Customizing Start Menu

I've recently helped a friend set up his laptop with 64-bit Vista Home Premium.
Since the Programs menu (classic start menu setup) looks like an overflowing
junk room after everything gets installed, I made it tidier by getting rid of
some shortcuts that weren't needed and organizing others in easy to manage
category folders. I was able to create all the folders I needed in ...All
Users\...\Start Menu\Programs, but a folder named "Programs" doesn't show up
among the other folders when I go to Start > Programs. Since I've never had any
problems before with a sub folder by the same name as the folder above it in
hierarchy, I'm thinking this might be a bug. When I check with Windows
Explorer, the ...All Users\...\Start Menu\Programs\Programs folder is there
along with all the shortcuts that have been put in it, but it's just not showing
up on the Start menu.

All the other folders I created such as Utilities, Graphics, Multimedia and
Internet do show in Start > Programs along with all the shortcuts I put in them.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Larc

That is an odd one.

FWIW 'ProgramsList' also "disappears" from the list here, as does
'Programs1' but not 'Programs_', nor 'Programs2'. So the exact rule at work
there isn't entirely obvious.

But I'd agree with your analysis: looks like a minor bug relating to the use
of folder names with the Classic start menu eg containing the word
'Programs'. An idiosyncracy of an imperfect operating system in an imperfect
world I suppose.

I can only suggest a slight change of folder name.

--
Jon


"Larc" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I've recently helped a friend set up his laptop with 64-bit Vista Home
> Premium.
> Since the Programs menu (classic start menu setup) looks like an
> overflowing
> junk room after everything gets installed, I made it tidier by getting rid
> of
> some shortcuts that weren't needed and organizing others in easy to manage
> category folders. I was able to create all the folders I needed in ...All
> Users\...\Start Menu\Programs, but a folder named "Programs" doesn't show
> up
> among the other folders when I go to Start > Programs. Since I've never
> had any
> problems before with a sub folder by the same name as the folder above it
> in
> hierarchy, I'm thinking this might be a bug. When I check with Windows
> Explorer, the ...All Users\...\Start Menu\Programs\Programs folder is
> there
> along with all the shortcuts that have been put in it, but it's just not
> showing
> up on the Start menu.
>
> All the other folders I created such as Utilities, Graphics, Multimedia
> and
> Internet do show in Start > Programs along with all the shortcuts I put in
> them.
>
> Any ideas what could be wrong?
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Larc

Forget this portion of the comment. These names work ok, but not
'Programs'...

> FWIW 'ProgramsList' also "disappears" from the list here, as does
> 'Programs1' but not 'Programs_', nor 'Programs2

--
Jon

On Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:15:52 -0000, "Jon" <>
wrote:

| That is an odd one.
|
| FWIW 'ProgramsList' also "disappears" from the list here, as does
| 'Programs1' but not 'Programs_', nor 'Programs2'. So the exact rule at work
| there isn't entirely obvious.
|
| But I'd agree with your analysis: looks like a minor bug relating to the use
| of folder names with the Classic start menu eg containing the word
| 'Programs'. An idiosyncracy of an imperfect operating system in an imperfect
| world I suppose.
|
| I can only suggest a slight change of folder name.

Jon, thanks for confirming it's not just me experiencing this problem.

An interesting side note, I can add a "Programs" folder that shows up in Start >
All Programs with no problem in Win7 Beta, but of course that doesn't have the
Classic start menu available... yet (some of us oldtimers are still holding onto
hope MS will relent and include it before 7 is released).

Larc

"Larc" <> wrote in message
news:...

> Jon, thanks for confirming it's not just me experiencing this problem.
>
> An interesting side note, I can add a "Programs" folder that shows up in
> Start >
> All Programs with no problem in Win7 Beta, but of course that doesn't have
> the
> Classic start menu available... yet (some of us oldtimers are still
> holding onto
> hope MS will relent and include it before 7 is released).
>
> Larc


You're welcome. That appears to be the case on Vista too (at least here) ie
the 'Programs' subfolder works fine with the 'non-Classic' start menu (but
not with the Classic one).

--
Jon