Taskbar doesn't restart after computer reboot

I have deleted the other two iterations of your post. Please do not post it again.

Sorry, I must have clicked too many times. Thanks for removing them.

Please give us your full Windows version using winver.exe; and your full Start11 version.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need more information.

1. Windows 10/11? Full version and OS Build number. Please use Winver.
2. Start11 full version number.
3. Do you have any other application running that also change your taskbar such as Windowblinds, Curtains, StartAllBack etc.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

As requested:

Windows version:  24H2 (Build 26100.2894)

Start11 version: 2.5.1.3

I am running a program Actual Windows Manager (ver 8.15.2) which can asset the taskbar settings, but I have tried turning off all those items and it didn't resolve the problem.

If you can, try delay the Start up of "Actual Windows Manager" and see if that work.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Does this happen if your taskbar is not set to be vertical?

I am not using the vertical taskbar function of Start11 so that isn't part of the problem.

I used the windows task scheduler to delay the start of Actual Windows Manager by 15 minutes and that did not resolve the problem. I then removed any startup of Actual Windows Manager and that also did not resolve the problem.

Do you have anything else which might alter or extend the taskbar, start menu, explorer windows or the desktop?

I had an old program called T-Clock that altered the clock on the taskbar. Thinking this might be the problem I deleted the program since Windows 11 has similiar taskbar clock settings built into it. Unfortunately, that did not resolve the problem. Still trying to think of possible programs that access Windows explorer that could be causing the problem.

Please try, uninstall Start11, reboot immediately (important), download latest version available in your account product download page: https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products. Install it, reboot immediately again. Retest it and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

I tried this process twice. The first time using just the Windows uninstaller, the second time using the Windows uninstaller and then the Purge_Startall batch file I down loaded before hand. In both cases I followed up with a reboot and then reinstalled Start11 using Object Deskyop. Unfortunately this process has been a failer and the problem remains that I must restart windows explorer after a reboot to activate the Start11 taskbar.

If you have Windows 11 Pro, please try test install in Windows Sandbox and see if the issue also appear while in there. https://forums.stardock.com/505872/start11-support-faq#windowssandbox.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

As suggested I installed Sandbox and then installed Start11 into it. I then imported the settings from Start11 on the host PC. The taskbar loaded correctly. I tried restarting the Sandbox 4 more times, and each time the taskbar loaded correctly.

Of course when I shutdown Sandbox everything was lost. Since I am familiar with Oracle Virtualbox from my job, I created a clean Windows 11, version 23H2 virual machine and installed Start11 in it. I did several reboots, as well as shutdowns and restarts and the Start11 taskbar always loaded correctly.

From these tests we can only conclude that there is something keeping the Start11 taskbar from properly loading on the host PC. So my question becomes, how to determine what is interfering with Start11? I check the Windows Event Viewer but didn't find anything in it. Is there a Start11/Stardock log file that may help determine what is causing the problem?

A good start would be information on other software installed, especially anything which impacts explorer or the taskbar.

Still working on this problem. The problem is related to the enhanced taskbar function of Start11, including the start button change. If the enhanced taskbar function is turned off, the change of the start button works even with reboots or shutdown/restarts.

I tried using System Internals Process Explorer to try and determine running programs that would affect the taskbar or windows explorer, and didn't find anything the jumped out as a cause.

I than used System Internals Autostart to look at programs being loaded at startup, again without anything jumping out as a cause. I tried using Autostarts compare function to compare my PC with Start11 to a PC without Start11 and nothing really showed up.

I believe my next method of attack will be to use Autostart to stop all programs from loading except Start11 and work through the various programs that do load to see if I can determine which is causing the problem, if any.

It would make things a lot easier if Start11/Stardock created an error/startup log.

Maybe before that, answer Neil Banfield's question below?

I'm having the same problem. Have run the purge batch file 3 times now with a reinstall after and multiple reboots each time with no changes unless i restart explorer. Get an error if I try to set the startup to delayed.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Something is interfering with Start11. Please post a screenshot showing us how your taskbar look after you boot up. Also we will need you Windows full version and OS Build number.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Same version as the previous person. 24H2 26100.3194

Not really sure what a screenshot would tell you that a log or something wouldn't. But sure here you go. https://i.imgur.com/55hHRUS.png

Neither the start menu nor the taskbar changes to the Start11 changes unless I open Start11 go to the taskbar options and choose restart explorer.

I have seen multiple versions of this same problem but haven't seen any real fix for it past that purge batch file that was posted in a previous thread.

Which I used multiple times to no avail.

From your screenshot, it look like Start11 taskbar already running, note the rounded corner, that, from what I know can not be done with default Windows 11 taskbar. Need to know,

1. What issue you're actually having?
2. What setting you have turn on that did not show up in the taskbar?

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Well my Start11 settings has the taskbar items in the middle, and I get the default Win11 Start menu, not the one I get if I do an explorer restart.

So while it may be 'sort of' running, its not working correctly unless I restart explorer.

Look like something is interfering with Start11. Please try Cleanboot and see you can identify the conflicting application: https://forums.stardock.com/505872/start11-support-faq#cleanboot. Note: do follow the steps for Cleanboot carefully.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Yeah i'm not doing all that crap.

I get a new computer sometime soon and live in the hopes it actually works on the new one and deal with it being badly coded on this one for the time being.

I was just trying to get it fixed for the other people who are having the same problem who arent getting answers while I still had it.