Most start menu program folders say (empty)

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  1. Posts : 572
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       #11

    VistaKing said:
    Yes the virus stores folders in that folder and the folders are numbered 1 , 2 , 4 . Each number goes to a specific folder . Can you take a screen shot of the entire start menu ?

    Here is a Top Notch Tool Unhide.exe - A introduction as to what this program does - Am I infected? What do I do?
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  2. Posts : 6,830
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32-Bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit
       #12

    mohavepc

    if he ran a cleaner to delete his temp files that folder is gone and the tutorial you gave him is pointless.
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  3. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit (Service Pack 1)
    Thread Starter
       #13

    Regarding the virus and temp\smtmp folder...now I googled that virus again and checked your link mohavepc I can remember checking for that folder now when I had a good go at researching this problem 6 months ago, and again 3 months ago. Both times that folder didn't exist so I was confident that wasn't it (the possiblity of the virus was my main concern over the inconvenience). And I have never run cccleaner or anything similar that would delete my temp files either (there be 500 odd folders and 2300 files when i just checked the properties of my temp folder).

    Someone else also suggested running an offline virus check like microsoft defender offline which I have done and came back clean.

    Vistaking, here are the screenshots of my complete start menu, I presume the reason is you want to see if there are any suspect programs there? There are a couple of issues I have had which has required me to use "deep" uninstallers because the normal uninstall or add/remove programs won't seem to work. May or may not have any significance but just in case...
    1. Had major dramas trying to get bluetooth talking to my phone so ending up installing and uninstalling a variety of bluetooth stacks to try and get it to work (with no luck in the end btw! )
    2. I have a Sapphire 7750 video card which I had a bit of trouble setting up to begin with but was working fine until I stupidly updated Catalyst Control Centre hoping to fix a minor issue. After a few days pulling my hair out on this one I had to used ATIman uninstaller to get it working again. This seems to be a pretty serious program and I became a bit suspect about it when Security Essentials kept hanging on one of the ATIman exes, so tryed to uninstall it but it wouldn't.
    3. After using AVG (free) for years I gave up on it because it kept getting errors updating. As is well known, this is a bit more involved than just clicking "uninstall" too but I am 99% sure it was done properly. I say this because this seems to be the most common reason why people are having trouble with MSE hanging.
    Well after I deleted the ATIman folder (because it wouldn't uninstall) MSE is now hanging on
    C:\windows\system32\codeintegrity\driver.stl !!

    Sorry about the longwinded and possible irrelevant response but I figured too much info is probably better than not enough! Thanks for your help guys.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Most start menu program folders say (empty)-untitled.png  
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  4. Posts : 24,479
    Windows 7 Ultimate X64 SP1
       #14

    Try running this to get rid of AVG items. AVG | Download tools and utilities

    Let me understand you, in the right snip of the All Program menu if you click any of those folders it is empty?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,470
    Windows 7 Home Premium
       #15
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit (Service Pack 1)
    Thread Starter
       #16

    Briton30: one of those is exactly what I used run to uninstall AVG properly. I don't really think I have a problem there, I was just saying that before anyone told me that's the reason for MSE hanging during a scan.

    No not ALL the programs are affected, about 75% are and if I order all the folders by date created it seems to be most of them from a certain point onwards but not all of them. Just the other day I saw a program still had it's shortcuts there a day or 2 after I installed it but now it is empty.

    cottonball: I am 99% sure it is not that virus (or any virus for that matter)! When I go into C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs all my programs and shortcuts are actually there. Except I don't have permission to open the folders for the programs that are affected. If I change the owner to myself then the shortcuts within that folder reappear in the start menu.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 6,830
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32-Bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit
       #17
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #18

    @OP,
    Did nesting the start folders cure your ills. I was unable to replicate the issue mentioned in the blog... and I tested with thousands of folders/shortcuts.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1
    windows 7
       #19

    found it


    after searching around i found this and it worked for me:


    Hey, I figured out how to get my all programs folders restored to where they were no longer empty.

    1)Go to the startup icon
    2)then put cursor over "All Programs" and right click and click on "open"
    3) then select the "programs" folder and right click and select "properties"
    4) then select the "previous version" tab, await the previous versions to show up and select the folder that existed prior to your problems and hit restore and follow through with prompts.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #20

    Welcome to the Seven Forums and thanks for the added info.
      My Computer


 
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