Start button, charms bar not working after registry clean

windows-8.1 start-menu charms-bar

19,323

Refreshing the PC

You did the basic troubleshooting steps already, but it looks like the system got seriously messed up. Consider doing a system refresh:

If your PC isn't performing as well as it once did, and you don't know why, you can refresh your PC without deleting any of your personal files or changing your settings.

Note

If you upgraded your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and your PC has a Windows 8 recovery partition, refreshing your PC will restore Windows 8. You’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after the refresh has finished.

Warning

Apps you installed from websites and DVDs will be removed. Apps that came with your PC and apps you installed from the Windows Store will be reinstalled. Windows puts a list of removed apps on your desktop after refreshing your PC.

To refresh your PC

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)

Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.

Under Refresh your PC without affecting your files, tap or click Get started.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

_{Source: How to refresh, reset, or restore your PC}

Windows registry

The registry doesn't need to be cleaned. Avoid using such "optimizers," because they can do more harm than good, as you noticed.

The Windows‌ registry is a database that lists all of the configuration settings that determine how Windows looks and behaves. Sometimes, settings that are no longer needed will remain in the registry in case they're ever needed again. There's nothing unusual about this, and this data is small in size.

[...] Although a registry setting can become corrupt on occasion, in general, the registry is self-sufficient.

_{Source: Are registry cleaners necessary?}

Alp almost 2 years

I used Advanced System Optimizer in Windows 8.1 to do a system scan, clean registry, defragment disk etc. Now start button and the button on bottom right that shows the desktop doesn't do anything when clicked. Also charms bar doesn't show up when mouse is hovered to top right or by pushing windows key + c. I think registry clean caused these problems. I tried enabling charms bar hint by modifying registry, executing dism command, restoring pc to the oldest point and none worked. Any ideas?
- and31415 about 10 years
  
  The registry doesn't need to be cleaned, and I wouldn't recommend using such "optimizers" anyway. Do you get the same issues if you create a new account?
- Alp about 10 years
  
  I couldn't create a new account. When I click "Add a new user in PC settings" at Manage Accounts, error window with explorer.exe as title appears saying "Class not registered". So I turned on guest user and tried that but same issues happen.
- and31415 about 10 years
  
  It looks like the system got seriously messed up. Consider refreshing your PC.
- Alp about 10 years
  
  Thanks, refreshing PC worked and it's easier than formatting. I won't mess with registry anymore.
- Devid about 10 years
  
  Only good optimizer is the CCLeaner, but the best thing is never to mess with the registry.
Joshua Frank almost 10 years

I still can't quite follow if it blows away your installed programs or not. If you've installed something big, like Photoshop, do you have to reinstall from media or is the installation preserved?