PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf the Windows 11 Start menu will not open or respond, restart the PC and install available Windows updates first. If the problem began after a recent update, use Windows recovery options to assess whether removing it is appropriate. Safe Mode can help narrow down the cause, but it is diagnostic—not a guaranteed repair. A specific XAML package issue documented by Microsoft mainly affects some managed enterprise systems, not typical personal PCs.
1. Restart Windows
A restart can clear a temporary problem with the Windows shell. If Start works, select Start > Power > Restart. If the Start menu is unusable, restart through another available Windows route, such as the sign-in screen’s power control or Ctrl+Alt+Delete, if available. Avoid making a forced power-off your first choice.
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Microsoft’s standard restart guidance is at Shut down, sleep, or hibernate your PC.
2. Install available Windows updates
Check Windows Update and install available updates, then restart if Windows asks you to. Microsoft recommends this sequence for File Explorer problems; it is sensible shell-level maintenance, but Microsoft does not describe it as a guaranteed fix for every Start menu failure.
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If you can open Settings, go to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. If Start will not open, try opening Settings with Windows logo key + I. Microsoft’s related guidance is File Explorer in Windows.
3. Consider what changed just before the problem
Note whether the failure began immediately after a Windows update or upgrade, an app installation, or provisioning of a work or school device. The timing can guide which recovery option to consider; it does not prove what caused the problem.
If a recent Windows update may be the trigger
Microsoft lists uninstalling a recent update as a recovery option. This removes the changes from that update, although Microsoft says this option does not affect personal files or apps. Use it only when the timing makes an update a plausible trigger, and back up important files before recovery work.
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Follow Microsoft’s instructions for recovery options in Windows to choose and carry out the appropriate route.
4. Use Safe Mode to narrow down the cause
Safe Mode starts Windows with a limited set of files and drivers. If the Start menu behaves differently there, that observation can help narrow where to investigate, but it does not identify a particular faulty app, driver, or update by itself.
- Open the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). If you can sign in, hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart.
- Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- After the PC restarts, choose a Safe Mode option from the Startup Settings list.
On an encrypted device, Windows may require the BitLocker recovery key to access recovery options. Microsoft’s instructions are in Start your PC in safe mode in Windows.
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5. Choose further recovery carefully
If restarting, updating, and diagnosis have not resolved the issue, use Microsoft’s recovery guidance to compare the available options. It recommends starting with the least disruptive choice; troubleshooters, reinstalling Windows through Windows Update on supported Windows 11 versions, removing a recent update, restore options, and Reset this PC do not have the same impact.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Update removal: removes the selected update’s changes; Microsoft says personal files and apps are not affected by this option.
- Restore options: can return Windows to an earlier state, depending on the restore route and available restore point.
- Reset this PC: can remove apps and settings, and may remove files depending on the option selected.
Back up important files before recovery work. If the PC is managed by an employer or school, contact its IT team before removing updates, restoring, or resetting it. See Microsoft’s Windows recovery options for the current choices and instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Check whether a documented enterprise XAML issue fits
Microsoft documents a particular failure involving XAML package registration on Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. It may occur in some enterprise or managed environments after provisioning with monthly cumulative updates released from July 2025 onward, when updates are installed before first logon on a persistent operating system or before each logon on a non-persistent one. Microsoft says it is very unlikely on personal devices.
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Possible signs include the Start menu failing to open (sometimes with a critical error message), Explorer failing to start or showing a black screen, a missing taskbar, or other XAML-dependent apps failing. Microsoft attributes the issue to packages that may not register in time after Windows updates, including MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS, and MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core. These symptoms alone do not confirm that this is the cause.
Microsoft says the issue is addressed starting with Windows updates released June 23, 2026 (KB5095093). The rollout was gradual and was expected to be fully available in the following month’s monthly update. Check the device’s installed updates rather than assuming a particular fix is present.
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For systems updated before late July 2026 that still match this failure pattern, Microsoft’s workaround is for administrators to register missing packages in the user session and restart SiHost. Non-persistent environments may need a synchronous logon script that runs before Explorer launches. These are administrator steps, not routine consumer troubleshooting: IT should follow the exact procedures in Microsoft’s KB5072911 and its linked guidance.
When to contact IT or seek support
Contact your organization’s IT team if the PC is work- or school-managed, the issue appeared after provisioning, or the failure matches the enterprise pattern above. On a personal PC, use Microsoft’s recovery options rather than running package-registration commands intended for administrators.
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