Because StartIsBack hooks directly into explorer.exe, aggressive registry cleaners or reset scripts can delete critical shell registry keys. Users have reported:
If you have already installed a trial reset tool or a patched version of StartIsBack, you need to clean your system. Here is the safe process:
If you are philosophically opposed to paying for a Start Menu replacement, there are open-source options: startisback trial reset
Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have native options to improve the Start Menu:
It won't give you the classic feel, but it costs $0 and requires no third-party software. Because StartIsBack hooks directly into explorer
The idea of a "trial reset" is seductive on the surface: why pay $4.99 when you can simply trick the software into thinking it's Day 1 of the trial forever? For a user on a tight budget, or someone who sees software as something that should be eternally free, the logic seems sound.
But this is where the trouble begins.
For Windows 10/11, you can achieve a "classic-like" setup without any third-party tools: