If your keyboard is toggling the Start menu on pressing the Esc key, this post may help you solve the issue. Such type of keyboard error is caused due to hardware or software issues.

Pressing Esc key opens Start menu in Windows 11/10

If this problem occurs on your Windows system, try the following troubleshooting methods:

Check if the Ctrl key is stuck.
Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter.
Disable the Sticky keys.
Reset BIOS to factory settings.
Change your keyboard.

1] Check if the Ctrl key is stuck

The Win key is the shortcut command to launch the Start menu. Almost all Windows users know this shortcut command. But you might not know that Ctrl + Esc keys also launch the Start menu. Hence, check whether the Ctrl key is stuck or not. There are many ways to check this. For example, if the web page on your browser is zooming in or out on moving the scroll wheel of the mouse without pressing the Ctrl key, the Ctrl key is stuck.

If the Ctrl key is jammed, disconnect your keyboard and try to fix it.

TIP: Pressing Ctrl+Esc key will also open the Start Menu – just as pressing the Win key will!

2] Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter

Windows 11/10 comes with several built-in troubleshooting tools, Keyboard troubleshooter is one of them. Run keyboard troubleshooter and see if it fixes the issue.

If you are a Windows 11 user, follow the steps below to run the Keyboard troubleshooter on your system:

Launch the Settings app in Windows 11 by right-clicking on the Start menu.
Scroll down the right side till you find the Troubleshoot tab. Once you find it, click on it.
Now, click on the Additional troubleshooters tab.
You will see a list of all troubleshooters available in Windows 11. Locate the Keyboard troubleshooter.
To launch the Keyboard troubleshooter, click on the Run button next to the Keyboard.

Windows 10 users may follow these steps:

To run the keyboard troubleshooter, follow the below-listed steps:

Launch the Settings app and click Update & Security.
Select Troubleshoot from the left pane and click on the Additional troubleshooters link on the right side.
Scroll down the list and click Keyboard. Now, click Run the troubleshooter.

3] Disable the Sticky keys

According to the feedback of some users, the issue was fixed when they turned off the sticky keys. You can also check whether the sticky keys are enabled on your system. If you find them enabled, disable them and see if it helps.

4] Reset BIOS to factory settings.

You can also try to reset the BIOS of your system to factory settings and see if it solves the problem.

5] Change the keyboard

If none of the above methods helped you, the problem might be with your keyboard. Check the PC with another keyboard, and the keyboard with another PC. Consider replacing it if it’s a keyboard hardware issue.

Hope this helps.

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