On Toshiba notebooks, the Windows Start sits on the taskbar; press the Windows logo key to open it anytime.
If you’ve just powered on a Toshiba portable and can’t spot the Start control, you’re not alone. Designs vary a bit across Windows versions and screen settings, so the placement may not look exactly like screenshots you’ve seen. The good news: there are only a handful of places it can be, and there’s a foolproof keyboard key that opens it instantly. This guide shows every spot to check, the fastest ways to open it with or without a mouse, and what to do if the bar is hidden or moved.
What The Start Control Looks Like On Toshiba Laptops
On a Toshiba, the Start control is the Windows icon on the system bar that runs along an edge of the screen. In current releases, it’s a stylized window shape. In older releases, it can show a colored flag or a square tile. Clicking or tapping that icon opens the menu with pinned apps, search, and power options.
If you prefer the no-mouse route, the dedicated keyboard shortcut works on every model: press the Windows logo key once to open the menu; press it again to close. Many Toshiba keyboards print that logo on a key near the spacebar, usually between Fn/Ctrl and Alt.
Find The Start Button On Toshiba Laptops: Quick Checks
Let’s run through the common spots. Work down the list and you’ll land on it fast.
Bottom Center Or Bottom Left (Most Setups)
On many Windows setups, the bar sits at the bottom edge. Look for a Windows icon at the far left or near the center, depending on your alignment setting. If you see app icons in a row with a thin line under an open app, you’re on the right bar—Start sits at the left edge of that row or in the center cluster.
Left Or Right Edge (If Someone Moved The Bar)
If the bottom edge shows nothing, check the left and right edges. The bar can be moved. Hover your pointer near each edge to see if the bar un-hides. Touch users can swipe in from each edge to nudge it into view.
Top Edge (Less Common)
Some setups park the bar at the top. If you see the clock near a corner at the top, you’ve found the bar; the Windows icon sits at the far left of that same strip or inside the centered cluster.
Hidden Or Auto-Hide Mode
Auto-hide tucks the bar off-screen until you nudge it. Move the pointer to the bottom edge and pause; on a touchscreen, swipe up from the bottom border. When the bar appears, click the Windows icon.
Open Start Instantly With The Windows Logo Key
Every Toshiba keyboard includes the Windows logo key. Press it once to open the menu from anywhere—desktop, app, game—no mouse needed. Press it again to close.
Spot The Logo Key On Toshiba Keyboards
You’ll usually find it in the bottom row near the spacebar. It carries the window-shaped logo. Manuals for various Toshiba models describe it as the key that triggers the Windows menu or Start screen. If you’re using a variant layout, the key still looks the same and lives in that lower row.
Why The Start Icon Might Look “Missing” On Your Screen
When people think the Start icon is gone, one of these settings is almost always the reason. Each fix takes seconds.
Icons Are Centered Instead Of Left-Aligned
If your bar shows icons in the middle, the Windows icon lives in that middle cluster. You can switch the alignment to the left in the bar’s settings if you prefer the classic look.
The Bar Is On Another Display
Multi-monitor setups can show the bar on all screens or only one. If you don’t see the Windows icon on a secondary screen, check the primary one. You can turn the bar on for every display in the settings.
Auto-Hide Is Turned On
With auto-hide, the bar slides off-screen. Touch or hover at the edge to reveal it. If you’d rather keep it visible, toggle auto-hide off in settings.
Tablet Mode Or 2-In-1 Behavior
On convertible Toshiba models, the bar can collapse when you fold the keyboard back. Swipe up from the bottom to expand it. Tap the Windows icon once it appears.
Open Start From Anywhere: Mouse, Keyboard, Or Touch
You can open the menu in several ways. Pick the one that fits your setup and stick with it. Muscle memory makes this second nature fast.
Mouse Or Trackpad
- Move to the bar and click the Windows icon.
- If the bar is hidden, hover at the bottom edge to reveal it, then click.
Keyboard
- Press the Windows logo key.
- Type to search an app or setting right away.
- Use arrow keys to move through items; press Enter to open.
Touch
- Swipe up from the bottom edge to reveal the bar if needed.
- Tap the Windows icon.
- Swipe on the menu to scroll through pinned apps.
Tidy Up The Bar So Start Is Easy To Hit
Once you’ve found it, a minute of cleanup makes the icon easier to reach every time.
Move Icons To The Left
Open the bar’s settings and pick the left alignment. That places the Windows icon against the corner, which many users hit instinctively. You can switch back to a centered layout later if you want a symmetric row.
Turn Off Auto-Hide
If you bump the edge and the bar keeps vanishing, turn off auto-hide so the bar stays visible. This is handy on large monitors where edge-hunting slows you down.
Show The Bar On All Displays
Using more than one screen? Enable the bar on each display so the Windows icon is always nearby. It saves big pointer travel across monitors.
When The Icon Still Won’t Show: Fixes That Work
If the bar glitches or the menu won’t open, these quick fixes usually restore it. Try them in order.
Restart The Bar Process
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Look for Windows Explorer in the list.
- Right-click it and choose Restart. The bar disappears for a moment, then reloads.
Toggle Tablet-Optimized Mode On 2-In-1 Models
Open quick settings, switch the tablet-optimized bar off and on, then check the Windows icon again. This refresh can unstick a collapsed bar.
Create A New User Profile (Last Resort)
Rarely, a profile glitch hides or breaks the menu. Creating a fresh profile confirms whether the issue is account-specific. If the Windows icon works there, move files over and keep going.
Model-Specific Tips For Toshiba Owners
Toshiba lines such as Satellite, Tecra, and Portege share the same Windows behavior for Start. The physical keyboard layout can vary slightly, though, so spotting the Windows logo key on the bottom row is the quickest path to the menu across models. Manuals for select models describe that key as the trigger for the Windows menu or Start screen, which matches how it works today.
Reference Settings You May Want To Bookmark
If you want to tune alignment, visibility, or multi-display behavior, these two official help pages explain the exact switches:
- Taskbar settings and alignment — shows where to switch centered icons to the left and how to control visibility.
- Taskbar basics — outlines the main elements, including the Windows icon and quick settings.
If you want a hardware reference for the Windows logo key on certain Toshiba models, many manuals label it as the key that calls the menu or Start screen, like this excerpted page for the Satellite L50-B series: Windows special keys.
Common Scenarios And Fast Actions
Use this quick chart to match what you see on-screen with the best next step.
| What You See | Where To Click Or Press | Fast Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No bar at the bottom | Press the Windows logo key | Check left and right edges; swipe up from bottom to reveal a hidden bar |
| Icons in the middle | Windows icon in that center cluster | Switch alignment to left in the bar’s settings |
| Bar slides away | Hover or swipe at the edge to show it | Turn off auto-hide in settings |
| Two monitors; icon only on one | Use the screen with the bar | Enable the bar on all displays in settings |
| Menu won’t open | Press the Windows logo key | Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager |
| Convertible with folded keyboard | Swipe up from the bottom edge | Toggle the tablet-optimized bar off and on |
FAQ-Style Fixes Without The FAQ Section
Can I Move The Bar Back To The Bottom?
Yes. Open the bar’s settings and change its location. If your build restricts location changes, you can still control alignment and visibility so the Windows icon sits where you expect.
Can I Pin Start Next To The Corner Again?
You can. Pick the left alignment so the Windows icon hugs the lower-left corner. Many users prefer that classic corner target for quick mouse throws.
Is There A Way To Open Start If My Touchpad Stops Responding?
Press the Windows logo key. If the key is physically stuck or unresponsive, bring up the on-screen keyboard and tap the Windows key there, then check your touchpad driver under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.
Step-By-Step: Make The Start Control Easy To Hit Every Time
- Open the bar’s settings from the desktop. Right-click any empty area on the bar and choose settings.
- Pick Left under alignment if you want the icon against the corner.
- Toggle Automatically hide off so the bar stays visible.
- Turn on Show my taskbar on all displays if you use more than one monitor.
- Pin your everyday apps near the Windows icon so your pointer travels less.
Quick Recap You Can Act On
- Look along the screen edge that holds the system bar; the Windows icon is the Start control.
- Press the Windows logo key for a guaranteed open, even when the bar is hidden.
- Center or left alignment only changes where the icon sits in the row, not its function.
- Auto-hide, multi-display rules, and tablet behavior are the usual reasons it seems to vanish—each has a simple toggle.
Still Stuck? Try These Last Checks
Scan For System File Issues
If the menu refuses to appear no matter what, the bar might be fine while the menu process is stuck. Run a system file check and reboot. That clears a surprising number of shell quirks.
Update Graphics And Input Drivers
A dated display or touchpad driver can cause odd edge behavior. Open Device Manager, update those two first, and reboot. If you updated recently and the bar started hiding oddly, roll back that single driver.
Check Group Policies On Work Machines
Managed setups can lock the bar’s look and behavior. If you’re on a company laptop, ask IT whether they fixed alignment or auto-hide.
Bottom Line For Toshiba Owners
The Windows icon on the system bar is the Start control on every Toshiba line. Click it. Tap it. Or press the Windows logo key from anywhere. If it seems lost, it’s almost always alignment, auto-hide, or display placement. Tweak those few settings once, and you’ll never go hunting again.