Sometimes the sad face is a symptom, not the disease. Corrupt system DLLs can break StartIsBack.

In the context of StartIsBack, the sad face is essentially a placeholder error. It usually appears in one of two scenarios:

Step 1 – Clear Icon Cache

taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
del /A /Q %localappdata%\IconCache.db
del /A /F /Q %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache*
start explorer.exe

Step 2 – Run System File Checker

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

Reboot after completion.

Step 3 – Update or Reinstall StartIsBack

Step 4 – Check Segoe UI Symbol Font

StartIsBack is a paid application with a 30-day trial. If your trial ends, or if a Windows feature update resets your activation status, the app enters a "degraded mode." The developer (StartIsBack) chose the sad face as a non-intrusive nag screen—reminding you to purchase or re-enter a license key.

Date: [Current Date] Application: StartIsBack / StartAllBack Issue: User reports a “sad face” (☹️) icon or error message appearing, typically instead of the expected Start Menu or taskbar functionality.

If you are a Windows user who cherishes the classic, functional aesthetic of Windows 7 or XP, you have likely installed StartIsBack. This utility is a gold standard for restoring the traditional Start Menu on modern versions of Windows (8, 8.1, 10, and 11). However, veterans of the tool know the dread of a specific glitch: The StartIsBack Sad Face.

You click the Start button expecting your familiar list of applications, only to see a grey, depressing emoticon staring back at you: :(

This article dives deep into the "StartIsBack sad face" error. We will explain what it means, why it appears, and the step-by-step solutions to banish that frowning icon forever.

Unlike a standard Windows crash (like the Blue Screen of Death), the StartIsBack sad face is not a system-wide failure. It is a visual placeholder. When StartIsBack attempts to render your Start Menu but fails to find the necessary resources, credentials, or system hooks, it defaults to a minimalist, sad-faced icon in place of the user profile picture or the application grid.

Users describe it in several ways:

This is StartIsBack’s polite way of saying: “I cannot access my own database or the Windows Shell. Something is broken.”

Once you fix it, you want to keep it fixed. Here is your maintenance checklist:

Būti laimingu - tavo pašaukimas