Windows 10 start menu, task bar and more not working. Crashes with Cortana / SearchUI.exe / ShellExperienceHost.exe

Question

Recently a lot of Windows features stopped working on my Surface Pro (2017) with Windows 10 Pro.

E.g. can't open start menu, Edge, system settings. On top of that, WiFi network adapter stopped working - so using ethernet connection via Surface Dock.

The following errors pop up in EventViewer when attempting to open Windows start menu (see below).

Without success, already tried to:

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | foreach {Add-Appxpackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
Reset this PC.

Faulting application name: SearchUI.exe, version: 10.0.17134.706, time stamp: 0x5ca3141a
Faulting module name: SearchUI.exe, version: 10.0.17134.706, time stamp: 0x5ca3141a
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000078112
Faulting process ID: 0x2328
Faulting application start time: 0x01d4f2ddd7f474dc
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchUI.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchUI.exe
Report ID: c157ae71-fa52-4d0d-af84-045c53e6ece3
Faulting package full name: Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_1.8.12.15063_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
Faulting package-relative application ID: CortanaUI

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
  <Provider Name="Application Error" /> 
  <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID> 
  <Level>2</Level> 
  <Task>100</Task> 
  <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords> 
  <TimeCreated SystemTime="2019-04-14T16:19:32.769172000Z" /> 
  <EventRecordID>1730</EventRecordID> 
  <Channel>Application</Channel> 
  <Computer>DESKTOP-1DSICIH</Computer> 
  <Security /> 
  </System>
- <EventData>
  <Data>SearchUI.exe</Data> 
  <Data>10.0.17134.706</Data> 
  <Data>5ca3141a</Data> 
  <Data>SearchUI.exe</Data> 
  <Data>10.0.17134.706</Data> 
  <Data>5ca3141a</Data> 
  <Data>c0000005</Data> 
  <Data>0000000000078112</Data> 
  <Data>2328</Data> 
  <Data>01d4f2ddd7f474dc</Data> 
  <Data>C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchUI.exe</Data> 
  <Data>C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchUI.exe</Data> 
  <Data>c157ae71-fa52-4d0d-af84-045c53e6ece3</Data> 
  <Data>Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_1.8.12.15063_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy</Data> 
  <Data>CortanaUI</Data> 
  </EventData>
  </Event>

Faulting application name: ShellExperienceHost.exe, version: 10.0.17134.1, time stamp: 0x5ace103a
Faulting module name: twinapi.appcore.dll, version: 10.0.17134.137, time stamp: 0xb5d50228
Exception code: 0xc000027b
Fault offset: 0x000000000009cad5
Faulting process ID: 0x2198
Faulting application start time: 0x01d4f2ddd7e0d41b
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\SystemApps\ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\ShellExperienceHost.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\twinapi.appcore.dll
Report ID: 80a26228-b289-4ba8-ab3c-eb50b975ccdc
Faulting package full name: Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_10.0.15063.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
Faulting package-relative application ID: App

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
  <Provider Name="Application Error" /> 
  <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID> 
  <Level>2</Level> 
  <Task>100</Task> 
  <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords> 
  <TimeCreated SystemTime="2019-04-14T16:19:32.722308300Z" /> 
  <EventRecordID>1729</EventRecordID> 
  <Channel>Application</Channel> 
  <Computer>DESKTOP-1DSICIH</Computer> 
  <Security /> 
  </System>
- <EventData>
  <Data>ShellExperienceHost.exe</Data> 
  <Data>10.0.17134.1</Data> 
  <Data>5ace103a</Data> 
  <Data>twinapi.appcore.dll</Data> 
  <Data>10.0.17134.137</Data> 
  <Data>b5d50228</Data> 
  <Data>c000027b</Data> 
  <Data>000000000009cad5</Data> 
  <Data>2198</Data> 
  <Data>01d4f2ddd7e0d41b</Data> 
  <Data>C:\Windows\SystemApps\ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\ShellExperienceHost.exe</Data> 
  <Data>C:\Windows\System32\twinapi.appcore.dll</Data> 
  <Data>80a26228-b289-4ba8-ab3c-eb50b975ccdc</Data> 
  <Data>Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_10.0.15063.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy</Data> 
  <Data>App</Data> 
  </EventData>
  </Event>

What happened that might have caused the issue? Was there a Windows update? Was the anti-malware app changed or updated? Have you made some change?? If you have no idea, then the simplest solution is to download the Windows 10 ISO from MS and reinstall. — DrMoishe Pippik, Apr 14 '19 at 17:50
Yes there was a windows update a day or two before the issues started. — Jacek M, Apr 14 '19 at 22:08
See https://www.windowslatest.com/2019/04/12/microsoft-april-2019-updates-reportedly-causing-issues/ and https://www.ghacks.net/2019/04/14/microsoft-confirms-two-known-issues-for-recent-windows-10-updates/ for example — DrMoishe Pippik, Apr 14 '19 at 22:13
Indeed it seems like it was caused by the latest windows update. Also, while "Reset this PC" did not help at all, a full fresh reinstall from ISO did, partially. Start menu, task bar, etc. now work again, WIFI adapter still does not. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the WIFI hardware got broken by these bad windows updates... — Jacek M, Apr 16 '19 at 12:52
You might find having Ubuntu or alternate OS on USB (or dual-booting) useful when there is no fix for a bad Windows update. — DrMoishe Pippik, Apr 17 '19 at 00:51
Does this answer your question? [Windows 10 ShellExperienceHost crashes](https://superuser.com/questions/1059411/windows-10-shellexperiencehost-crashes) — Ramhound, Dec 18 '19 at 06:43

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 12 '19 at 13:05

1

Seems to be a known issue. RDS host, server 2016, with profiles on UPD. Case open with Microsoft, reply from support engineer:

the below symptom could be a known issue:

“with User Profile redirected to an additional data disk (such as UPD configured). Cortana (SearchUI.exe) and SEH (ShellExperienceHost.exe) will crash and not work on every single profile.”

No fix yet.

edited Dec 12 '19 at 13:05

Dave M

13,138
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answered Dec 12 '19 at 05:36

Zoltan

11
1

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 18 '19 at 06:22

-1

See this post for the full answer: Windows 10 ShellExperienceHost crashes

You can run "Tweaking.com - Windows Repair Free/Pro." or fix it the better way with following user283868's answer to rename the folder which you're having trouble with: Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_xxxxxxx then running the powershell command to restore the package.

answered Dec 18 '19 at 06:22

R0tten

11
4

1

If an existing answer answers this question it should have been flagged as a duplicate instead of a new answer being submitted that simply links to it. Proper citation is required here at Super User, that means, quoting and citing reference material. In the future please flag questions as a duplicate if you find an answer that already exist that answers the question. – Ramhound Dec 18 '19 at 06:45

Windows 10 start menu, task bar and more not working. Crashes with Cortana / SearchUI.exe / ShellExperienceHost.exe

2 Answers2