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If you are using StartIsBack (or StartAllBack) to restore a classic Windows 7-style Start menu on Windows 10 or Windows 11, encountering a giant, pixelated blinking sad face emoji where your Start button should be can be alarming.
Perhaps the most common cause is a conflict following a Windows Update. As Microsoft frequently updates its operating system, changes to core system files (like explorer.exe ) can create compatibility issues. This can lead to a "sad face" appearing because StartIsBack can no longer interact with the system correctly. A prime example is the conflict with , where Microsoft explicitly blocked the update for machines running StartAllBack due to performance and security concerns. Users reported that renaming the program's .exe file was a temporary workaround to avoid detection. startisback sad face