Start Menu - Restore Missing Default Shortcuts

How to Restore Missing Default Start Menu Shortcuts in Vista​

   Information

This will provide you with separate downloads that include all of the All Programs default shortcuts in the Start menu for each edition of Vista so you can either restore all of the shortcuts or just the ones you need.

   Note

A Start Menu shortcuts download for the Vista Enterprise edition is not included in this tutorial. You can use the download for Ultimate in it's place.

EXAMPLE: Start menu All Programs for Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate
NOTE: To compare and see the features in each edition of Vista, see: Windows Vista Editions Overview and The Vista Editions Comparison Table

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STEP ONE

To Restore Default Start Menu Shortcuts used by Current User Only

NOTE: All 32 bit and 64 bit editions of Vista have these same single current user default Start menu shortcuts. You will also need to download the All Users Default Shortcuts for your edition of Vista in STEP TWO below.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below.​

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Single_User_Shortcuts.zip​

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2. Save the Single_User_Shortcuts.zip file to the desktop.​

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3. Right click on the Single_User_Shortcuts.zip file (on desktop) and click on Open.​

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4. Click on Allow in the UAC prompt.​

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5. Extract the Single_User_Shortcuts folder to the desktop.​

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6. Right click on the Start button and click on Open or Explore, not Open/Explore All Users. (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: This will open this hidden Start Menu folder in Windows Explorer:​

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C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu​

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7. To Restore All Default Single User Start Menu Shortcuts ​

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A) Open the Single_User_Shortcuts folder (on desktop) and right click on the Programs folder and click on Copy.​

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B) Right click on a empty space in the Windows Explore window and click on Paste. (See screenshot above)​

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C) Click on Yes and Copy and Replace to confirm the copying of the default shortcuts and desktop.ini files.​

8. To Restore Just the Single User Shortcuts You Want​

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A) Open the Single_User_Shortcuts folder (on desktop) and manually copy the shortcuts you want over to the Start menu location in the Programs folder in the Windows Explorer window location above. (See screenshot below step 6)​

STEP TWO

To Restore Default Start Menu Shortcuts Shared by All Users

NOTE: You will just need to select the download for your edition of Vista. You will also need to do STEP ONE above to restore the Single User default Start Menu shortcuts.

1. For Vista 32 bit or 64 bit Home Basic​

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A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.​

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All_Users_Home_Basic.zip​

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B) Go to step 5.​

2. For Vista 32 bit or 64 bit Home Premium ​

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A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.​

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All_Users_Home_Premium.zip​

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B) Go to step 5.​

3. For Vista 32 bit or 64 bit Business ​

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A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.​

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All_Users_Business.zip​

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B) Go to step 5.​

4. For Vista 32 bit or 64 bit Ultimate​

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A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.​

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All_Users_Ultimate.zip​

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5. Save the ZIP file to the desktop.​

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6. Right click on the ZIP file (on desktop) and click on Open.​

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7. Click on Allow in the UAC prompt.​

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8. Extract the All_Users_(Vista Edition) folder to the desktop.​

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9. Right click on the Start button and click on Open All Users or Explore All Users, not Open/Explore. (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: This will open this hidden Start Menu folder in Windows Explorer:​

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C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu​

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10. To Restore All Default All Users Start Menu Shortcuts​

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A) Open the All_Users_(Vista Edition) folder (on desktop) and highlight the Programs folder, Default Programs shortcut, and Windows Update shortcut, then right click on them and click on Copy.​

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B) Right click on a empty space in the Windows Explore window and click on Paste. (See screenshot above)​

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C) Click on Yes and Copy and Replace to confirm the copying of the default shortcuts and desktop.ini files.​

11. To Restore Just the All Users Shortcuts You Want ​

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A) Open the All_Users_(Vista Edition) folder (on desktop) and manually copy the shortcuts you want over to the Start menu location in the Programs folder in the Windows Explorer window location above. (See screenshot below step 9)​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Customize the Start Menu in Vista
• How to Display Small or Large Icons in the Vista Start Menu
• How to Enable or Disable the All Programs List in the Vista Start Menu
• How to Restore the Start Menu Search Button after Installing the Vista SP1
• How to Enable or Disable the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties Window in Vista
• How to Add or Delete a Shortcut or Folder From the Start Menu in Vista
• How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista
• How to Restore the Administrative Tools Shortcuts in Vista
• How to Fix the Games Explorer Link in the Vista Start Menu
• Game Shortcut Links in Games Explorer Do Not Work

 

[gizmo_workshop]

Thankx for this i installed My Care on my system, and next day no start menu.
Only one user account on pc, would not even create a new account showing full menu..
so hence this
needless to say no more my care for me..

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Gizmo_Workshop, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[brenda_koh_91]

err, sorry but i don't understand how to do step 7..

i tried opening the "Music" on the start menu but it won't show up. the general tab is blank too. aarggghh..

 

[Brink]

Hello Brenda, and welcome to Vista Forums.

If the Music folder is missing, then double check in Option Two of the tutorial below to make sure that the Music (My Music in registry) folder as the default location %USERPROFILE%\Music set for it in the registry. This should restore the Music folder you. Afterwards, the properties window should be back to normal to.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/148461-personal-user-folder-restore-missing-folder.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[brenda_koh_91]

thank you thank you thank you.. hahahahaha.. now it's back to normal.. hopefully no such problems arise anymore.. wasted my whole day to find the solution to this thing.. hahahaha..

thanks again!

brenda

 

[Brink]

Your welcome Brenda. I'm happy to hear that it is sorted for you now.

Shawn

 

[gnaggwatschn]

hello and thank you for helping me!

actually i have another problem with my start menu entries after restoring them. the new old default entries show a message when i double-click them and ask if i'm sure that i want to open this file. actually that's quite annoying.
i'd be very thankful if somebody could help me with that problem!

 

[Brink]

Hello Gnaggwatschn, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Some programs, the ones with the shield on their icon, will require you to click Continue or Allow in the UAC prompt if they need elevation permision before running though. The only safe way to stop that is to elevate your Administrator account.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/80938-user-account-control-uac-elevate-privilege-level.html


For the others, right click on the shortcut and click on Properties. If you see a Unblock button under the General tab, then click on it to remove that message.

If not, then take ownership of the shortcuts to see if that can stop the message.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67717-take-ownership-file.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Martin S]

Hello Brink,

I have three missing shortcuts on the start/all programs list. I think they disappeared after I foolishly tried to access the temporary internet files folder by changing permissions (but I don't see how). I've tried your solution but it didn't put back the missing items. I can see them in the start menu/programs folder but don't know how to pin them back to the start menu.

Any clues?

Martin

 

[Brink]

Hello Martin, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You should be able to right click on the shortcut and click on Pin to Start Menu to.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/79565-start-menu-pin.html

and

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/98613-start-menu-pin-folder.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Martin S]

Thanks for the reply Shawn, I'll give it a try.

I've just had my PC repaired, which involved a new motherboard, hard drive and re-install of Vista. The original configuration has therefore been changed. Is there a tutorial which will guide me (a technodork) through reinstalling Vista from my OEM disc? I can't see much on the disc itself.


Update on the folder pinning - it didn't work for me. I'm running 32 bit Vista if that makes a difference.

I'm leaning more to the reinstall.

Martin

 

[Brink]

Martin,

What model and brand is your computer? Is it a OEM Recovery disk that you have?

 

[Martin S]

Hello Shawn,

My PC is made by Evesham Techologies, a (now defunct) UK company. The model is an Oxygen 100. I don't think it is a recovery disk - just a copy of 32 bit Vista.

I tried to restore my PC to undo whatever I had done - none of the 4 restore points created since it was repaired worked.

I am obviously getting less observant with age. The folder pinning did work but it added them to the "first page" of the start menu rather than the "all programs" page.

 

[Brink]

I'm sorry Martin. I thought you wanted to add them to the 1st page (Pin area) of the Start Menu.

Option Two in this tutorial below will show you how to add shortcuts to the All Programs area of the Start Menu.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/79571-start-menu-shortcuts.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Martin S]

Sorry Shawn,

I'm taking up your time. Since I ran the first lot of pinning scripts I notice I have lots of "desktop - Notepad" files in each start/programs folder, described as configuration settings. When I start my PC, 2 duplicates open automatically with the following -

[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21787

Is there a way I can get rid of them?

RSVP

Martin

 

[Brink]

Martin,

If these shortcuts to these "desktop - Notepad" files are in the Start Menu's Startup folder, then you can just right click on them in the Start Menu and click on Delete to get rid of them.

 

[Martin S]

Shawn,

There is one on the start/all programs list (mail/media player/internet explorer. The others are in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs - Admin/Extras/Maint/Startup folders. The one in startup is the one that pops up when I boot the PC.

Is it safe to delete them all?

Martin

 

[Brink]

Since you do not want it, then yes it will be safe.

 

[xclydes]

I swear... this is a life save... THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH.
i saw a folder in my start menu name "Programs" which basically contained a duplicate start menu. I found that to be rather annoying so i deleted it, wen i restarted i had an empty start menu.
So after searching for a way to fix it i found this. saved me a lot of time and headache, <spent two days tryin to "undelete" the programs folder, no luck with that>.
THANKS AND Kudos.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome xclydes, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn