Windows key has stopped working

I have a problem with the Windows key no longer working on my daughter’s new Windows 10 laptop. If I press the key, nothing happens.

I know it’s not the key itself because if I restore the entire hard drive from a Macrium Reflect image, it works perfectly. The only trouble then is my daughter’s game saves over the last few days are lost because unfortunately they weren’t backed up.

Can anyone tell me how to restore functionality to the Windows key without having to resort to a full-image restore?

OK thanks. I'll try to work through the fix procedure on Friday (my next day off work), but I did try the app that is supposed to fix the problem and that didn't work.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have resolved the issue now. This is what I did: 1) I made a fresh incremental backup with Macrium Reflect, just in case I messed anything up this morning; 2) Then I used SyncbackPro to copy all the current game saves to my NAS; 3) Restored the disc image using the one I created last Monday, which is the one I made straight after resolving the Windows Key issue from a backup made the previous Monday and after I had removed a program that I suspected as having caused the issue in the first place (Stardock Start 10) as there had been a similar but even worse problem on my daughter's old laptop, where the start menu had disappeared altogether to be replaced by an error message in red [sorry for rambling on]; 4) Restored the game saves with SyncbackPro; 5) Ran the vulnerability updates recommended by Bit Defender, including a Windows update; 6) Created a new Macrium Reflect incremental disc image once I was satisfied that everything was working as it should. This has also solved the problem with an error message that kept popping up from one of the other games when logging on ("Origin has encountered a serious error and has had to close"), so well pleased now.

This does illustrate the importance of making regular backups doesn't it?

So, it was due to Stardock 10?

TheLyppardMan said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I have resolved the issue now. This is what I did: 1) I made a fresh incremental backup with Macrium Reflect, just in case I messed anything up this morning; 2) Then I used SyncbackPro to copy all the current game saves to my NAS; 3) Restored the disc image using the one I created last Monday, which is the one I made straight after resolving the Windows Key issue from a backup made the previous Monday and after I had removed a program that I suspected as having caused the issue in the first place (Stardock Start 10) as there had been a similar but even worse problem on my daughter's old laptop, where the start menu had disappeared altogether to be replaced by an error message in red [sorry for rambling on]; 4) Restored the game saves with SyncbackPro; 5) Ran the vulnerability updates recommended by Bit Defender, including a Windows update; 6) Created a new Macrium Reflect incremental disc image once I was satisfied that everything was working as it should. This has also solved the problem with an error message that kept popping up from one of the other games when logging on ("Origin has encountered a serious error and has had to close"), so well pleased now.

This does illustrate the importance of making regular backups doesn't it?