Application doesn't start from start menu but does from explorer

Garud

Garud

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2025
Posts
7
Hello folks

I am facing a weird issue since this morning. I have Cakewalk installed, and I generally pin my applications to the start menu for quick access. I have been opening Cakewalk from the pinned icon for a while now. This morning, on starting my PC, I got an update for Internet Download Manager, which I installed and initiated a restart. This restart hung and after half an hour of the spinning restart text, I force-reset my PC. Immediately, I knew something was wrong as the PC wouldn't progress from the splash screen. A complete shutdown and restart opened up the RE, and I simply restarted from there, which went smoothly.

Now, when I tried to launch Cakewalk from the start menu, it wouldn't open. I did some diagnosis and found the following Error event in Event Viewer
Code: 
Faulting application name: Cakewalk.exe, version: 29.9.0.125, time stamp: 0x676089bc
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 10.0.26100.4161, time stamp: 0x7cc2cdb5
Exception code: 0xc0000374
Fault offset: 0x000000000011dcc5
Faulting process id: 0x8A70
Faulting application start time: 0x1DBD2F4C909834B
Faulting application path: G:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core\Cakewalk.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report Id: cb9fcf8e-f206-46bd-99cd-29e2d01be60c
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
followed by an Information event
Code: 
Fault bucket 1155865208099618252, type 4
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: Cakewalk.exe
P2: 29.9.0.125
P3: 676089bc
P4: StackHash_ff59
P5: 10.0.26100.4161
P6: 7cc2cdb5
P7: c0000374
P8: PCH_BE_FROM_ntdll+0x0000000000162874
P9:
P10:

Attached files:
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.ce60f8ed-6333-43f0-bb2a-315fd973f42d.tmp.mdmp
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.b38a6650-15da-45c8-ae69-a6161e3f9313.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
WPR_initiated_DiagTrackMiniLogger_OneTrace_User_Logger_20240808_1_EC_0_inject.etl
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.40a1dcf0-a5e1-433a-a04a-efd947edd89c.tmp.etl
WPR_initiated_DiagTrackMiniLogger_WPR System Collector_inject.etl
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.7d8c6011-f50d-473e-9cb8-c2328f4ddcdc.tmp.etl
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.11e18c3b-5616-4cb4-936e-4e18fc866410.tmp.csv
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.99bf83d0-3c35-4698-a369-5cabfe51e71e.tmp.txt
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.55e4cfcc-81de-4c19-aef2-e054f231da01.tmp.xml

These files may be available here:
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_Cakewalk.exe_7f2a74c92fa99341f9ded815939e3a59987b3148_4966f113_6acf52cf-12c1-463e-8502-667afe26e5ce

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: cb9fcf8e-f206-46bd-99cd-29e2d01be60c
Report Status: 268435456
Hashed bucket: 73831169fcc13ccac00a75486102bdcc
Cab Guid: 0
So, I did the usual steps of running sfc, dsim, chkdsk, and even mdsched, and although chkdsk found some errors which it fixed, my issue remains. I even re-installed Cakewalk 2 times, taking care to do a clean uninstall. That is when I found a very similar thread on this forum [SOLVED] - Stackhash APPCRASH issue, Windows 7 SP1, and the circumstances and the issue are pretty much the same. For me, Explorer doesn't show any issues or at least none that have popped up yet, and I have yet to see the same problem with another application.

Moreover, some very weird things are happening, which I will list down
  • Clicking on the pinned icon of the application in the start menu or taskbar, or clicking on the Desktop shortcut or even the icon in Start->All->Cakewalk->Cakewalk by BandLab, all behave the same way. Looking at the task manager, the application starts and then quits. The application's splash screen doesn't show at all.
  • Running any one of the above as an administrator starts the application just fine.
  • Running the shortcut in the explorer at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Cakewalk\Cakewalk by BandLab starts the application just fine without needing to elevate.
  • Running the application by clicking the .exe also runs the application just fine
  • If I create a fresh shortcut from the .exe, that shortcut behaves the exact same way.
  • I temporarily created a new user account and tried to run Cakewalk from the start menu in that account, and it worked!
Given the similarity of my issue to the one in the thread and the fact that uninstalling doesn't fix it, I think something got broken in Windows and not in Cakewalk during that failed restart. Can someone help me figure this out?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@ET_Explorer It's not really the same issue. While opening from the start menu, the splash screen isn't displayed at all. Do note that I can open Cakewalk just fine if I open it from Explorer. It's just from the desktop, start menu and taskbar that I am not able to open it. Also, the error message is very similar to the one in the thread I linked, hence I am making a post here.

Last night, I even ran system restore, and while I could open cakewalk from the start menu initially, after a restart, I couldn't once again.
 
Browse to G:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core\Cakewalk.exe, right click on the file and select More Options, then Send to->Desktop. on the Desktop, drag and drop the shortcut to the Taskbar.
 
@JSntgRvr That too doesn't work and gives the exact same error. Surprisingly, a couple of days ago, I was suddenly able to open Cubase from the start menu and desktop shortcuts. I don't remember making any change that would have fixed it. But after a Windows update and restart, it again fails to open from the start menu and desktop shortcut. I don't know if the Windows update had anything to do with it or not.
 
Open a Command Prompt as an Administrator (Start->CMD-> Run as Administrator).
Run the following commands:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Restart and test.
 
As mentioned in the OP, I have already run DISM, sfc, chkdsk and even mdsched. When none of them fixed the issue, and at a loss as to the root cause of the issue, I created the post here.
 
Another thought.

Check if the issue is present when sign in with the built-in administrator account.
  • Press Windows icon key on your keyboard, together with the letter R.
  • Type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
  • Copy and paste the following command and press Enter to execute it:
Code: 
net user administrator /active:yes
  • Restart the computer and choose this account (Administrator) instead of your previous one.
  • Check if the problem persists.
 
@DR M I had tried it a couple of days back, and it does work. Even logging in with another local user account works. In fact, if I start from the start menu as an administrator, it works too.

I know that this could indicate data corruption in my user account, but I would like to know how to fix it if that's the case. At least some ideas on how to figure out the root cause would be much appreciated.
 
Yes, the fact that the issue is not present when you use another account, indicates a user profile corruption. Since the DISM and SFC didn't work, I would say that you have 2 options: a) go for an in-place upgrade and check if the profile account got fixed, b) create a new account and copy/paste your files (Documents, Videos, Photos, Music, Desktop, Downloads) from the bad account there. Then, delete the bad account.

Let me know about your thoughts, and how would you like to proceed.
 
What do you mean by an in-place upgrade? Moving to a new account is a pain that I don't undertake. If that's the only way out, I will rather wait for when I upgrade my hardware.
 
You can try the in-place upgrade (see instructions below) first. However, if that won't fix the issue, you will have to create a new account and just copy your files there.

• Go to this Microsoft page and under the title Create Windows 10 installation media press on Download tool now.
• Save the tool on your Desktop and double click to run it.
• On the License terms page, if you accept the license terms, select Accept.
• On the What do you want to do page, select Create installation media and then select Next.
• Choose the ISO file option.
• Once done downloading the ISO, kindly right-click on ISO then click Mount> then Click Setup.exe
• You may be prompted by User Account Control. If so, click on Yes.
• In the Install Windows 11 dialog, click Next.
• Setup will check your PC and show a license agreement. Click on Accept in the license terms dialog.
• Wait for the setup program to check for the available free space.
• On the Ready to install page, make sure Keep personal files and apps has been checked.

Let us know if the procedure was successful, and if the issue is resolved.
 
Oh, you mean re-installing Windows. FWIW, I have attempted a system restore from before this issue started happening, but that didn't fix it. Since then, I have had a Windows cumulative update, but that too didn't fix it. Anyway, I was looking for a way to figure out what exactly is causing the issue.
 
Garud said:
Oh, you mean re-installing Windows. FWIW, I have attempted a system restore from before this issue started happening, but that didn't fix it. Since then, I have had a Windows cumulative update, but that too didn't fix it. Anyway, I was looking for a way to figure out what exactly is causing the issue.
Click to expand...

In-place upgrade will reinstall and update the operating system and fix any corruptions, without removing any file or program. So, I didn't suggest just a format.

System restore won't fix a corrupt profile account or system's files.
 
I agree with DRM. A corrupted profile. You can also create a new profile and move your files to the new profile. Once done, remove the corrupted profile.
 

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