The "sad face" in StartIsBack is the program's way of telling you something is wrong. While it can be frustrating, it's rarely a sign of a permanent problem. By methodically working through the solutions in this guide—starting with simple restarts and moving through license verification, software updates, and Windows update rollbacks—you can almost always fix the issue and restore the classic, functional Start Menu you prefer.
Here is why this happens and how to fix it.
Here is exactly why this error happens and how to fix it step-by-step. Why Does the StartIsBack Sad Face Appear? startisback sad face
StartIsBack and StartAllBack are highly affordable, lifetime-license utility programs. Purchasing a legitimate key from the official developer eliminates the anti-piracy trigger.
If the issue started happening right after you installed a Windows Update, that update is very likely the cause. In this scenario, uninstalling the problematic update is often the most direct solution. Microsoft is not obligated to maintain compatibility with third-party apps and sometimes releases updates that inadvertently break them. The "sad face" in StartIsBack is the program's
: Open your antivirus engine (e.g., Windows Security).
StartIsBack is a popular third-party utility for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that restores the classic Windows 7-style Start Menu. It's widely used by people who find modern Windows interfaces less efficient for their workflow. Here is why this happens and how to fix it
: If you have already purchased the software, the face may appear because the license key needs to be re-entered or validated. Software Glitches
If a full restart doesn't help, you can also try restarting just the explorer.exe process (the Windows shell that controls the taskbar, Start Menu, and File Explorer). This is a quick way to refresh the UI without a full reboot.