#1734·Seelen-UI

[BUG] Windows key no longer opens Seelen Start Menu after lock, restart, or display wake

Author: connectedGraphCreated Jul 31, 2026Updated Jul 31, 2026

Description

Seelen UI normally captures the Windows key and opens its custom Start Menu replacement. On my system, this interception is lost after the Windows session or display state changes.

The problem occurs after any of the following:

  • Lock Windows with Win + L, then unlock/sign in again.
  • Let the display turn off, then wake it and unlock/sign in again.
  • Restart Windows and sign in again.

Before the event, pressing the Windows key opens the Seelen UI Start Menu. Afterwards, pressing the Windows key no longer triggers the Seelen UI Start Menu.

To reproduce

  1. Start Seelen UI and enable/use its custom Start Menu.
  2. Press the Windows key and confirm that the Seelen UI Start Menu opens.
  3. Lock Windows, turn off/wake the display, or restart Windows.
  4. Unlock/sign in.
  5. Press the Windows key again.
  6. The Seelen UI Start Menu does not open.

Expected behavior

Seelen UI should restore/register its Windows-key interception after startup, session unlock, and display wake, so the Windows key continues to open the Seelen UI Start Menu.

Actual behavior

The Windows-key-to-Seelen-Start-Menu behavior stops working after the events above. The observed failure is specifically that the custom Start Menu is no longer triggered.

Environment

  • Seelen UI: 2.8.1 (version read from the installed seelen-ui.exe)
  • Windows display version: 25H2
  • Windows build: 26200.8875
  • Windows edition ID: CoreCountrySpecific
  • Installation path: C:\Program Files\Seelen\Seelen UI\seelen-ui.exe
  • Frequency: occurs repeatedly during normal use after locking, restarting, or display-off/unlock

Additional context

This may be related to #102, but the symptom reported here is the Windows-key interception/custom Start Menu behavior not being restored on Seelen UI 2.8.1.

Logs from %LocalAppdata%\com.seelen.seelen-ui\logs can be provided if needed. I have not attached them publicly because they may contain machine-specific information.