Start Menu doesn't work, and the Weather can't be shown on taskbar

[ABAL1412]

Before reporting your issue

• I have confirmed that this issue does not happen when ExplorerPatcher is not installed
• I do not have "register as shell extension" enabled
• I have tried my best to check existing issues

Repro ExplorerPatcher versions

ExplorerPatcher version 22631.5335.68.2

Repro Windows Versions

Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.6093

3rd party tweak software installed

NilesoftShell
RoundedTB

Describe the bug

1. Click Windows key
2. Right click on taskbar, choose Properties from Context menu
3. Click Weather
4. Click Show weather on the taskbar

Expected outcome

Start Menu shows up
The weather icon & text show in the taskbar
The weather menu shows a tick and other options

Actual outcome

Start Menu doesn't show up (Start Menu error)
The weather icon & text doesn't show up in taskbar (Weather error)
The weather menu remains a cross and can't be clicked (Weather error)

Additional info

I'm using Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11300H @ 3.10GHz 3.11
RAM: 16GB
System type: 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch support with 10 touch points

Crash Dumps

No response

Media

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eMSD5B1K83KyOVJ2IlDPCwQCMLlcAFVZ/view?usp=sharing

[pyrates999]

Please upload the video instead of using google drive.

Is this the RoundedTB you installed? https://github.com/RoundedTB/RoundedTB

Because it's no longer in development.

---

Check if symbols were downloaded: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/wiki/Symbols

Open up EP properties application and go to advanced, and check that Enable symbols download is ticked.

Symbols need to be downloaded for every new update of windows because they change with each new update for windows.

You can check using the console in explorer patcher. Open up the properties application for explorer patcher, go to advanced, and click on enable console. If it shows it can't download symbols, your version of windows is not supported OR something is blocking symbols from being downloaded.

[bbmaster123]

good morning! well ok fine, good afternoon :)
I had a similar problem today, same build (19045.06093), my start menu was working, but weather broke again (even with existing mitigations, including the new weather_host.dll), as well as properties not appearing in the context menu on the taskbar. Symbols for build .6093 do download successfully and appear in the registry as expected.

played around and fixed it by manually changing HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ExplorerPatcher\OldTaskbar to 1, which if I'm not mistaken shouldn't have an effect on windows 10? Or am I maybe forcing the reimplemented EP taskbar by doing this?
EP properties shows no defined taskbar:

However, it did get get weather working again, and properties shows up in the context menu. Not quite sure why this works for me, and I don't have a lot to time to look into the reason today, possibly later this week I'll have some more time.

as for start menu, I've never had an issue on windows 10 personally, but make sure C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
looks similar to this:

as always I hope this helps :)

[pyrates999]

You shouldn't need to change the taskbar style and windows 10 start menu is only for the button, not the style since you're running windows 10 here.

As for weather showing no internet access, please discuss that here: #1334

---

Did you try uninstalling EP to see if the taskbar and start menu work? If not, you may need to repair your windows install:

Please run the following in an elevated command prompt (right click on command prompt icon and select run as administrator) or elevated powershell (right click on powershell icon and select run as administrator):

chkdsk C:

If it tells you there are errors, then run this:

chkdsk C: /F

Reboot to run it on boot. Keep running that command until it reports no errors. Then run this to repair windows:

sfc /scannow
dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /analyzecomponentstore
dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

then run this until it reports no errors:

sfc /scannow

Then reboot your computer.

[bbmaster123]

I assume above the line is to me, and below is to OP?

You shouldn't need to change the taskbar style

exactly, this should not be needed, which is why its confusing that it seems to work. I can only speculate at the moment why its behaving as it does.

Setting the value back to 0 breaks it again. Only happening on build 19045.6093. I have a full backup from around a week ago, and it does not have the same issue. I haven't yet looked into what might have changed if anything.

As for weather showing no internet access, please discuss that here: #1334

sure thing boss! see you over there!

[pyrates999]

Both are to you @bbmaster123

If setting the value in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ExplorerPatcher\OldTaskbar to 0 causes it to crash, in the EP properties application, go to About and click on Restore default settings. Then reboot.

Then setup your settings in EP properties application again as they were all set back to defaults.

[bbmaster123]

@pyrates999
uhm its me man, I know how to do all of that, no errors over here. I'm just here to help. Already went through all those steps, all of that is memorized at this point, but just to be explicit:

• problem started after update to 19045.6093
• yes I fully uninstalled EP
• there is no corruption
• I've tested in various builds as I keep multiple backups
• everything is working correctly now
• I hope my work-around helps others

When the value is set to 0, It doesn't cause anything to crash. It just gets stuck on the people icon, and the properties entry in the context menu is missing, nothing major. Its working fine with the entry set to 1, I just thought I'd share in case it helps anyone else

cheers

[pyrates999]

Just to be sure, in the registry, in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ExplorerPatcher\, is OldTaskbar using the type REG_DWORD? If not, what type is it using for you?

[bbmaster123]

yea its a DWORD and by default it was set to 0 on a fresh install of EP

[pyrates999]

Not sure why that would cause a crash then. But just in case, if you enabled the option register as shell extension, disable it by opening up the EP properties application, go to File Explorer, and untick Register as shell extension.

[ABAL1412]

Please upload the video instead of using google drive.

I'm sorry, but for some reasons, I couldn't upload video to Github. Maybe I'm gonna try to upload it again tomorrow.

Is this the RoundedTB you installed? https://github.com/RoundedTB/RoundedTB

About RoundedTB, I downloaded it from Microsoft Store, which is now removed. Kinda sad it's no longer developed.

Check if symbols were downloaded: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/wiki/Symbols

The symbols were downloaded.

I don't know if these errors are caused by a Windows update, but before updated, the start menu works fine. Luckily, I ghosted my PC. Gonna use that ghost and hope everything will be fixed.

[ABAL1412]

Sorry for false close. 🙏

[ABAL1412]

Did you try uninstalling EP to see if the taskbar and start menu work? If not, you may need to repair your windows install:

I tried uninstall EP and the start menu works. But when I reinstall, start menu stops working again.

[pyrates999]

Ok, what language is your windows 10 in when you installed it?

Do you have antivirus installed or are you using windows defender? Did you add the exceptions that the release notes here specify you must do before installing EP? https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/releases

And please check using the console in explorer patcher. Open up the properties application for explorer patcher, go to advanced, and click on enable console. Then try to open the start menu and copy and paste the results here.

to run the explorer patcher properties application, run this from the run menu:
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe "C:\Program Files\ExplorerPatcher\ExplorerPatcher.amd64.dll",ZZGUI