystemApps*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
• Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*Cortana*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
• Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*ShellExperienceHost*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

5. Reboot your computer and then check if the problem is resolved.

 

Method 14: Create a New User Account

Creating a new user account can help you determine if the problem is caused by a corrupted user profile or not. Simply put, if the error does not occur in the new user account, then this indicates that your user profile is corrupted. Otherwise, If the error still appears in the new profile, then the problem is in the operating system.

1. Press the Windows + I keys on your keyboard to open the Settings app. Then click on Accounts.

 

2. Select Family & other users on the left pane and then click Add someone else to this PC on the right.

 

3. Now, click I don't have this person's sign-in information to add a new local account.

 

4. Then click Add a user without a Microsoft account and follow the on-screen instructions to create the new account.

5. After account creation, right-click on the Start menu and select Shut down or sign-out > Sign-out. (or restart your PC and select the new account at the login screen)

6. After you have logged in to the new account, check if the problem persists and if so, login back in to your regular account and continue with the next method.* If not, transfer all files and settings from your regular account to the new one.

* Suggestion: If you have reached this point and the problem has not been fixed I would suggest you to preform a Windows 10 Repair/Upgrade rather than wasting more time trying the following methods.

 

Method 15. Disable Windows Push Notification Service "WpnUserService"

The "WpnUserService" (Windows Push Notification Services) is a Windows service that enables third-party developers to send notifications updates to their own apps.

Disabling this service can prevent the system from sending or receiving push notifications on the notification center, but it can correct the "Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost" and "Microsoft.Windows.Cortana" applications need to be installed correctly" error.

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
2. In the run command box, type: regedit and press Enter.

3. From the left pane navigate to this key:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WpnUserService.

4. At the right-pane, right-click on Start key and select Modify.

5. Change the value from 2 to 4 and click OK.

6. Then close the editor and restart your computer to see if the Start menu works properly. If not, follow the same steps to change the "Start" value back to "2" and then continue to next method.

 

Method 16. Reset DCOM Permissions.

DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) is a Microsoft software component that allows COM objects to communicate with each other over the network.

If the DCOM permissions are corrupted, or incorrectly modified after installing an application or Windows update, this may result in the Start menu and Cortana search not working. To restore DCOM permissions, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following location:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Ole

2. At the right pane, delete the following REG_BINARY values (if exist):

1. 1. DefaultAccessPermission
   2. DefaultLaunchPermission
   3. MachineAccessRestriction
   4. MachineLaunchRestriction

3. Close the Registry Editor, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

Method 17. Changes Permissions on "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" key.

Some users reported that after giving READ permissions to "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" on the "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" registry key, the problem is solved.

1. Open the Registry Editor.

2. Right-click on HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and select Permissions.

 

2. Now check if ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES exist under "Group or Usernames" and have Read permissions (as in the screenshot below). If not, continue to next step, otherwise skip to next method.*

* Note: If ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES are present but without Read permissions, check the corresponding box (Read), click OK and then close Registry Editor and check if the problem is resolved.

3. If ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES missing under "Group or Usernames", click the Add button.

4. Type "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" under the objects name box and click Check Names and then OK.

6. Now select the ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES and click the Read permission checkbox (as in the above below). Then click OK, exit from Registry Editor and check if the problem is resolved.

 

Method 18. Delete the "Search" registry key-folder.

Another solution that can fix the Start menu and Search issues on Windows 10, is to delete all the current search settings. To do that:

1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following location:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search

2. On the left pane, right-click on the Search folder and choose Delete. Click Yes to confirm your decision.

3. Close the Registry Editor, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

 

Method 19. Repair Windows 10 with an in-place Upgrade.

The final method that usually works, to fix Windows 10 problems, is to perform a Windows 10 Repair-Upgrade, by using the detailed instructions on this article: How to repair Windows 10.

 

That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.