Windows 7 Unwanted icons in start menu

[yurako]

Hey guys,

I want to configure my start menu.

In C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs I changed the start menu the way I wanted it to be.

However, when I open the start menu, there are some additional icons e.g internet explorer ( which I do not see in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs). Where do the come from ? Is there any "all users" folder?

thanks

 

[reghakr]

Hello and welcome to the windows7forums.

That's due to the fact that the Program Data folder is a duplicate (pointer) to the C:\users\yourusername\Start Menu

 

[yurako]

Hi,

Thank you for the welcome


C:\users\yourusername\Start Menu is blocked. So how can I access a folder that contains the additional icons?

 

[reghakr]

You must turn off UAC in User accounts in Control panel and in Folder Options, you need to uncheck show hidden files, show extensions for known file types and uncheck Hide Protected Operating system files.

you may need to reboot

 

[loathe]

Also, if you go into the start menu properties, under privacy is an option to turn off recently opened programs. You can also customise the links on the right hand side there too. May be what your after.
You can also just right click a shortcut and delete it from the start menu.

 

[yurako]

I am not sure how to do it so I'll describe what I did:

1) UAC: Control panel -> User Accounts nad Family Safety -> User Accounts ->Change User Account Control Settings - > I dragged it to the lowest level


2) Control Panel ->Appearance and personalization -> Folder Options -> View tab:

unchecked "Hide extensions for known file types"
unchecked "Hide Protected Operating system files"
as for hidden files, I have chosen: "Show hidden files, folders and drives" ( I also tryied checking the "Don't show..", but it did not work)


Restart.


myusername/startmenu =>>> access denied

 

[reghakr]

Loathe had an excellent suggestion,

Did you try his.

Do you have an Administrator account or a Limited account?

 

[Saltgrass]

Yurako, why are you going to a folder rather than removing them directly from the start menu?

 

[yurako]

Yes, I tried Loathe's suggestion, but it did not help... ( I unchecked them both but the additional icons are still theres...)


It is an Administrator account (this is the only account in the computer)


Link Removed, I am insisting on goint to folder, because I want to understand what is going on behind... ( just as I knew how everything worked in XP). Deleting the additional icons from the start menu would be the easiest way, but will leave me clueless as for where to put progams for all users and where to a specific user etc

 

[reghakr]

Try downloading this free open source file manager called Surf.

It will get you into all those locked folders:

SurF - Free, Open Source File Manager for Windows 7, Vista and XP

 

[BarbaraA]

I too would like to understand the Start Menu and duplications

Link Removed, I am insisting on goint to folder, because I want to understand what is going on behind... ( just as I knew how everything worked in XP). Deleting the additional icons from the start menu would be the easiest way, but will leave me clueless as for where to put progams for all users and where to a specific user etc[/QUOTE]

I have many issues with the Start Menu as well. I find when I go to the two locations of the start menu, they do not relate ie, I made a Folder for Family in the I'll call it no1 location
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs , then when I try to put a program into that folder that is listed only in the no 2 location
C:\Users\Barb\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Program the folder is not there. Maybe if I could understand why the programs are in two places differently in the first place, I could eliminate or know how to fix it. It all stems from the User accounts "Thing". Some programs ask about users when installed, but most don't. Anyway, I guess my question is, must programs be in both locations, if there is only one user, can I delete or move all of one loacation? I also have a program that put itself on menu, not a pointer. Can someone point me or us to an understanding of and how to's on this? Thank you, Barbara

 

[tblount]

The All Programs menu is comprised of two folders

one that has the user specific programs...
and one that is global

here is the big one that is global.. you can copy and paste it to a shortcut for easier access... AND if you copy and past desktop shortcuts or whatever ... TO this folder ... the stuff you copy will also appear under All Programs.

"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs"

INCLUDE the quotes if you copy and paste the above line to a desktop shortcut.

The user specific folder is here

"C:\Users\Terry\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs"

Replace Terry with YOUR own login name. I can't get %userprofile% to work in this shortcut like it does from command prompt... so it appears the user name must be hard coded.


Also, for anyone reading this notice in the path in her original message Start has a space in it.. St art
That happens because there is a limit to the number of characters you can type into a single line in these forums. To fix that you put the long paths inside code surrounded like quote with brackets

 

[tblount]

, then when I try to put a program into that folder that is listed only in the no 2 location

Perhaps my age is a factor... but I just can't wrap my mind around this to understad exactly what you are trying to do.


Whatever I copy and paste to the

"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs"

Folder.... shows up when I click All Programs.


In fact, I have simplified my All Programs menu by copying and pasting Calculator and Paint ... from the Accessories folder ... to Programs folder.. now it's faster and easier to run paint than to do the extra pointing and clicking to launch it from Accessories. I'll probably customize a lot more .. like dragging the main program out of its folder and deleting the folder that only has uninstall and some url left in it.

 

[BarbaraA]

I'm confused

tblount, If you were responding to me, I thought you were because of the st art info (post code) , which I do not know how to do, by the way. And if you were, I give the same two addresses in my post, but my questions weren't addressed. I know your busy but could you try again. Can I only have one of these location, say the global with all my programs? This would not cause issues with anything? It seems if you specify all users when installing it goes to both no 1 global and no 2 users, and if you specify just user, thats when it only appears in the no 2 users file, and that is why all programs are not in both places. And why do some programs put themselfs in the start menu (not a pointer)? Is there something I can do to prevent this from happening? Thanks for responding.

 

[BarbaraA]

Start menu

Perhaps my age is a factor... but I just can't wrap my mind around this to understad exactly what you are trying to do.

Whatever I copy and paste to the
"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" Folder.... shows up when I click All Programs.

Ok, Ill try to explain better.
I made a Folder for Family in the I'll call it no1 location C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs , -----folder was made in global start menu location, and other programs were put in it. But I still had a program on the start menu that was not in the global menu file.

then when I try to put a program into that folder that is listed only in the no 2 location
C:\Users\Barb\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\ Start Menu\Program the folder is not there

--- I should have said sorry I tried to reword it and can't seem to get it right, talk about age. -ok I go to the users start menu location, the folder Family is not there, but my program is only listed there and not in the global. I thought I could make another family folder in the users file, and/or copy program to global menu, but that's when it hit me, I really don't understand all this, I need help. Thus the questions.
I hope I didn't make a total mess of this. Thanks again.

 

[tblount]

[ -ok I go to the users start menu location, the folder Family is not there,

I just went to BOTH locations.. right clicked and created a new folder... they both showed up when I clicked Start / All Programs

 

[reghakr]

Whatever I copy and paste to the
"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" Folder.... shows up when I click All Programs.

Barbara, No offense, but Why would you want to mess around with that directory anyway?

Are you referring to programs that ask if you want to install for the current user only or all users?

I'm confused

 

[tblount]

Barbara, No offense, but Why would you want to mess around with that directory anyway?

Are you referring to programs that ask if you want to install for the current user only or all users?

I'm confused

I guess she just wants to put it there... She may have tried to PIN the folder to the start menu .. or created a shortcut and tried to PIN it... but neither will pin.. HOWEVER if you create a shortcut to the folder on your desktop (with Send To) you CAN drag it to the Start menu icon and drop it and THEN it will show up on the start menu.... like other pinned programs and shortcuts.

How interesting.

 

[BarbaraA]

Start Menu

In answer to you questions, I am simply trying to organize my start menu. I hate having a huge list to go through when some are hardly ever used. I have a number of programs I put under PC Helpers, Cookbook, sewing under home etc. I had some graphic and a cookbook programs that installed themselves differently. I started out by wanted to move two programs to the family Folder. The rest is explained in the first message.

tblount, you created a folder in both files and it works. I guess I'll do that. I hesitated because I wonder why and if we really need the dual start menu files for one user. Sorry to be a pain but no one has answered my questions directly. I know of no other way to add categories. Thanks guys

 

[tblount]

tblount, you created a folder in both files and it works. I guess I'll do that. I hesitated because I wonder why and if we really need the dual start menu files for one user. Sorry to be a pain but no one has answered my questions directly. I know of no other way to add categories. Thanks guys

It's a security issue... and a customization feature... say you have 3 users.... one is a kid that doesn't need to be messing around with accounting programs... their start menu would NOT have financial programs listed... that's why you have two start menus.

One is global... meaning that anyone on the computer has access to those programs... unless you lower their access to take out Accessories and administrator tools.

The OTHER one in the user's profile shows the programs a particular user can use ... but other users cannot use... so if you wanted to put the games in the kid's folder... you could do that and other users wouldn't have those programs cluttering up their start menu.

This offers a lot of possible combinations.. for example..

User 1 can do anything

User 2 can run any programs but can't screw around with the system settings

User 3 is an employee who only can run programs they need... and they can't look at the companies financial records or change system settings or install software

User 4 is the kid who comes to the shop after school and only plays a few games... he may even have access to install software but his menu won't offer him the option to play "what if" with the accounting program and modify sales and expense records.


That's why there has to be a way to separate the the start menu options.

Oh I forgot to add ... ROLL TIDE 8-0