Windows 8 How to restore missing Windows Accessories to Apps screen

[Andy Ingham]

Hi,

After 23 Windows updates were installed a few days ago (to Windows 8.1 PC) I noticed a couple of things

1. Most of the 3rd party programs I had added to start screen had disappeared
2. Most of the Windows Accessories had disappeared from 'Apps' screen under 'Windows Accessories' (this affected all users on the PC). See screenshot (only Notepad remaining).

I found that most of the 3rd party programs were still installed, so just re-did 'pin to start' on those.

I checked one of missing accessories, Snipping Tool, and the exe file still exists in Windows/System32 folder. I tried creating a shortcut and copying to Start Menu/Programs folder, but then appears under 'S' rather than Windows Accessories!

Unfortunately I don't have a restore point that I can go back to and don't want to 'refresh' Windows install (as would lose installed 3rd party applications).

Anyone know how I can restore Windows Accessories (or has experienced similar issue after updates)?

Many thanks,

Andy

 

[Trouble]

You should be able to place your shortcuts to the windows accessories into this folder and they should appear properly in the all apps tiles.
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories

It actually shows up as a folder called "Windows Accessories".

 

[Andy Ingham]

Hi Trouble - many thanks for getting back on this. I tried this but receive a 'Windows can't create a shortcut here' message. It's also noticeable that 'Notepad' (the only accessory that I didn't 'lose'!) doesn't seem to be in that folder.

 

[Trouble]

Don't worry about notepad, its' source is from another location although it does show up in Windows Accessories.
I had a similar problem when creating shortcuts within that Windows Accessories folder, so I just right clicked the folder, chose properties, selected the security tab and selected my username in the top box and gave myself full permissions to the folder in the bottom box..... then all was well.

 

[Andy Ingham]

Hi Trouble - Eventually got around to trying this out. The permissions change does allow me to put the shortcut in that folder, e.g. for Snipping Tool. but it's not appearing under Windows Accessories:

 

[ussnorway]

is that with roaming accounts?

Try a metro screen search and check the path.

 

[Andy Ingham]

Hi.

Yes, doing that search it looks as though Snipping Tool being found in 'C:\Users\andy_000\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories' - so I need to move the other Windows Accessories into there to get them to appear?

Only thing is that Windows Accessories are missing for all users on the computer, so would I have to do this for each user I guess?

Has anyone any idea how this might have happened in the first place?

Finally, does anyone have a list of the default 8.1 Windows Accessories?

Many thanks to everyone for all this help,

Andy

 

[ussnorway]

There is 3 account types;
1. microsoft
2. local
3. Microsoft roaming
#one is default unless you have two or more accounts or computers... you can still turn roaming off as well.
Roaming settings are stored at the Microsoft store cloud and will follow you from computer to computer as the name sugests... afaia you can only have and adjust Microsoft signed apps in a roaming account but that may have changed.