Start Menu -- "All Programs"

[hexagram]

All of a sudden, not all my programs show up in "All Programs". Only a short
list shows up. I used to get ALL my programs in that list. How can I get
back to the full list? Thanks.

 

[Elmo]

All of a sudden, not all my programs show up in "All Programs". Only a short
list shows up. I used to get ALL my programs in that list. How can I get
back to the full list? Thanks.

Maybe one of these:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Line 309. Restore Accessories - Start Menu/All Prog
Line 403. Restore All Users - All Programs

 

[Jose]

Maybe one of these:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Line 309. Restore Accessories - Start Menu/All Prog
Line 403. Restore All Users - All Programs

Are you using the XP Start menu or Classic Start menu?

 

[Magsmom]

All of a sudden, not all my programs show up in "All Programs". Only a short
list shows up. I used to get ALL my programs in that list. How can I get
back to the full list? Thanks.

Your description of the problem is not too detailed, so I may be reading the
problem wrong. You may have somehow gotten your Start Menu options changed.
Go to Contol Panel> Taskbar and Start Menu >. There are two types of Start
menus you can choose from and further customizations are possible on each
option.

If that is not the problem, your "Programs" folder in your Start Menu may
have gotten lost, deleted, misplaced or something. Go to your Explorer
window and look under your user ID> for the folder named "Start Menu" and see
if the folder for your programs is in the Start Menu folder.

 

[Magsmom]

Thanks Jose: My duh! I forgot about changing the Start Menu from SP to
Classic because I had been using it that way for so long and whatever caused
the change happened at the same time that a bunch of other stuff happened, so
my mind was going in 10 different directions. Anyway, I have resolved the
"Start Menu" problem, but still have a problem with some things missing from
the programs listing. For example: My entire folder of Microsoft Games is
gone from the programs list, and as far as I can tell the actual program
files for those games are gone as well, EXCEPT for Freecell. I was able to
find it in the Microsoft program files and I created a new shortcut in my
Start Programs.

I did the Restore Accessories shortcut folder in my Start menu programs
file, and the shortcut for "Calculator" is there, but it cannot find the
program and neither can I. There is just a bunch of strange stuff going on
with this computer and now that I think about it, it has been going on since
Halloween. I think a ghost or goblin has paid me a visit, but nothing shows
up in any of my virus, spyware or malware scans.
What does the "line 403: Restore all users - all programs do? I'd like to
know before I run it.

 

[C]

Thanks Jose: My duh! I forgot about changing the Start Menu from SP to
Classic because I had been using it that way for so long and whatever caused
the change happened at the same time that a bunch of other stuff happened, so
my mind was going in 10 different directions. Anyway, I have resolved the
"Start Menu" problem, but still have a problem with some things missing from
the programs listing. For example: My entire folder of Microsoft Games is
gone from the programs list, and as far as I can tell the actual program
files for those games are gone as well, EXCEPT for Freecell. I was able to
find it in the Microsoft program files and I created a new shortcut in my
Start Programs.

Your computer is compromised and probably a part of a net bot. Back up
your data and reinstall Windows. It will be much quicker than trying to
track down any malware and a much surer way to make sure no malware is
no longer on your machine.

C

 

[Jose]

Thanks Jose:  My duh!  I forgot about changing the Start Menu from SPto
Classic because I had been using it that way for so long and whatever caused
the change happened at the same time that a bunch of other stuff happened, so
my mind was going in 10 different directions.  Anyway, I have resolved the
"Start Menu" problem, but still have a problem with some things missing from
the programs listing.  For example:  My entire folder of Microsoft Games is
gone from the programs list,  and as far as I can tell the actual program
files for those games are gone as well, EXCEPT for Freecell.  I was able to
find it in the Microsoft program files and I created a new shortcut in my
Start Programs.

I did the Restore Accessories shortcut folder in my Start menu programs
file, and the shortcut for "Calculator" is there, but it cannot find the
program and neither can I.  There is just a bunch of strange stuff going on
with this computer and now that I think about it, it has been going on since
Halloween.  I think a ghost or goblin has paid me a visit, but nothing shows
up in any of my virus, spyware or malware scans.
What does the "line 403: Restore all users - all programs do?  I'd liketo
know before I run it.

Let' minimize malicious software infections first:

Perform some scans for malicious software first, then fix any
remaining issues:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware
detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

If the Games folder is missing, see if Windows Games are installed by
clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel Add or Remove Programs, Add/
Remove Windows Components.

In the Components list, Games are under Accessories and Utilities
(click the Details button). Is Games checked? If not, Windows thinks
it is uninstalled, so check Games and install them, then see if things
look better.

If the Games are installed and the Folder and shortcuts are just
missing, they are not hard to put back manually. If the Games folder
and the executables are missing, you can just reinstall Games.

If you have a Calc icon selection in Accessories, right click and
choose properties. The Shortcut path is usually:

%SystemRoot%\System32\calc.exe

Search your computer for calc.exe and find it and adjust the
properties. If it is someplace other than system32, that would be
suspicious.

Freecell is in the system 32 folder as freecell.exe, Solitaire is in
system32 as sol.exe, etc. See if the files are missing or the
shortcuts are missing. Based on your report, we can decide what to do
next. Reinstalling Games is easy.

Do you have an Accessories folder under Start, Programs? There is
supposed to be a lot more behind Accessories than Calculator (other
Folders and Shortcuts) so maybe that didn't quite work out, eh?.

I don't have any idea what line 403 is supposed to do (I can see what
it does) and would not try an offering that is preceded by words like
maybe, might work, try, could be, probably and especially things that
do not come with instructions or explanation.

Reinstalling Windows and all you applications is always an option, but
it is also an admission of defeat.

I would to do the scans first, then fix what is left.

 

[C]

Reinstalling Windows and all you applications is always an option, but
it is also an admission of defeat.

I would to do the scans first, then fix what is left.

Reinstalling Windows would probably be quicker with no chance of any
malware surviving the scans. You'd be "defeated" but malware and file
system corruption free which would be a win to me.

C

 

[Magsmom]

Thanks for your help. It took awhile, but I finally got everything going
smoothly "without" having to reinstall XP. My scans did not turn up any
viruses, malware or spyware. I used my Add Components wizard to reinstall my
games, calculator and system tools and then went in and did a good cleanup
using my Norton 360 utilities as well as my XP system tools.