Recent Places and "All Programs" Are Empty

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  1. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #1

    Recent Places and "All Programs" Are Empty


    I had a virus last week. I managed to remove it, but since then I have 2 problems:

    1) "Recent Places" in Windows Explorer is empty and stays empty.
    2) The folders in "All Programs" in the start menu are empty.

    Does anyone know how to fix these issues?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 92
    Windows 7/Linux
       #2

    Hi there.... Try Unhide

    Download unhide by grinler.
    Double click on the program to start the unhide process.
    Once done a window will pop and let you know the tool has completed its job.
    See if cures your problems
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks Cookieman, I tried unhide before, it brought back the shortcuts on my desktop, they were gone too.
    It doesn't help the other issues unfortunately...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 71,980
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #4

    Hello Dirkla,

    The tutorial below can help show you how to restore the default shortcuts in Start Menu -> All Programs, but you'll still have to manually create new shortcuts in the Start Menu for any installed programs from their exe files though.

    Start Menu All Programs in Windows 7 - Restore Default Shortcuts


    You might see if resetting recent items may be able to help have them show later after opening them a few times.

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks for the suggestions Brink, restoring the start up menu worked.
    The recent locations are still stuck though...
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    There's something strange: when I right click and select open "All Programs" in the Start Menu I see 2 folders:

    1) A (greyed out) shortcut to "Programma's" (this is Dutch, my Windows version is Dutch originally, but I changed the language to English): I can't access this folder (Access denied).
    2) Programs: only 10 program shortcut folders are here, but about 50 show up in the "All Programs" in the Start Menu

    Strange, it seems unhide changed something language-related...
    Last edited by dirkla; 01 Jun 2011 at 05:07.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 71,980
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #7

    Dirkla,

    Could you post some screenshots of this to help see what it may be? :)
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    So, when I right-click "all programs" in the start menu and select "open", I get this window:

    Recent Places and "All Programs" Are Empty-screenshot1.gif

    Programma's (the Dutch folder) I can't open.
    This is the "Programs" directory:

    Recent Places and "All Programs" Are Empty-screenshot2.gif

    But as you can see, lot's of other (empty) folders are in the start menu:

    Recent Places and "All Programs" Are Empty-screenshot3.gif
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 71,980
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #9

    Since those empty folders in the Start Menu are for programs, you would need to manually create new shortcuts in the Start Menu from the exe files of those programs to place in the folders. Another option, would to reinstall the programs to have them added back again as well.
    Last edited by Brink; 07 Jun 2011 at 09:50.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Thanks Brink, but where are all the folders that are in the programs start menu? In the 3rd screenshot you see folders for Adobe and such, but they are not in screenshot 1 or 2. It seems Windows is getting them from another location.

    I wonder if the "Recent Locations"-problem has the same cause, is Windows storing recent locations in a wrong folder?
      My Computer


 
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