Multiple issues with taskbar and start button

Sereomontis · 09 May 2017

So I've recently been having some issues with my computer.
Many of the buttons on my task-bar won't work (calculator, search button, auto-clicker among others), I can't right-click anything on it, neither the Action Center nor the calendar will open, and when I click the start button I get the "critical error" message and get signed out.
And I'm not sure if it's related, but whenever I try to download a torrent it acts as if Utorrent isn't installed, and I have to manually open the program and drag the torrents from the File Explorer into the Utorrent.
I've tried all the options I found in my searches, and so far nothing has worked.
Any help that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.
This is the site I got my of my attempted fixes from. None worked.
http://www.dell.com/support/article/...ign-in?lang=EN

dalchina · 09 May 2017

Hi, assuming System Restore doesn't fix this or isn't available, the most straightforward thing to do would be to try an in-place upgrade repair install.

Do you have any idea what led to this?

However, your course of action now depends on the build of Windows you have installed. Therefore:
Which version do you have installed?
- the old 1511 build TH2
- the Anniversary Build 1607
- the new Creator's Upgrade

(If unsure, please do this
Windows key + R, winver
)

Do you have an iso or boot disk of Win 10 compatible with your current build?
That's what you need before proceeding.

Precede it with this in case sthg has happened to your disk:
Download and run Hard Disk Sentinel (trial) and make sure all disks are reported as good.
If not, do not continue, and post back .

And with this in case sthg has happened to your file system:
From an admin command prompt
[Windows key + X, click command prompt (admin)]
chkdsk C: /F
Your PC will need to restart.
Post back the result, which you can get after a restart as follows:
How do I see the results of a CHKDSK that ran on boot? - Ask Leo!
Make sure the result is clear or fixed- else do not proceed.

An In-place upgrade repair install will fix many things, but not those where the settings are not changed by the procedure.

For this you need an installation medium with the same base build as you have installed, and x64 if you have a 64 bits OS, else x86 (32 bits).

You should also make sure there's at least 500Mb of unallocated space on your system disk.

Recommendation:
Before you perform the following major repair procedure, do create a disk image (see below).

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials
- this includes a link from which you can obtain a Windows 10 iso file (" download a Windows 10 ISO"), or create a Win 10 bootable medium. However, this will be the latest build from MS, which may not be the build you have installed. You must use one for the same major build.

If your installed Windows is not the latest major build, please post back.

I would recommend creating the bootable medium, as this can be used
- for any future in-place upgrade repair install
- to boot from and use its recovery options should Windows become unbootable.
- to clean install Windows

This will refresh Windows, after the manner of a Windows installation.
- you keep all your programs
- you keep all your personal data
- However: if you have installed some on a 2nd drive, these must be uninstalled or reinstalled on C: - else you will get an error message that you can not keep your apps because they are in an unsupported directory.

"You can't keep Windows settings, personal files and apps because your current version of Windows might be installed in an unsupported directory"

- all/most associations will be unchanged
- you will lose any custom fonts
- you will lose any customised system icons
- you may need to re-establish your Wi-Fi connection
- you will need to redo Windows updates subsequent to the build you have used for the repair install
- Windows.old will be created
- system restore will be turned off- you should turn it on again and I recommend you manually schedule a daily restore point.
- you will need to redo any language downloads including the display language if you changed that)
- inactive title bar colouring (if used) will be reset to default
- if Qttabbar is installed, you need to re-enable it in explorer (Options, check Qttabbar)
This is one of the better features of Win10: as each major build comes out, that's your updated reference build, and as updates are mostly cumulative, there will be few to do.

Please consider using disk imaging regularly. It's a brilliant way to
- preserve your system (and your sanity)
- back up your data
- restore your system to a previously working state in a relatively short time

Recommended: Macrium Reflect (free/commercial) + boot disk/device + large enough external storage medium.

Sereomontis · 09 May 2017

Thank you for the quick reply, however as I am unfortunately not very tech-savvy, I do have a few questions about this.
1: I wonder if resetting to factory settings would work? This is a fairly new computer, and as such I don't have much on it yet that I need or want to keep, so that would be a lot easier.
Now, if I do have to go through with the repair install, here are some questions about it:
2: You recommended I create a bootable medium with an ISO file. Now, I got started on that, and it said I would need to burn it to a DVD later. My pc doesn't have a disk-drive, so I that's not an option. I do, however have an External Harddrive. I assume that will work as a bootable medium?
3: "If you have installed some (programs or personal data) on a 2nd drive, these must be uninstalled or reinstalled on C: - else you will get an error message that you can not keep your apps because they are in an unsupported directory." Does this mean these things would simply be deleted? Because like I mentioned, I don't have anything really important here.
4: You said I should consider using disk imaging regularly. How do I do that? Is there some automated process I can set up, or do I have to do it manually?
Hope you can shed some light on these issues for me, and thank you for taking your time to help.

dalchina · 09 May 2017

Hi,
(1) that will restore everything to exactly as bought.

As it's new, hopefully there's nothing wrong with the disk drive.

(2) A bootable flash drive or external USB drive will work too of course.

(3) Sorry, that was unclear. I'll amend it. Of course you can have data anywhere you like in your own folders- and far better to keep that in folders on drives or at least partitions away from the OS. The problem arises if you have universal apps installed on a second drive.

Means if this is true the attempt to install will fail. So if it is true, it needs to be dealt with before doing any upgrade (including an in-place upgrade repair).

(4) Download, install and use Macrium Reflect (free). (There are others but we reckon this is the best and best supported, although Aomei Backupper has a clearer user interface- but has been known to have problems- and its error messages can be obscure).

There are tutorials on MR in the Tutorial section, and its web site has a mass of videos and helpful documentation.

I would guess all regular contributors on this site use disk imaging routinely. It's quite quick to update an image, and it can save days of frustration when things go wrong.

Sereomontis · 10 May 2017

I've come to the conclusion that I'm simply going to reset to factory settings.
Now I have the issue of doing so without the use of the start button or the search function, as neither work.
Hopefully you know how?

And by the way, I forgot to mention, I have Winver 1607 (OS Build 14393.1066) and Hard Disk Sentinel gave me these messages:
The hard disk status is PERFECT. Problematic or weak sectors were not found and there are no spin up or data transfer errors.
The hard disk status is PERFECT. Problematic or weak sectors were not found and there are no spin up or data transfer errors.

dalchina · 10 May 2017

As to how exactly to do that- best see your manufacturer's site. There are variations on this, I understand.

Please see this guide and note the key varies from manufacturer to manufacturer:
How to Factory Reset a Windows PC, Laptop or Tablet - PC Advisor

You need to make sure you're not doing a Windows 10 reset.

Sereomontis · 10 May 2017

OK, will look into that. And thank you, once again for your help. You've been great.
I've also added eventwiver information on the chdsk you asked me to do in an attachment.

Now as far as resetting my computer, it's patched together from various manufacturers, how do I know which one I need to focus on?
You can of course find my specs in my profile.
I would assume it's the motherboard that counts? If so, it's an Asus. But of it's the CPUY then that's an AMD, which the link didn't specify how to do it with..

dalchina · 10 May 2017

Just thought- I don't know what OS your PC came with.

If it came with Win 8, you'd be restoring that- a bad move.

If it came with Win 10, you'll be restoring an old build of Win 10, and then be faced with a big upgrade to the current build- effectively another Win 10 installation.

In which case, you'd be better downloading a Win 10 iso and doing a clean install.

Sereomontis · 10 May 2017

My computer came with Windows 10. I tried the different options in the link, but couldn't find anything that would let me do a full factory reset.
No sure if creating an ISO worked. My External Harddrive is reading as an ESD-USB (E:) and I can't boot the setup, I just get "The file 'autorun.dll' could not be loaded or is corrupt. Setup cannot continue. Error code is [0x7E].
Is that because it's running windows 10 already or is there an actual issue with it?
Between all these issues I've just about given up, and am considering either just living with the issues or sending my pc in for repairs, since that comes with the warranty. Now, I've never sent a computer in for repairs before, and I don't know if they'll do it if it's not a hard-ware issue. I've sent in an email to the place I bought it from, and I'm waiting for a response.

dalchina · 10 May 2017

Hi, sorry to hear you're not succeeding.

1. Check with your manufacturer's web site for instructions as to how to do a restore using the manufacturer's recovery partition.

2. If you wish to clean install, you need to create a bootable medium from your Win 10 iso. The easiest is to burn it to a DVD, but you can of course create a bootable USB disk.

I'm guessing you may not have created a bootable USB drive correctly.
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10 Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

Then you need to set the boot order in your BIOS, as ever, so the PC looks first for a bootable external disk or DVD before the hard disk.

Then the PC should boot from your newly created disk- not the hard drive.
Clean Install Windows 10 Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials