[SOLVED] Explorer Not Launching on Startup after W11 Windows Update

Hello Everyone,
I'm having a problem similar to the one described in post 35837, but I'm not allowed to post there.
I've tried most, if not all, of the solutions I've found online.

Background:
Two days ago, I got a notification that Windows needs to restart for an update.
When I clicked on it, it showed that there was an update with the status "Pending restart". I think it was a .NET-related update.

There were two other updates in the list.
The second was the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT), which I left alone.
The third update was for Windows itself, and the status was something like it couldn't download it or something.

I tried the Windows update again, it failed. I tried again, and this time it downloaded and installed successfully, and it also got the status "Pending restart".

When I restarted Windows, I got the usual sign-in screen.
I entered my password, and then I just saw the black screen (no wallpaper, no taskbar).
But I noticed that the cursor was working, so I pressed Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.

If I remember correctly, the first time I opened Task Manager, it was in the new dark theme, just like before.
But all other times after that, it was in the old light theme.

Error from Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application:
Code: 
Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 10.0.22621.1778, time stamp: 0x38884ebd
Faulting module name: ucrtbase.dll, version: 10.0.22621.608, time stamp: 0xf5fc15a3
Exception code: 0xc0000409
Fault offset: 0x000000000007f61e
Faulting process id: 0x0x1BDC
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1D9A0379003BFC6
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\ucrtbase.dll
Report Id: b9b637da-fc03-40e6-8378-8d658c206da3
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Tried solutions that didn't work:
1. Calling explorer from File > "Run new task" in Task Manager.
2. Changing App Readiness service from Manual to Disabled and restarting, as well as to Automatic and restarting.
3. Ctrl+Shift+Win+B, Win+P, Win+I, Win+X.
4. System restore.
5. Installing windows11.0-kb5026446-x64_e264756c2d8b4a37b6319c7bc36bb72001b38084.msu and windows11.0-kb5027231-x64_7f2bb7e2c8a46c0ae59c080caf4b2f39b533ffe3.msu.
6. sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
7. SFCFix and FRST64.exe.
8. All repairs from Tweaking[.]com - Windows Repair 2021 v4.14.0
7. Changing permissions of C:\Windows\System32\DriveStore\FileRepository to those of C:\Windows\System32: added Users, Administrators, and "NT Service\TrustedInstaller" (denied access for a lot, if not all, children when checking "Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object").
8. Installing UCRT from the Visual Studio installer and then manually replacing ucrtbase.dll with a newer one from Windows Kits, which made Windows unbootable, but the automatic repair made the Windows bootable again.
9. Upgrading graphics driver.
10. Booting into safe mode (same black screen and cursor).
11. Automatic repairs.
12. Disabling all non-essential startup apps.
13. Removing AutomaticDestinations folder.
14. Removing two folders (don't remember the names off the top of my head) in regedit.
15. In-place Windows 11 update using Win11_22H2_English_x64v2.iso.

If later I remember I tried something else, I'll add it to the list.

Additional info:
I'm currently running Windows 11 version 22H2 (OS Build 22621.1848).
Computer is old (2012). Windows 11 was installed with the help of Rufus.
explorer.exe works when calling control (legacy Control Panel) from File > "Run new task" in Task Manager.
explorer.exe works as a File Explorer.


Is anyone available to help me try fix the explorer.exe crash (no taskbar, no shell), please?
I'd appreciate any help.

UPDATE 1:
16. Tried Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
17. Tried creating a new (admin) user.
 
Hi. . .

Have you tried to run Windows System Restore to revert the system back to the way it was prior to the update?

You can boot into Recovery and select Windows System Restore if available or via Recovery, look for the Command Shell option, select it then type rstrui; hit ENTETR; Win Sys Restore should appear on the screen. Select the most recent restore point.

Was the Windows Update (WU) solely comprised of a single W11 OS related upgrade or were there multiple WU being installed?

Can you get to Desktop at all?

If so, please run -

Upon completion, go to \documents folder and upload the newly created zip file called SysnativeFileCollectionApp.zip as an attachment to your next post.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2
 
Hi @jcgriff2,

Yes, when I first got the black screen, there were four restore points from all updates applied at once. I tried restoring one by one, but none of them fixed the issue, and then after an in-place update it wiped all restore points, even those from two months ago (I guess it went over the allocated limit).

I suspect this black screen issue happened because there also was a .Net-related update at the same time.

Yes, I can get to Desktop and open Task Manager.

I put all the details in the following post:
Windows 11 shows only black screen & cursor after update (explorer.exe crashes because of ucrtbase.dll)

What were you going to say I need to run? Seems like part of the sentence was left out.
 
I would honestly consider a clean install at this point, it looks like you've messed around with settings and deleted keys from your registry without really understanding what you were doing. What did you run with SFCFix and FRST? You should not have changed any permissions in the DriverStore or ran all the repair options with Tweaking AIO Repair.

Hi6 said:
I'm currently running Windows 11 version 22H2 (OS Build 22621.1848).
Computer is old (2012). Windows 11 was installed with the help of Rufus.
Click to expand...
That means you must be running Windows 11 on an unsupported operating system, I know plenty of people are doing but they do have varying levels of success and it is risky if Microsoft decide to introduce a new feature which relies on the official hardware requirements.

Please do not create multiple threads either; I've merged your two threads together now.
 
I resolved the issue, and my Windows 11 is back to normal. I will provide the details later.

May one of the administrators please remove SysnativeFileCollectionApp.zip from my previous post, as I don't see a way to edit my messages?
 
I've removed the .zip now but please take note that it does not contain any personal information.
 
Hi6 said:
I resolved the issue, and my Windows 11 is back to normal. I will provide the details later.
Click to expand...
When I tried to open *.txt files by double-clicking them, they wouldn't open Notepad, and I'd get an error message saying “The StateRepository cache is not initialized.”

I saw this message several times (some other actions were also caused it; I can't remember what they were, but probably some Control Panel items) when explorer.exe wasn't working.
But I thought this error would go away if I fixed the main error from the Event Viewer (“Faulting application name: explorer.exe... Faulting module name: ucrtbase.dll”).

So this time I decided to look in that direction and found an article whose title seemed unrelated, but whose content talked about the black screen and a cursor and this error as well.

The article linked to a PowerShell script to remove “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository\StateRepository*” (all files starting with “StateRepository”; there were six files in my case).
But I was getting “PermissionDenied” errors, even when I started PowerShell as an administrator.

So I held Shift and clicked Restart after pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to get to the Advanced Startup Options menu (or whatever it's called) on the blue screen.
The Troubleshoot menu has a Command Prompt option, which by default uses a different disk.

I opened “diskpart”, then “list volume” to find the main Windows disk, then “exit”.
Then, “cd /d L:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository” (“/d” is needed to change the disk).
Then, “dir StateRepository*” to display the files to be deleted.


WARNING: After executing the next line, the state of some applications will be reset (you may have to reconfigure them). But it wasn't too bad for me. It's still better than doing a clean install of Windows.


Finally, run “del StateRepository*” to delete the files.

Close the command prompt and click Continue to do a normal Windows boot.
The system will recreate the removed files.
 
Thanks for sharing your solution, it will hopefully help others who may be experiencing the same issue you had.
 
Just wanted to share my appreciation for this post. We were mired with this black screen for the last 3 weeks. We had a number of additional things we had to do once the state repository files were deleted, but we were able to get our machines working again!
 
Hi6 said:
I suspect this black screen issue happened because there also was a .Net-related update at the same time.
Click to expand...
Since I posted the original solution that worked for me in #9, the “.NET Framework 3.5, 4.8.1 for Windows 11” update installed via Windows Update has brought back the black screen issue again... 3-5 times already...
The last one happened today.

Here are my steps to fix the black screen, then the Windows 11 Start menu not working and the taskbar showing the old (pre-Windows 11) design, and the File Explorer not working, and the Microsoft Store and its apps not working:
  1. To fix the black screen issue, reset the AppRepository/StateRepository with “del StateRepository*” from post #9.
  2. Now that the black screen issue is gone, but the Start menu doesn't work, and the taskbar looks outdated, and File Explorer won't open,
    1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
    2. Click File > Open.
    3. Browse to your browser's *.exe file.
    4. Open your browser.
    5. Go to Microsoft Update Catalog.
    6. Download and install the latest update for the .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1.
      1696395968667.png
      (I pressed Win+R, then typed “winver” (no quotes) and pressed Enter to check my installed Windows 11 version, it showed I had 23H2, but the update for 22H2 from the screenshot above got installed just fine for me.)
    7. Restart your computer.
    8. Download and install the latest Windows 11 cumulative update.
      1696396624029.png
    9. Restart your computer.
  3. Now that the black screen issue is gone, and the Start menu is working, and the taskbar is back to normal, and File Explorer is working, but Microsoft Store isn't there and Microsoft Store-installed apps like Photos, Movies & TV, and Calculator, aren't there / aren't working,
    1. Follow How to Reinstall Microsoft Store in Windows to download and reinstall the required packages/apps from Microsoft Store - Generation Project (v1.2.3) [by @rgadguard & mkuba50].
      For Microsoft.UI.Xaml.*, download and install 2.4, 2.7, and 2.8.
      For Microsoft.VCLibs.*, download and install the one with UWPDesktop in the name and the one without.
      I had to install them using the Add-AppxPackage PowerShell (run as administrator) applet.
      If an installation fails, try installing them in a different order. This has helped me a few times.
      1696398086007.png
    2. Restart your computer.
  4. Now that the black screen issue is gone, and the Start menu is working, and the taskbar is back to normal, and File Explorer is working, and Microsoft Store is working, but Microsoft Store-installed apps like Photos, Movies & TV, and Calculator, aren't there / aren't working,
    1. Open the Microsoft Store from the Start menu.
    2. Click the Library icon in the lower left corner of the Microsoft Store window.
    3. In the list, click Microsoft Store app entry to open its listing.
    4. Click Microsoft Corporation under Microsoft Store to open the list of all Microsoft apps.
    5. Reinstall the Microsoft Store apps that you need, such as Microsoft Photos, Snipping Tool, Windows Calculator, Windows Media Player, Windows Notepad, Paint, Movies & TV.
  5. Now that the black screen issue is gone, and the Start menu is working, and the taskbar is back to normal, and File Explorer is working, and Microsoft Store is working, and Microsoft Store-installed apps are there / are working,
    1. If you want to be able to view *.heic photos from your modern phone, install HEIF Image Extensions (Get HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store) from the Microsoft Store.
    2. If you want to be able to watch HEVC videos from your modern phone, install HEVC Video Extensions using the instructions from How to Download HEVC Video Extension for Free.
Good luck to all of you!
 

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