Windows 10 Start & Cortana critical error issue?

[REDACTED]

From one of the multitude of threads on this :

Since last Wednesday I have not been able to get most of the new Win 10 features to work. From Start to Cortana to Edge to Email to the Windows Store. They all just flash for a second, then they are gone. Except the Start menu, of course. It only gives me a critical error message and then makes me restart.

I did once, in the middle of the night, get them all to work. I had just gotten a pop up from Windows saying I was low on memory, I clicked on it, the screen went dark, then suddenly my messages from the activity center started showing up. Then I tried all the Win 10 things, and they all worked. Of course I had to reboot, and by then nothing worked.

I did try a system restore. I found a restore point just before the last cumulative updates started. It ran for two hours, seemed to be progressing, then at the end it told me it was not able to restore due to an error (0x800703f1).

I don't have Avast, but I did delete my Norton Security. I had no idea that the new Windows Defender worked so well. After reboot the action center (or whatever it is called) was filled with message from Defender, and mail I had waiting. I could not get anything else to work. After a reboot, that stopped working too.

What exactly would be involved in reinstalling Win 10? It seemed to keep most of the files on my 8.1.1 laptop, but not as many on this PC which was running Win 7. Where do I even find the download again? I guess I thought, all along, that the next Windows update would fixed it. But I have run them all, and nothing seems to be getting better.

Is this just happening on 64-bit computers, because my 32-bit laptop is working just fine?

Thanks for any help you guys can give. I am totally lost and frustrated after a week of a system that only half works.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-resolve-windows-10-critical-error-start-menu-cortana-bitunjac
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-start/critical-error-start-menu-and-cortana-arent/5256ebee-2c77-4003-87be-1597ab10cb4d?auth=1
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2990812/windows/12-irritating-windows-10-installation-issues-and-how-to-fix-them.html?page=3
http://techdows.com/2015/08/microsoft-yet-to-fix-windows-10s-start-menu-and-cortana-arent-working-critical-error.html
http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/SLN299201/en?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04
http://www.kickiteasy.com/taskbar-start-menu-cortana-issues/

The content doesn't mention after deleting the Norton helps anything.

[essexboy]

Nope but it does say he still had the problem without Avast

[REDACTED]

Nope but it does say he still had the problem without Avast

Base on what I read, I think he means he never even installed Avast, then it is another kind of cause which is very likely the Microsoft post kind but not the Avast cause kind.

[Eddy]

Even when someone had never installed avast, it doesn't mean it is not the same cause.

[REDACTED]

I know for a fact that Avast is the cause of Cortana not working. I do computer repair for a living and none of your solutions work when Avast is installed on Windows 10, the only way I have found after hours of trying was to remove avast and just not use it on a Windows 10 system. I have had probably 20 fresh install Windows 10 systems with this problem all with Avast installed and the only solution was to remove Avast. So now instead of every computer that comes through my office getting a free copy of Avast they just use Windows Defender. Way to not own up and continue to loose customers. You can't tell me that when I have probably done 100+ Windows 10 systems since launch day and none of them have had this issues unless Avast was installed that its a Windows problem. If Avast is the only common denominator then that's probably the problem, no problems on any of my customers computer since I stopped installing Avast. I am truly disappointed with Avast for not owning up and fixing the issues with their software.

[bob3160]

I know for a fact that Avast is the cause of Cortana not working. I do computer repair for a living and none of your solutions work when Avast is installed on Windows 10, the only way I have found after hours of trying was to remove avast and just not use it on a Windows 10 system. I have had probably 20 fresh install Windows 10 systems with this problem all with Avast installed and the only solution was to remove Avast. So now instead of every computer that comes through my office getting a free copy of Avast they just use Windows Defender. Way to not own up and continue to loose customers. You can't tell me that when I have probably done 100+ Windows 10 systems since launch day and none of them have had this issues unless Avast was installed that its a Windows problem. If Avast is the only common denominator then that's probably the problem, no problems on any of my customers computer since I stopped installing Avast. I am truly disappointed with Avast for not owning up and fixing the issues with their software.

I've worked on a lot more computers that had never seen Avast and still had that problem.

[REDACTED]

I know for a fact that Avast is the cause of Cortana not working. I do computer repair for a living and none of your solutions work when Avast is installed on Windows 10, the only way I have found after hours of trying was to remove avast and just not use it on a Windows 10 system. I have had probably 20 fresh install Windows 10 systems with this problem all with Avast installed and the only solution was to remove Avast. So now instead of every computer that comes through my office getting a free copy of Avast they just use Windows Defender. Way to not own up and continue to loose customers. You can't tell me that when I have probably done 100+ Windows 10 systems since launch day and none of them have had this issues unless Avast was installed that its a Windows problem. If Avast is the only common denominator then that's probably the problem, no problems on any of my customers computer since I stopped installing Avast. I am truly disappointed with Avast for not owning up and fixing the issues with their software.

I've worked on a lot more computers that had never seen Avast and still had that problem.

That does not explain why if Avast is installed the problem happens and then when Avast is removed the problem goes away hence in this instance it is a problem with Avast. If you don't have Avast installed this is not a forum for you. Yes Windows 10 may have a issue with other programs as well relating to Cortana but it is up to programs to become Windows 10 Compatible not up to Microsoft to change their whole operating system because a company cant get their head out of where it doesn't shine.   

[REDACTED]

I have never had that issue unless avast was installed, I'm gonna say that with 100+ windows 10 systems not having that problem under my belt since no longer using Avast it is a Avast problem. You can deny it all you want but it doesn't change the fact that I can take a 100% working order brand new Windows 10 system and break it by installing Avast.

[bob3160]

You're entitled to your opinions.

[REDACTED]

You're entitled to your opinions.

Its not opinion its fact, if Avast is installed this will happen unless they have fixed the issue.

[REDACTED]

If its just opinion they explain why the problem goes away and never comes back once Avast is uninstalled? I could understand you saying its not avast if it was on one system but when I have over and over again had the issue on many freshly reloaded systems and the problem is resolved by removing Avast then it is a Avast problem. So many people here have said the only way they could fix the problem was by removing Avast and they continue to ignore the problem and say it is a windows problem. So go ahead they can continue to loose business because they are to stupid to fix their own problems. There is hundreds of accounts of this problem all over the internet and the permanent fix is to remove avast otherwise all other options are temporary fixes.

[Pondus]

see links in reply #74

[essexboy]

I have windows 10 and Avast on my system and I have never experienced this

[REDACTED]

see links in reply #74

LOL that's the funniest thing I have seen all day. All the links provided either tell people to go into safe mode and back to normal mode which if you read the comments and talk to the people who have tried it that's only a temporary fix and the problem comes back after a few restarts which then safe mode no longer works to fix the problem. The only other suggestion in all those links was to remove the antivirus causing the problem. 

Secondly Essexboy just because you have Avast and Windows 10 and don't have the issue does not mean that Avast isn't the culprit. Do you actually work on computers? Because saying "I have Avast and Windows 10 and don't have the problem" it about the stupidest thing I have herd on a reason why Avast is not the problem. Anyone who actually works on computers knows that you could have two identical computers and both have the same issue and what fixed the problem with one wont on the other. You can try to defend Avast all you want but it is their problem they need to fix.

[bob3160]

see links in reply #74

LOL that's the funniest thing I have seen all day. All the links provided either tell people to go into safe mode and back to normal mode which if you read the comments and talk to the people who have tried it that's only a temporary fix and the problem comes back after a few restarts which then safe mode no longer works to fix the problem. The only other suggestion in all those links was to remove the antivirus causing the problem. 

Secondly Essexboy just because you have Avast and Windows 10 and don't have the issue does not mean that Avast isn't the culprit. Do you actually work on computers? Because saying "I have Avast and Windows 10 and don't have the problem" it about the stupidest thing I have herd on a reason why Avast is not the problem. Anyone who actually works on computers knows that you could have two identical computers and both have the same issue and what fixed the problem with one wont on the other. You can try to defend Avast all you want but it is their problem they need to fix.

I think you've made enough posts on this topic. You are entitled to your opinion and it's been stated.
Continued nagging isn't going to strengthen you position.