Blank All Programs on Start menu in Windows 7

Hi All!

I am using windows 7 & getting a strange error with it. the error is that when i click on programs in start menu it shows blank. I have many programs installed & was working fine till yesterday. My search works perfectly & show recent programs.

Please Help..!

It is the issue with registry for an upgrade.

Try making a new user and hope it may appears in that, also if that doesn't work try opening elevated command prompt and type sfc /scan now and hit enter to see if it finds any corrupt system files, failing that you could try a repair install.

OR

Just thought of a way you may be able to preserve your original account, try copying the AppData folder from the new account and merge it with the old account and replace all the files and settings with the working account, hopefully that will fix whatever issue is causing the problem.

Follow the following Step may help you....

1. Login as Administrator (or equivalent) and execute this command from Start, Run dialog:
   
   regsvr32 /i shell32.dll
   
   
2. Restart Windows. If that does not help, inspect and fix the the Shell Folder data for Start Menu, Programs, Common Start Menu and Common Programs.
   
   NOTE: Backup the Registry before modifying it. See this page for more information on backing up the registry keys.
   
   
3. Typing REGEDIT.EXE in the Start, Run dialog. Fix the data for these four registry values: (The defaults can be taken from the UserShellFolders page.)
   
   Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE >> Common Start Menu >> Common Programs
   
   
4. Under HKEY_CURRENT_USER >> Start Menu >> Programs
   
   
5. If Common Programs value is not available in the right-pane, create a new REG_EXPAND_SZ value named Common Programs and assign the data as said above. Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

To restore the icon in the All Programs of Start Menu follow the following step :

Ctr + Alt + Delete // File – New Task (run…) // explorer.exe // OK
This will show your desktop icons but not solve the problem
To solve it just do this steps

1. copy "explorer.exe" from other clean computer (from C:\WINDOWS)
   
   
2. in your computer go to C:\WINDOWS
   
   
3. show hidden files from (Tools - Folder Options - View - Show hidden files and folders)
   
   
4. delete explorer.exe and any other files start with explorer...
   
   
5. put the new file (explorer.exe)
   
   
6. log off or restart
   
   
7. log on

The problem is solved Enjoy..!

In Windows 7, there may be occasional error where user cannot drag and drop an application program to Windows Taskbar (Superbar) and Start Menu anymore, with the icon shows a red cross when user attempts to place it on Taskbar or Start Menu. When right click on a program icon or shortcut, the “Pin to Taskbar” and “Pin to Start Menu” context menu is missing and not showing too.

Other symptom that may affect users facing these errors in Windows 7 including no Jump List been popped up when right clicking on icons in Taskbar.

The cause of the problem is because users have made the shortcut in Windows 7 to be ‘not a shortcut’ by removing the shortcut arrow on icons (including desktop icons) by removing IsShortcut registry key.

Thus, to fix the issue that application programs unable to pin to Taskbar and Start Menu, just re-add the IsShortcut registry key back to .lnk (and other extensions if applicable) shortcut to reset and restore back original state.

For user who insists on removing the shortcut arrow, the proper way to remove shortcut arrow yet still allowing pin to Taskbar.

I have a similar problem. Certain shortcuts to programs do not have the "Pin To Taskbar" option when right clicking or shift-right clicking. I have the IsShortcut reg entries, I've tried all these options and still no dice. I upgraded from Vista x64 to Win 7 RC 7100. My shortcuts have the arrow.

This post helped explain the issue in a little more detail and helped me resolve it. Seems to be a bug when you have more than ~70 shortcuts to programs.

Hope that helps!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Macarenas

Follow the following Step may help you....

1. Login as Administrator (or equivalent) and execute this command from Start, Run dialog:
   
   regsvr32 /i shell32.dll
   
   
2. Restart Windows. If that does not help, inspect and fix the the Shell Folder data for Start Menu, Programs, Common Start Menu and Common Programs.
   
   NOTE: Backup the Registry before modifying it. See this page for more information on backing up the registry keys.
   
   
3. Typing REGEDIT.EXE in the Start, Run dialog. Fix the data for these four registry values: (The defaults can be taken from the UserShellFolders page.)
   
   Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE >> Common Start Menu >> Common Programs
   
   
4. Under HKEY_CURRENT_USER >> Start Menu >> Programs
   
   
5. If Common Programs value is not available in the right-pane, create a new REG_EXPAND_SZ value named Common Programs and assign the data as said above. Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

---

None of the values mentioned are in my registry.
Where can I find the "UserShellFolder page?

Yes ,, Well I suffer from the above too start menu dissapered after upgrade from vista so after tryin a few things i googgled for a suggestion and came across this forum point one shouldnt the obvious ppl be sortin it ?we had updates but nothing that "matters" speakin as the general public would
anyway back to tryin a few more things i am not a forum person really ....bbs