Location for OEM items in start menu

[bparker]

A new Gateway laptop has 10 links on the left side of the Start Menu for various Windows programs and Gateway programs. I am trying to find the location on the HDD or registry where these exist. Reading through tutorials and threads on Start Menu has not helped.

Recent Items is turned off and I started with no pinned items. None of the items in the list is included in
C:\Users\(User Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items

If I drag a shortcut in this list to the top of the start menu, then that shortcut becomes "pinned" and there is a seperator line between it and other items below. Is there another place I can find this group of shortcuts?

Bill.

 

[Bongo]

Welcome to the Seven Forums Bill
Would you post a screenshot of your start menu.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9717-screenshot-paint.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html
How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista - Vista Forums
When you say there is a separator from the top and bottom you must have recent items turned on.
Jerry

 

[bparker]

That's why I was looking to find a section other than recent items or pinned. Attached are screens.

Magnifier was originally below and there was no separator line. When I dragged it up it pinned to the top and Windows Live Writer was added to the bottom list. Most of those items have never been used by me. It was the list when I first turned it on.

Bill.

 

[Bongo]

Some of those can be found at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

What are you trying to do?
Jerry

 

[SIW2]

"%systemdrive%\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned"

It is hidden so you need to show hidden files in folder options.

reg entries are here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartPage2

 

[bparker]

User pinned is just the Magnifier item I dragged to the pinned area. I am trying to find the disk location of the other items (which are not in recent items). The initial reason was so I could restore the factory list if needed without having to restore complete factory image. But now it seems this is a differnt animal and I want to see how Gateway did it.

Bill.

 

[Neutron16]

Customize the Windows 7 Start Menu and Taskbar Using unattend.xml

This is how they done it with Windows AIK or MDT (which uses AIK's functionality anyway).

 

[SIW2]

It would be easier to back up the startpage2 reg entries I posted earlier - make a backup, then delete the programscache entries. Refresh explorer - see what happens.

 

[SIW2]

To refreh Explorer, press ctrl+shift while rt clicking a blank area on the right of the start menu - just above the shutdown button will be fine.

Select Exit Explorer.

Then restart explorer with ctrl+shift+esc for task mgr , select File>NewTask, type explorer, ok

 

[bparker]

Thanks guys. I have not found where these shortcuts are stored, but I have a much better appreciation for what is going on.

Bill.

 

[whs]

See Picture

 

[SIW2]

Search for e.g. Gateway Mybackup.lnk

Everything serach engine is useful for that kind of thing http://www.voidtools.com/download.php

 

[bparker]

SIW2,
That was a good idea. But still no joy. It found the lnk in All Programs of start menu, but not the one on initial menu. Not found in registry either.

I was eager to see how Gateway did this, but I guess we all need to move on at this point.

Bill.

 

[SIW2]

I think you will find they are all in startpage2 reg entry.

If the only .lnk is in All programs - then that must be the one that is diplayed.

It is extremely simple to test.

I deleted the programscache entries from startpage2 - than refreshed explorer - they all disappeared.

 

[bparker]

Interesting, I reimaged with the factory image and now the items do ascend in the list as they are used more frequently. Originally they stayed in fixed places, until I moved one up to the user pinned area.

Deleted 3 programscache entries in startpage2 and refreshed explorer. When explorer came back the same start page entries were still there. I compared startpage2 entries with my backup. The first part looks the same - but it is a big entry.

So somehow it is being rebuilt?


Bill.

 

[Neutron16]

I am not sure, but this might be related.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{CEBFF5CD-BLAA-BLAA-BLA-SOMETHING}\Count
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{F4E57C4B-BLAA-BLAA-BLA-SOMETHING}\Count

I have deleted those Count sub keys and that part of Start menu turned empty.

 

[bparker]

I started by deleting the keys in just
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{F4E57C4B-BLAA-BLAA-BLA-SOMETHING}\Count

and then refreshing explorer. Start page entries were gone. The Count keys also stayed gone.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{CEBFF5CD-BLAA-BLAA-BLA-SOMETHING}\Count
entries in this key remained.

Opened notepad and it was added to the start page. Three entries were added to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{F4E57C4B-BLAA-BLAA-BLA-SOMETHING}\Count

So yes, that seems to be the connection.

Bill.