Unable to pin stuff to taskbar/start menu

eax · Dec 21, 2009

Hi there

I installed Windows 7 on my Laptop today.
I have noticed that I am unable to pin anything to the start menu or the taskbar. Also the start menu is "nearly" blank. I have a attached a screenshot so show what I mean.

Can someone please help?

Thanks in advance and merry christmas

TimStitt · Dec 21, 2009

Hi Eax,

If the 'pin to taskbar' menu choice is missing.
Try holding down shift when you right click on the icon that you wish to add to the start-bar. Is the option there now?

PS: I had to laugh when I saw what you called your attached picture.

eax · Dec 21, 2009

Hi TimStitt

Thanks for the fast answer

Sorry, don't think I explained it well enough.
The menu choice is there and everything, but clicking it doesn't work :s I cannot drag an item to the taskbar :S

Thanks

PS: Hihi, I'm glad to hear that ^_^ I am a little tired of having a nearly blank start menu

TimStitt · Dec 21, 2009

Ah ok... What are you trying to pin? not everything will pin (I guess you tried more than one thing

).

This is a tricky one, have a look at the group policy msc (gpedit.msc) and make sure it is not disabled.

TimStitt · Dec 21, 2009

Brink (administrator and Tutorial Wizard) has created a reg patch to reset the Pin to Start Menu Area. I haven't had a good look at it; but if it's like the rest of his work, it will be educational if not 'a fix'.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/899-start-menu-reset-pin-area.html

eax · Dec 21, 2009

TimStitt:
Okay, I'm trying the Reg patch

It wasn't disapled no :S
I have tried several different things. Mostly I'd like Chrome to work (I know this works because I've done it on my other machine which also has Windows 7)

eax · Dec 21, 2009

And neither of the two solutions that Brink has posted worked either. This is what I have in
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartPage":
(It seems _REALLY_ empty??)

TimStitt · Dec 21, 2009

Attached is mine for comparison. Not much difference really.

Note: I will different apps installed; but you may be able to edit it to suit your needs.

Chrome should work (mine does), the only things that you can't pin to the start/taskbar are programs that start with Documentation;Help;Install;More Info;Readme;Read me;Read First;Setup;Support;What's New;Remove.
as seen here
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileAssociation\AddRemoveNames

I'll have a think about what else you could try. hmm.

TimStitt · Dec 21, 2009

Some other thoughts:
- Have you removed the shortcut arrow? According to My Digital Life this can be a cause. Attached is my shortcut info from the registry.
- The programs that you are trying to add, they are not on a mapped or removable drive are they?
- Does it work if you drag the *.exe or shortcut onto the taskbar?

eax · Dec 22, 2009

Hey

Your registry wouldn't add to mine with the error "Error accessing the registry" :S

Also, adding the .exe doesn't work either

eax · Dec 22, 2009

Just an update: Problem still existing :/
Disabling Aero hasn't proven fruitful nor has resetting the theme. Anyone got any ideas?

Brink · Dec 22, 2009

Hello Eax, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Do you have Recent Items and Recent Programs turned on?

Hope this helps,
Shawn

eax · Dec 22, 2009

Hi Brink

Yeah both of them are turned on, I tried resetting everything in "Customization"

TimStitt · Dec 22, 2009

Hey maybe your permissions are not right on the registry, I wonder what else you can't acecss?

See attached pic how to edit your permissions in the registry.
Mine has ALLOW for myself, administrators and system. + READ ONLY for RESTRICTED.

It may also be worthwhile to do a SFC /SCANNOW from an elevated command prompt to make sure that all of your windows protected files are intact.

eax · Dec 22, 2009

How should the permissions be in the registry to be "right"?

I'm running SFC /SCANNOW currently

TimStitt · Dec 22, 2009

eax said:
How should the permissions be in the registry to be "right"?

I'm running SFC /SCANNOW currently

The same as mine

FULL CONTROL + READ (nothing in Special permissions)
yourself
administrators
system

READ ONLY
restricted

eax · Dec 22, 2009

Hmm okay.. I don't have the "StartPage" entry in the Registry Explorer though :S
Here's an image of the permissions of just the Explorer "folder":

eax · Dec 22, 2009

Here's the log from: SFC /SCANNOW

TimStitt · Dec 22, 2009

SFC
Hmm, it repaired a lot, but had some errors. Where there any messages on the screen after it completed?
If you want to repair the other errors, you can run it again, but purge the cache fist to delete the corrupted backups that show in the log.
1. RUN CMD as administrator
2. SFC /PURGECACH
3. SFC /SCANNOW
OR There are some tuturials on this page about vista that you could try cbs.log

I'd focus on the registry for now though.
Registry
Go one step back on the tree and alter the permissions, as long as yourself, administrators and system have access and there are no deny's it's all good.
Then try the reg patch.

Good Luck.

TimStitt · Dec 22, 2009

The thing I can't work out is that I have soooo much more information under explorer. I'm wondering if this has to do with the 64bit OS that I have (but it doesn't really make sense to me).

If anyone else is reading this, can you comment on your registry settings for explorer?

EDIT: Maybe because mine is ultimate edition... hmm.

Unable to pin stuff to taskbar/start menu

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