Windows 7: Start-menu association etc...

I have some frustrating problems with the Start-menu in Win 7. When I install some software the shortcuts keep appearing in sometimes the shared and sometimes the user start-menu. I wonder if there is any way in just having a shared start-menu and get rid of the user start-menu somehow. I guess there are some settings in the regedit I can change but I dont know where.

I found several "Shell folder" settings but I dont know which is connected to my current start-menu. Maybe there is a simpler editor that I can use instead of going through the regedit?

I use to open the start-menu programs folder by double-click on "programs" in the start-menu. But sometimes it brings me to the user or if it is shared start-menu folder and it contains only one shortcut while the start-menu has several.... Very annoying.

Hello getaman,

Some programs will give you an option to "Install for all users" during installation that will place a shortcut of the program in all users Start Menu.

There is two Start Menu folders. One the is for the specific user, and one that's shared by all users. The shortcuts from both folders show in the same Start Menu.

If you like, you could user OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to add or remove shortcut for all users, and use OPTION ONE to add or remove shortcut for a specific user.

Start Menu All Programs - Add or Delete Shortcuts

Hope this helps,
Shawn