New
#1
Most start menu program folders say (empty)
Hi there,
I have a problem with most of the programs in my start menu no longer containing any shortcuts but just displaying "(empty)" as shown below.
And when I use "search programs & files" to find the program it doesn't find it either.
I first noticed this happening about 3 months after I did a clean install of Windows 7 and I am 99% sure it affects all programs I have installed since then. The shortcuts are there after the programs are first installed (I don't check this all the time though) but disappear soon after - maybe after the next logon... I don't know.
It must be related to permissions because when I right click on "All Programs" and select "All Users", if I try to open one of the affected program's folders I get the message "You don't currently have permission to access this folder". I can click "continue" and open the folder and the shortcuts are there.
(A related problem maybe that some of the shortcuts have lost their icons??)
I don't know much permissions and ownership etc but have managed to change the ownership of one of these folders to Administrator and it then the shortcuts also appear again in the start menu.
I could just go through and do this to all the 40 odd programs that are affected buy I want to know what's causing it to stop it happening in the future.
I have spent hours trying to find a solution to this problem and it is driving me crazy!
I have seen a lot about the Windows 7 restore virus that makes start menu folders empty? I don't think this is the problem (I used to run AVG but now Microsoft Security Essentials and they have never found anything) but I haven't actually seen any info about how to confirm if you have this virus or not - mainly people advising to run different "virus fix" programs which I am wary about.
I have only ever had one user account on the computer which is set to admin privileges too.
Any help would be much appreciated, Thanks! :)