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Windows 7: Start Menu - Backup and Restore Pinned Items in Windows 7


Start Menu - Backup and Restore Pinned Items in Windows 7

How to Backup and Restore Pinned Start Menu Items in Windows 7
Published by Brink
07 Feb 2012
Published by
Brink's Avatar

How to Backup and Restore Pinned Start Menu Items in Windows 7


information   Information
This will show you how to backup and restore your pinned Start Menu items automatically with one click in Windows 7.

This can be handy if you do not want to have to manually pin and restore your currently pinned Start Menu items say after a clean install of Windows 7.

Note   Note
By default, your pinned Start Menu programs/shortcuts are saved in both locations below. This is what this tutorial will be backing up and restoring for you using a BAT file.

In the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartPage2

In the hidden StartMenu folder:
C:\Users\(user-name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\StartMenu


EXAMPLE: Pinned Programs on the Start Menu in Windows 7
NOTE: You will notice that these pinned items are only at the of the Start Menu above the separator line. The items below the line are recent programs instead, and are not included in the backup.
Start Menu - Backup and Restore Pinned Items in Windows 7-start_menu.jpg



Start Menu - Backup and Restore Pinned Items in Windows 7 OPTION ONE Start Menu - Backup and Restore Pinned Items in Windows 7
To Backup Pinned Items on the Start Menu in Windows 7
1. Click on the Download buttom below to download the .bat file below, then run it.
Backup-Pinned_StartMenu_Items.bat

download
2. If prompted, click on Run.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

3. You will now notice your screen flicker as explorer is restarted.

4. You will now have a Start-Menu-Pinned-Items-Backup folder on your desktop that is the backup of your pinned taskbar items.

5. Move this folder to where you like for safe keeping.
NOTE: Do not rename this folder since it must remain the exact same name to be able to use it in OPTION TWO below to restore your pinned Start Menu items with.

6. If you like, you might also backup your Jump Lists as well.





Start Menu - Backup and Restore Pinned Items in Windows 7 OPTION TWO Start Menu - Backup and Restore Pinned Items in Windows 7
To Restore Pinned Items on the Start Menu in Windows 7
1. If you have not already, make sure that any 3rd party programs that were pinned to your Start Menu when the backup was created in OPTION ONE are still installed to the same location first.
NOTE: Since the pinned Start Menu items are just shortcuts that point to the program, the programs must still be at the same location when the backup was created before restoring the pinned Start Menu items.

2. Move or copy the Start-Menu-Pinned-Items-Backup folder created from OPTION ONE above to your desktop.

3. Click on the Download buttom below to download the .bat file below, then run it.
Restore-Pinned_StartMenu_Items.bat

download
4. If prompted, click on Run.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

5. You will now notice your screen flicker as explorer is restarted.

6. Your backed up pinned Start Menu items have now been restored.

7. If you like, you might also restore your previously backed up Jump Lists as well.
That's it,
Shawn





Related Tutorials
09 Sep 2014   #1
rboerner

Windows 7 64-bit
1 posts
 
 
Just a quick note, I believe I found a minor error in the batch files. If the user profile name has a space in it, the registry key export will fail. The %userprofile% variable needs to have quotes around it to work in that instance.


My System SpecsSystem Spec
09 Sep 2014   #2
Brink

64-bit Windows 10 Pro
65,992 posts
 
 
Thank you Robert for pointing this out. The .bat files have been updated now.
My System SpecsSystem Spec
09 Feb 2015   #3
OzTones

Windows 7 Professional x64
2 posts
 
 
Pinned StartMenu items "vanished"
Hi Shawn

Is it possible to use either (or both) your utilities when I find my StartMenu pinned items list has spontaneously vanished? There are no longer any programs shown at all, and I haven't previously backed it up.

The hidden StartMenu folder for my user is still there and reflects how StartMenu looked until this morning, but the actual StartMenu is now empty. If I back it up with your first utility presumably it will back up the now empty StartMenu, no? I need to restore as per the contents of the hidden folder, but I'm not sure your utilities will do this (and I don't want to lose this list!)

Any advice would be most welcome. Thank you in advance

Tony
My System SpecsSystem Spec
.

09 Feb 2015   #4
Brink

64-bit Windows 10 Pro
65,992 posts
 
 
Hello Tony, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Pinned items on the Start Menu are referenced in both the registry and the hidden Start Menu folder. Since the links are still in your Start Menu folder, it appears that something happened to the registry location, and broke them leaving the Start Menu pin to area blank.

Yeah, it wouldn't do any good to back up your pin to area now since it'll be the same broken state.

About all you can do is to make note of the items you want to pin to Start in your Start Menu folder, reset the Start menu pin to area, and manually pin them again.
My System SpecsSystem Spec
09 Feb 2015   #5
OzTones

Windows 7 Professional x64
2 posts
 
 
Hi Shawn

Thanks a million for you speedy reply. I was afraid you'd say that! I was hoping there might be a straightforward way to restore the registry entry and put it all back together again. The weird thing is, I hadn't even logged off overnight, only slept the machine, so whatever caused it happened as part of that sleep/wake process. Ah well, probably half the stuff on there I no longer used anyway, so maybe I needed the nudge to tidy it up. I may take a stroll thru the events logs and see what I can find that might explain what happened.

Thanks again

Tony
My System SpecsSystem Spec
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