Start Menu Question(s)

I've senwe that thread before.

I don't understand what you mean by junction points.

James, junction points are essentially shortcuts that lead to another folder/directory.  You can think of  them as shortcuts if you like (although technically they are not the same thing).  The terms junction points & symbolic links are used interchangeably sometimes.

In the thread you pionted out, I only seen 2 items :

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Are these 2 folders junction points?

James

 

I suggest you read that thread once more.  The answer given by Steve Winograd is very helpful and tells you everything you need to know.  Also read in Steve's post the link that he provided for symbolic links.  I will quote it here because you obviously did not read the entire thread.

Quote by  Steve Winograd: MVP & Moderator

The 3rd one is the actual folder that contains programs that apply to all users who use the computer.

C:\Users\All Users  isn't an actual folder.  It's a symbolic link that points to C:\ProgramData . Because of that, the 2nd one and the 3rd one are identical.  You can demonstrate that by deleting or renaming a file in one of them.  The same change happens in the other one, because they're the same actual folder.

end quote.

This question about what junction points (symbolic links) are has been explained over & over. We've had so many people ask about this same subject.  A quick search on the forum using the search feature turn up this result.

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Search/en-US?query=find%20location%20of%20junction%20points&ac=3

I would advise to you read some of those threads for a better understanding.

did you try drag and drop to organize the menus.

mikeyshd

"JamesJoey" wrote in message

news:*** Email address is removed for privacy ***...

I'm making an attempt to make sense of the Windows 7 Start Menu. I couldn't

make sense of it with Vista either, particularly the All Programs area.

But I have found that there are 2 places that contain the items that get

displayed in All Programs:

1. C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
2. C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

1 has the All Programs items for all users and the other has the items of

the current logged on user.

In my case I am the only user and the only person who has an account on this

computer so there is only one

C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu. Is this

correct?

I thought then that I would try to work directly with

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu to try to organize All Programs.

But I found an inconsistency. In my All Programs I have 5 shortcuts. I'm not

speaking of folders. These shortcuts I created myself in a couple different

manners. In creating 2 of the shortcuts (not sure which ones) I right

clicked All Programs and Open All Users and right clicked the right pane and

selected new shortcut. I then browsed to the file.

The other 3 shortcuts I used the search box and the shorcut appeared and I

then dragged and dropped it to All Programs.

All five items appear in the All Programs. But, when I navigate to the 2

different Start Menus they reflect different items. Can't recall which ones

where, when, or how but one place only showed 2 items and the other showed

the other 3.

My guess is that depending on how the current user creates shortcuts in the

All Programs has an effect on where Windows decides to place the items????

If so why?

James

The only thread(s) I notice is the link to

'The New Start Menu is a mystery to me' post.

Sorry, but I've read that one 4 times.

I'll just leave the 2 shortcuts to the Start Menu Folders on my desktop and work with them. It's the first time I was able to make ant sense

of the Start Menu. The longer I reply to this thread the more confused I get.

every program I have installed asked where you want to install it.

you have to pay attention,m look and read the data provided and not just

click through it.

trying to manipulate the start menu by playing with the file/folders

directly is not the correct way to go about it.

mikeyshd

"JamesJoey" wrote in message

news:*** Email address is removed for privacy ***...

Not in every case. I believe that when I would drag and drop to the all

programs Windows or when I manipulate items directly in All Programs Windows

puts the item(s) in:

C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

When I opened All Users and created the shortcut)(s) Windows put the

shortcut(s) in: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Am I correct so far or am I missing something?

Now I went into Explorer and dragged and dropped all folders and shortcuts

from All Users to:

C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu-which is my

start menu. Now all items I see in the start menu are in the my start menu.

I just need to watch to see where program I install put there folder and

folder items.

Does anyone understand what I'm trying to convey? I don't

James

Not in every case. I believe that when I would drag and drop to the all programs Windows or when I manipulate items directly in All Programs Windows puts the item(s) in: C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

When I opened All Users and created the shortcut)(s) Windows put the shortcut(s) in: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Am I correct so far or am I missing something?

Now I went into Explorer and dragged and dropped all folders and shortcuts from All Users to: C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu-which is my start menu. Now all items I see in the start menu are in the my start menu.

I just need to watch to see where program I install put there folder and folder items.

Does anyone understand what I'm trying to convey? I don't

James