Windows Troubleshooting Checklist
A practical Windows troubleshooting checklist that starts with safe checks, separates software from hardware clues, and sends you to the right detailed guide.
Windows 11
Problems that show up after upgrading to Windows 11 or while using it day to day.
Start with the closest symptom
These guides are grouped here because the first checks overlap. Open the guide that best matches what you see now, then use its verification section before moving to a broader fix.
How to Fix the Windows 11 Start Menu When It Won't Open
When the Start button does nothing, the menu is blank, or it opens then closes, restart Explorer and repair Start, without replacing it with unofficial Start-menu clones from ads.
How to Fix Windows 11 Apps That Won't Open
When a Windows 11 app does nothing, flashes, or closes immediately, sort Store apps from desktop programs and try safe repairs before reinstalling Windows.
Windows 11 System Restore Explained (and How to Use It)
What System Restore actually rolls back, how to create or use a restore point, and when it will not help, without unofficial restore-point "repair" tools.
Related tools
- PC Troubleshooting Wizard, Answer a few questions about what is going wrong. The wizard points you to the safest matching guide on this site.
- Windows Error Code Lookup, Look up a Windows update code or blue-screen name and see what it usually means, plus safe next steps.
- BSOD Stop Code Lookup, Look up a Windows blue-screen stop code and see likely causes, safe first steps, and when hardware may be involved.