All Programs Empty!

[Stv]

I have clicked on "Start" and "All Programs" this morning but nothing
is displayed. If I switch to the "classic view" and click on "start"
and then "programs", it just displays "(Empty)". However, if I right
click on the "Start" button and go to "open" it fires up the correct
explorer window which points to the folder "C:\Documents and
Settings\<username>\Start Menu" and then I can double click on the
"programs" folder and all my programs are displayed. I cannot see any
problems with regards to the registry in the following entries, it all
appears to point to the correct locations:

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellFolders"

or

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserShellFolders"

Any ideas?

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have clicked on "Start" and "All Programs" this morning but nothing
is displayed. If I switch to the "classic view" and click on "start"
and then "programs", it just displays "(Empty)". However, if I right
click on the "Start" button and go to "open" it fires up the correct
explorer window which points to the folder "C:\Documents and
Settings\<username>\Start Menu" and then I can double click on the
"programs" folder and all my programs are displayed.

This sounds to be a case for using System restore to go back to a
restore point made a day or so back.

Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore

And then running an up to date virus scan.

 

[Stv]

Thanks Alex but I can't restore to back before the problem occured as
it only gives me the option to go back about a week! I've run anti
virus and spyware checks and all appears ok. Any other suggestions
would be much appreciated.

 

[Stv]

Thanks Alex but I can't restore to back before the problem occured as
it only gives me the option to go back about a week! I've run anti
virus and spyware checks and all appears ok. Any other suggestions
would be much appreciated.

 

[Kelly]

Do some reading here and good luck: http://tinyurl.com/3gct6

 

[Stv]

Thanks Kelly, but I've trawled through all of these postings and have
yet to find a resoloution for the problem! There are many recommended
solutions (or variants of the same one's!) and I have tried all those
suggested, but to no avail. Therefore back to the old tried and
trusted PC rebuild I feel.