Anybody found a way to get into All Programs menu?
I've added a couple of programs that require only creating folders and copying the program files into them. But I can't seem to find any way of adding shortcuts to the All Programs list in the Start Menu. All the likely folders where the shortcuts could be based won't let me in. Has anybody found exactly where this list is based and how to add shortcuts?
February 10th, 2009 5:42pm

ok i think what your looking for is *deep breath* Here.C:\users\$username$\AppData(hidden Folder)\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.
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February 10th, 2009 6:00pm

Thanks for that. I also just found another folder that seems to have most of the shortcuts. It's Users\All Users\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.
February 10th, 2009 6:23pm

Alternatively, click the Windows Orb (Start) type Shell:Common Programs (note the space), press Enterand add your entries. This will allow all users to access the new programs. EDIT. Whoops, I'm too slow, you've already found it.
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February 10th, 2009 6:34pm

Thanks, but that as the other locations won't permit the creation of new named folders. I can get as far as creating a folder called "New Folder," but that's it. The name can't be changed. A message pops up saying the folder is in use. It's not, of course, because it can be deleted.
February 10th, 2009 6:51pm

Have you tried creating the folder elsewhere and dragging it to the Start menu?
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February 10th, 2009 7:24pm

It won't let me drag sub folders from another folder. It lies that they are in use even if they are empty. But I'll try creating folders on the desktop and see if I can drag them in from there.
February 11th, 2009 7:30am

Nope! I've tried it every way I can think of and it's still no go. I thought it might be a permissions problem, but it's not. This is either a bug or, if not, a totally unacceptable restraint.
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February 11th, 2009 8:00am

@larc919 This is what you will have to do. First, enable the actual administrator account by opening up a command prompt as administrator and type net user administrator /active:yes. Do not close this command prompt yet. Dont log off, but do a switch user and log on using the now enabled Administrator account. Once there, click on the Start orb, right-click on All Programs, and select Open All Users. That will bring you to the folder C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu. Since you are now logged on as the actual, local Administrator, you can create any folders and shortcuts as required. When you are finished, log off and go back into your normal account. Go back into the command prompt that you used to enable the local Administrator account and type net user administrator /active:no.
February 11th, 2009 8:45am

Thanks very much, Darien, but I seem to have solved the problem in a totally unexpected way. I had been using Windows Explorer to try and make the changes, which I assumed would be the best place to do it. But I couldn't get it to work. I had installed an older program, PowerDesk Pro 6, that has been my main file manager for several years now. I was tinkering with that and set it to XP SP2 compatibility to see if that would affect how it runs. I then tried to create a folder in the All Users start menu and it WORKED! Even more, I am now able to move folders and shortcuts around at will as long as I do it from within PowerDesk. It still won't work with Windows ExplorerSo one big objection I had to Win7 has been overcome: I can set up the All Programs area of the Start Menu exactly the way I want it. That even includes moving folders and shortcuts from my named start menu to the All Users menu where I prefer them to be. Who would have thought a program about five years old would have enabled all that?Thanks again for your suggestion, but I'm a happy camper now. :)
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February 11th, 2009 9:31am

Hi,You cannot make those changes because the UAC is still active even though you set it to "Never Notify", thus using "net use administrator /active:yes" works. If you want a full control you have to disable the UAC through the registry, I have already posted a reply about disabling the UAC on WIN7 forum, but I'll do it again:1: open regedit2: gotoHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System3: locate DWORDEnableLUA and set it to "0"4: you will be prompted to restart the computer, do it.Good luck
February 11th, 2009 4:37pm

ORGo to Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > User Accounts > Change UAC settings and move the slider to the bottom and restart the computer.
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February 11th, 2009 4:46pm

Mike_GE said: You cannot make those changes because the UAC is still active even though you set it to "Never Notify", thus using "net use administrator /active:yes" works. If you want a full control you have to disable the UAC through the registry, I have already posted a reply about disabling the UAC on WIN7 forum, but I'll do it again:1: open regedit2: gotoHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System3: locate DWORDEnableLUA and set it to "0"4: you will be prompted to restart the computer, do it.Thanks for that, Mike. That setting was already "0" when I checked it. Pulling the slider to the bottom of the UAC control earlier must have communicated the change to the Registry. As I mentioned in a post last night, it's all sorted out now anyway. :)
February 11th, 2009 11:57pm

Hate to have to revisit this again but I have followed all the instructions above and still can't make modifications to an "all users" Start Menu or Desktop. "Junctions" not withstanding, there must be some sort of actual folder associated with these functions. I'm probably missing something simple, so please forgive me. Thanks in advance.Dean
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October 23rd, 2009 7:10pm

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