If the sad face appeared immediately after a Windows Update, you have two choices: Wait for the StartIsBack developer to patch it (usually within 48 hours) or revert the update.
The "sad face" (☹) appearing in StartIsBack (or its successor, StartAllBack ) is a specific visual indicator that the software's trial period has expired
Right-click it, select , and follow the prompts. Crucial: If prompted to delete settings and license data, select Yes . Restart your computer.
: If you used a modified version of Windows or an unofficial activator tool, a temporary glitch or a background security scan likely blocked the license bypass. Important: Distinguishing the App Graphic from a BSOD startisback sad face
Partial uninstalls, registry fragments, or installing a version designed for Windows 10 on Windows 11 (or vice versa) will cause the sad face. The application’s core DLL files— StartIsBack64.dll or StartIsBack32.dll —may be missing, blocked by antivirus, or unregistered.
taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F del /A /Q %localappdata%\IconCache.db del /A /F /Q %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache* start explorer.exe
Note: If your Start button stops working after uninstallation, you may need to restart your computer or manually restart explorer.exe via Task Manager. If the sad face appeared immediately after a
Temporarily disable any third-party VPNs or strict ad-blockers that might block the validation server. 4. Perform a Clean Reinstall
Sometimes the sad face is a symptom, not the disease. Corrupt system DLLs can break StartIsBack.
If you want to keep using the software, you will need to buy a license or re-enter your existing product key in the software settings. Restart your computer
These preview builds change core system files rapidly, outpacing the third-party development cycle of StartIsBack. If you must use preview builds, you may have to wait a few days for the StartIsBack developer to release a compatible beta version, or consider rolling back to a stable Windows release. Step 4: Configure Antivirus Exclusions
: Major Windows updates can sometimes break the custom shells, leading to visual glitches that look like errors. How to Fix It
The 30-day free evaluation period has concluded.
The developer behind StartIsBack has largely moved on to (for Windows 11). If you are on Windows 11 and seeing a persistent sad face, you should:
Overzealous antivirus software (Bitdefender, Malwarebytes, or even Windows Defender’s “Controlled Folder Access”) can block StartIsBack from writing to explorer.exe .