Hello! The start menu is a fundamental element in Windows 10. Indeed, many actions come from this element. Well, since the beginning of Windows, this section has been linked to the explorer. Therefore, the failure of one, affected the other. However, with the Windows 10 1903 update, things have changed. The start menu now has an independent process assigned to it.
As a result, performance and throughput are improved. For that reason you will probably see the startmenuexperiencehost.exe process running in the taskbar. In the following lines we will learn a little more about this element.
What is StartMenuExperienceHost.exe process?
As mentioned, this process is a recent introduction. Previously, the start menu did not have a dedicated host. In fact, it was previously hosted by ShellExperienceHost.exe. Who is the host of the Windows Shell Experience? Indeed, the host had a lot of processes related to the explorer and Windows shell. Consequently, the startup menu could suffer from crashes and instability. For example, if the startup menu fails, then it affects browser performance. You had to restart it to be able to use both. In addition, being isolated, the start menu will not be impacted by problems affecting other shell elements. In conclusion, this process is specific to the Windows 10 start menu.
Why startmenuexperiencehost.exe process appear in the task manager?
Well, we have already seen that the Start Menu behaves as an independent app. This guarantees speed and better performance. Therefore, the associated process is shown running in the taskbar. This allows to evaluate its impact on the system. In addition, it provides the possibility to restart it if something goes wrong. Because if the startup menu crashes or freezes. Then it is enough to finish this process for the menu to be corrected. At the beginning of its introduction, this process was displayed in the taskbar. Now, as Windows updates, it is displayed as the Start process.
From where startmenuexperiencehost.exe is associated
In fact, it is possible to verify the location of this process. To do this, press the combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc to go to the task manager. Once there, go to the Processes tab. Then scroll down to the bottom until you find the Start process. Next, expand it and right-click on it. Finally, open the file location.
Immediately the file explorer will open showing the location of the process.
Alternatively, you can enter the following address in the file explorer.
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
Okay, so we have learnt StartMenuExperienceHost.exe completely.
