I have been using Windows 10 for several weeks. A few weeks ago, my Start button and taskbar icons stopped working. I saw a fix here that started with creating a config.sys with an alternate name, then using it to safeboot. This worked, but the fix had to be repeated every couple of weeks.
Now the same problem is happening, but msconfig.sys won't open. After I allow 6 minutes for it to try, I get a message that says it "did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion." So I can't take the first step in the fix.
Not only that, but when I tried to open Task Manager, I got a message that says "File does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program, or, if one is already installed, created a association in the Default Programs Control Panel." Then I immediately got the message C:\Windows\system 32\taskmgr.exe "The service cannot accept Control messages at this time."
When I tried to download the article from this site on Troubleshooting, it wouldn't download.
The computer also will not create a new folder to move previously saved files into.
Will this prevent the Anniversary Update from being installed? Is the Anniversary Update likely to correct any or all of this? If not, what do I need to do?
My computer is a three-year-old HP Pavilion desktop. I don't know whether this is related to the above, but the HP Support "Check for Messages and Updates" does the first step of its process (Connect to Servers), then "hangs" on "Downloading Message and Update Definitions." I let it try for ten minutes, then stopped it.