The simplest way to open Settings is to hold down the Windows key on your keyboard (the one to the right of Ctrl) and press i. Your version of Windows 10 will most likely be set to automatically install newer versions, but if this isn’t case you can easily do the updates manually, even without the Start menu. Microsoft is constantly improving and tweaking its progeny, so keeping your system up to date is a very good idea. It’s often the case that bugs like this are solved when the next Windows update is released. Obviously you don’t want to do this regularly, but if it works, then you’ll be up and running within a few minutes. Try restarting your PC, maybe even a couple of times, and see if that cures the problem. In a large number of cases this is all you need to do in order to fix problems with your laptop or PC. There’s a reason that Roy in The IT Crowd is famous for his ‘have you tried turning it off and on again?’ catchphrase. You should back up any files you can't afford to lose before you try some of the fixes listed below. If your PC or laptop's Start menu is locking up or becoming generally unresponsive, here's how to fix it. The Start menu is your main port of call for navigating Windows 10, so when it plays up it becomes a problem.