I've been having persistent problems with my Windows Server 2019, set up as a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) server. Specifically, the Windows Start button, Windows Search, and Outlook are not functioning properly. I can right-click the Start button to access the menu, but left-clicking does nothing. Windows Search and Outlook also fail to work.
I've tried a lot of fixes: I've run DISM and SFC scans, attempted to reset firewall rules, and even reinstalled Windows while keeping files and folders. I have User Profile Disks in use, but the same issue occurs for new local users too.
Initially, I thought Windows updates might be the culprit, so I paused those, but the problem keeps coming back. The most reliable workaround has been restoring an older backup, but the issue reappears after a few days. Could there be a deeper issue at play, such as with memory or page files? I'm looking for new suggestions and would appreciate any insights or ideas.
5 Answers
Have you checked your CPU, memory, and disk space when these issues arise? If they're maxed out, that could be a sign. Besides that, considering a rebuild on a newer OS might be a safer long-term solution rather than continuously dealing with problems.
I had similar issues too, and found a helpful subreddit discussion about it. I can't link it here, but you might want to check out the thread on the Start menu issues with Windows Server 2019 RDS. It really helped point me in the right direction!
It sounds like you might have an issue with app readiness or the notifications key. Cleaning out the notifications key could help, but make sure to check the state repository size too. It's worth digging into those aspects further!
I've already cleaned out the notifications key as suggested in an article, but it didn't help. If you have other tips on checking the state repository, I'm all ears.
The Start Menu issue is a known problem with RDS, and there are no permanent fixes. Cleaning up User Profile Disks and ensuring your Office installations are configured correctly can help temporarily. You can also look into OpenShell as a replacement start menu, but it can still lead to issues over time.
Have you tried restarting Windows Explorer to see if that solves the problem momentarily? You can try running these commands: `taskkill /f /im explorer.exe` followed by `start explorer.exe`. Let me know if that works, even for a bit!
Unfortunately, restarting Explorer doesn't seem to help at all.
To clarify, the issues start and stop regardless of resource usage. We typically have six users max, and resource levels are stable. Rebuilding with a new OS has been discussed, but it's complicated with existing programs.