Start Menu shortcut icons not showing up

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I am encountering a problem when I go to the START button and click on it to
a program folder, where I right click on that folder to open up a grouping
of shortcuts to programs. When I place a new shortcut icon in that window
and close it, the shortcut doesn't show up in the start menu programs as I
expect, as it did in Windows 98SE.

A related problem seems to be my not being clear on the difference between
the DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS/USER folder and the DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS/JERRY
(my name) folder. The first problem seems connected in some way to the
first.

Any help as to how Windows handles these mundane tasks would be much
appreciated.

Jerry
 
Hi,

On the users folders, the first (USERS) is a template created by the pc
maker for all new user accounts. The latter is your actual user profile
(click start/run, type %userprofile% and click ok, it should open to your
folder). To have icons appear, they need to be in either:

C:\Documents and Settings\Jerry\Start menu\Programs
or
C:\Documents and Settings\AllUsers\Start menu\Programs

The latter houses shortcuts and settings that apply (can you guess?) to ALL
USER accounts.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Got it. Thanks Rick,

Jerry



Rick "Nutcase" Rogers said:
Hi,

On the users folders, the first (USERS) is a template created by the pc
maker for all new user accounts. The latter is your actual user profile
(click start/run, type %userprofile% and click ok, it should open to your
folder). To have icons appear, they need to be in either:

C:\Documents and Settings\Jerry\Start menu\Programs
or
C:\Documents and Settings\AllUsers\Start menu\Programs

The latter houses shortcuts and settings that apply (can you guess?) to
ALL USER accounts.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
Click to expand...
 
Hey Rick,

I checked and my icons of shortcuts are neither in C:\Documents and
Settings\Jerry\Start menu\Programs nor are they in C:\Documents and
Settings\AllUsers\Start menu\Programs.

Instead they are in C:\Documents and Settings\Users\Programs. But they work
now correctly. Am I missing something??

Jerry
 
C:\Documents and Settings\Users
The Users folder is not a default XP folder. It must have been created by
you or whoever you purchased your machine from. That probably means that
their is a Users account on your machine also.

Default Local Disk Folders

Folder Name: Documents and Settings
Contents: Account information for each user who is granted access on the
computer. Each user account is represented by a subfolder assigned the
user name. Folders under each user account folder include My Documents,
Desktop, and Start Menu.

These include:

Documents and Settings\Administrator
Documents and Settings\All Users
Documents and Settings\Default User
Documents and Settings\LocalService
Documents and Settings\NetworkService
Documents and Settings\You

Some of the above are Hidden folders.

Administrator is for the Administrator account.

All Users is used for many things. Your Desktop and Start Menu, for
example, display what is in All Users *and* what is in your Desktop and
Start Menu folders.

Default User is used when creating new accounts.

I am not really sure what LocalService & NetworkService are for, but...

LocalService is the NT Authority\Local Service user account, the Windows XP
System account.

Obviously, NetworkService has something to do with networks, the
NetworkService account.

The LocalService and NetworkService accounts perform things like synchronize
the time, etc.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
That is probably what happened. But when I try to move all the contents of
the USER folder into JERRY folder, I cannot delete the USER folder as
Windows tells me it is a system folder. I think the dealer I bought the
computer from must have created this folder, can I delete it and re-organize
my folders to reflect who is actually using the computer?

Thanks!!

Jerry
 
Hello Wesley,

There are the following folders in the "Documents & Settings" Folders:

1. Administrator
2. All Users
3. Default User (hidden)
4. Jerry
5. User

I am assuming it won't cause problems if I delete the User folder (if
possible)

I would like it so that Windows XP sees that I am the only user.

Thanks,

Jerry
 
One more thing Wesley,

Though there is a folder called USER in the documents and settings folder,
when I go to the control panel-User Accounts, the only accounts are Jerry
and Guest. There is no "user". What's up with that???

Jerry
 
Hi,

If they work now, then you are logged in as "User" and not as "Jerry". Copy
them from there to the AllUsers folder hierarchy and it won't matter which
profile you are using.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
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