Microsoft → [WIN8] Weird Start Menu/Metro lockup

I started having a strange and annoying problem with the start menu and metro apps today. It appears to get locked up. Mouse clicks and scrolling do not work. Launching a metro app may cause it to launch and never fully activate. Even bringing up the task manager can be difficult.

From the desktop the corner actions are not occurring either.

I can get it to work some by using the Windows key. That often lets it work long enough to get me back to the desktop. One click or a scroll in one direction is all I can manage out of the start menu.

I'm suspecting that perhaps one of the live tile type apps may be crashing. But how can I uninstall it if the thing I need to do it is what locks up?

I am not alone with a freezing metro/start screen. It's a difficult issue to work around.

»answers.microsoft.com/en ··· 5fce9aa2

My PC is just about as clean of an RTM build as can be.

You pointed to a thread about CP: "This thread applies to Windows 8 Consumer Preview."

Your problem, unless you are running CP, should not be the same. If it is CP, then it is the same and I can report that it's not occurring in the RTM. If it is the RTM, I'd be interested in knowing what you have for tiles.

It could be video driver related still. I didn't get a chance to mess with it any more. I didn't have any such issues on the CP.

If it is a tile it would be surprising a single app could crash the whole metro system.

Agreed. Unless something corrupted a "new UI" cache somewhere (which should have been detected and automatically recovered from) there should not be a scenario where the UI is completely dead.

Can you make a new user and see how that user behaves? There are two "start" tile locations - just like in 7, the "everyone" one and your personal one. A new user will get the "everyone" one to start. Would be interesting to see if that works.

I have it disconnected now but am eager to try the suggestions. My son is using the spot for his computer at the moment.

I wonder if I can create a 2nd account under the same live ID? If not I'll just hook one up for my son.

You can make numerous local accounts, they all get the New UI

I couldn't create a new account. I think that process used metro so I couldn't do that. However, I was able to activate the the Guest account and after a very long time was able to get back into the system. It appears the issue did not exist on the Guest account. I could move around the start screen just fine.

I tried switching back and at some point it got stuck in metro again. I had to power down to get back into my regular account. I'm updating the Radeon HD drivers now to see if that helps.

I'm trying to figure out how to uninstall the two new tiles I put on the start menu. Metro is required for that but I only have one or two clicks in a split second before it locks up.

If the new drivers don't help perhaps there is a safe mode to try.

Well, drivers didn't help and I can't create a new account because it requires metro to do so. I can get into Guest but that is about useless for fixing things.

I'm going to try and see if I can reboot into safe mode.

»www.itechtalk.com/thread ··· 618.html

Command line add new user. No metro needed. Your user's new ui config is seriously borked

Yes, I fixed!

I did Windows Key + R and then ran msconfig to reboot into safe mode. Safe mode actually boots direct to the desktop.

Anyway I was able to uninstall the last couple of metro apps that I had put on the system. They were Weather Bug, a clock app and Fruit Ninja.

I suspect it was either Weather Bug or the clock app since I think they had live tile functionality.

Wow, I really hate Windows 8 And the desktop without aero glass transparencies is damn ugly. But it's the future.

It concerns me a live tile app can bork it to that degree.

Thanks for your help here on the bleeding edge of technology!

Were all three from the App store? If so, need to file bug reports.

I'll try to figure out which app it was first. My bet is on the clock application. Weather Bug and Fruit Ninja are probably too big. Though I did find this version of Weather Bug a bit awkward compared to other implementations.