Can't open start menu, chime constantly sounding

Starting a couple of days ago my Windows 10 computer start menu stopped opening (although I can still right click on it to shut down). This coincided with a chime constantly sounding. I'm not sure if this is related, but there is a pending notification on the lower right, but I can't open that to see what it says.

I tried reinstalling Windows apps with powershell, but this didn't do the trick.

I'm at my wit's end. This chime is driving me crazy.

Is this a stumper?

If this will help, let me say a bit more. Often, but not always, when I start up the computer, it never makes it to the user log in page, but is just stuck with a black screen and a little blue loading circle.

Also every time I go to my desktop, the shortcut little arrow icons turn into green check mark icons. I read elsewhere that right clicking on the desktop and choosing refresh solves this, which it does for me, but it does it again next time I start up.

I never had any problems like these in Windows 7.

Yes, I did that, and nothing came up.

regnad said:

Starting a couple of days ago my Windows 10 computer start menu stopped opening ......

2 suggestions :

1. Since it happened only "a couple of days ago", please do a system restore. Pick a date BEFIORE "a couple of days ago " as your restore point.
System Restore Windows 10

2. If the above does not help, do an in-place upgrade, also known as repair install.
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Adding............
You said, " I tried reinstalling Windows apps with powershell."

Did you do this one ?
If not, give this a try too. But do the system restore method first.

Right click at it > click Command Prompt (Admin) > type powershell > press Enter key.
At the flashing prompt, copy and paste this command line ( to avoid typo it's best to apply Copy/paste method)......
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

> press Enter.

Yes, that's the one I did.

I tried a system restore twice, both times the computer restarted telling me it hadn't been done successfully.

So is the repair install my only option left at this point?

regnad said:

Yes, that's the one I did.

I tried a system restore twice, both times the computer restarted telling me it hadn't been done successfully.

So is the repair install my only option left at this point?

Seems like Repair install is in order.

I did the powershell reinstall again just to make sure. It gives me a ton of red text. I can't seem to select to copy it here, but lots of "cannot find path 'c:\AppXManifest.xml' because it does not exist."