Windows 10: Add or Remove Items for All Apps in Start menu in Windows 10

For any that haven't figured this out yet, it seems that windows 10 caches the start menu somewhere, or some way. Whether it is by way of an .ini file, or another file, or the registry, the system remembers things. Making changes forces you to follow a few "rules".

First, if you delete a folder that is in the start menu without first deleting the shortcuts within it, they will not go away. I am on the developer preview and have to make all my changes every single time there is an upgrade so I have become fairly well versed with making the menu look the way I want it to look (there are three start menus to contend with here also, the users, the base windows, and the default). I now have a base menu that I use after deleting the entire start menu (by deleting all files in folders first, then their folders) by copying it over which speeds things up.

So...though it is very laborious, my menu structure is as follows:
I create a folder structure within the start menu that begins with a number, say 1 - Creative (which means creative programs I have installed. Then I put whatever shortcuts I want in that folder either by creating a new one or copying one from another location in the start menu. In this folder I have photo editing software, web editors, etc. I create as many folders as I need to tidy things up.
Then I go through and delete or move any shortcuts from folders I no longer want in my start menu. Then I go back and delete empty folders I no longer want. I do this even with the windows system folders such as administrative tools. **deleting the windows system folders has side effects** for instance, within file explorer you can right click on "this pc" and select manage, but this will no longer work because of all stupid things, the "manage" link is actually a shortcut that points to the start menu shortcut in the administrative tools folder. I work around this by just using the link in the start menu. I haven't found a reg hack to subvert this stupidity.
Also, the windows bundled apps, so far as I have found, can not me moved or organized in any way. at least with my numbered scheme I can see all the folders I want right at the top of the list.

 

Sorry, but Method 3 doesn't work in Build 10565 - the shortcut goes to Start, not All Apps.

 

Hello Bulldog, *Smile

I'm using build 10565, and when I add a shortcut inside the Programs folder from OPTION THREE, it shows up in my All apps. I tested with a website shortcut and a notepad shortcut.

What did you use?

 

Here are my results. Where have I gone wrong? The folder pictured is C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

 

I just tested with the Autoruns program, and it works for me. Odd.

Did you install any program that affects Start?

 

I have not installed anything that affects Start. The difference between Autoruns and my other installed programs is that Autoruns is a stand-alone program, whereas all the others had installers.

 

That wouldn't make any difference as long as it was a shortcut to it. It's what I used above.

Even though it shows as pinned to Start, is it still listed in All apps?

Are you able to unpin it from Start, and have it show in All apps afterwards?

 

Thanks for helping me out. I appreciate it.

The shortcut only appears in Start - it doesn't appear in All Apps. Even after a restart.

If I put the shortcut inside a folder, the shortcut still appears in Start. Neither the shortcut nor the folder appear in All Apps.

Everything else I have installed is in All Apps. All these programs had installers, although it doesn't seem like that should matter. Here's a review of how I handled Autoruns:

• I downloaded the zip file from TechNet.
• I expanded the zip file, and moved the resulting uncompressed folder to Program Files x86.
• In Program Files x86, I opened the Autoruns folder and created a shortcut to the executable, which I placed on my desktop.
• I opened C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\ and moved the shortcut to this folder.
• I also tried creating a folder for Autoruns in the above folder, and moving the shortcut into the Autoruns folder.

In both cases, Autoruns became a tile on Start but did not appear at all in All Apps. I think there's something fundamental that I've done wrong, but I haven't figured it out yet.

 

Your steps 1-4 is exactly what I did as well, but it showed in All apps.

I'm not sure why it's not showing in All apps for you. What happens when you unpin Autoruns from Start? Does it show in All apps, or is just removed?

 

Brink,

Just found these helpful posts*Smile

Wife has taken advantage of changing her laptop from IE8.1 to 10. Brave soul*Eek. I still have 7-64...
She has no knowledge of computers, neither do I really. We are in our eighties and find instructions difficult*Redface.

She wishes to add an app (YouTube.jp). Is this allowed, if so how do I do this for her please?

Sorry for being rather long-winded.

Regards.

 

Hello ess1, *Smile

No problem. You would just need to create a shortcut of the YouTuve.jp app, and use OPTION ONE while signed in to her account to add the shortcut to All apps.

 

Many thanks for prompt and helpful reply. Should keep her off my back - until the next time*chuckle

 

LOL, you're most welcome. *Smile

 

Greetings

I can also confirm that adding items to 'all apps' is bugged/broken/weird. I had no issues with this on my previous install of Win10, but after a clean install of Win10 Th2 ( Currently OS Build 10586.3 ) have encountered this ( Trying to add a shortcut to GRID.exe ). After some mucking around I got a new folder with a shortcut to JPEGViewPortable to show in 'all apps', but then when adding a shortcut to GRID in the same folder it is pinned to 'Start' while the JPEGViewPortable shortcut continues to show up fine inside the new folder within 'all apps'.

So this behaviour is inconsistant and confusing.

PS: I should probably add that my GRID install is carried over from previous OS installs. It plays fine without issues.


EDIT: Just a thought - I went though and added JPEGViewPortable as a default app by file type. Maybe this has some effect on the situation.

EDIT 2: OK maybe I found a pattern. Adding more shortcuts to the folder had them appear in 'all apps' until I tried adding one for Speccy, which I had previously pinned to 'start' just as I had with Grid. So maybe once an item has been pinned to start that is where it goes, even after unpinning it and adding a shortcut that should go to 'all apps'.

 

After prodding some cache files and registry entries without success I came arcoss this topic in the forum.

Basically I made a temporary User account from my normal account. Used this (>) to enable the Administator account, also from my normal account.

Sign into temp account.

Make sure both User accounts (normal and the new temp one) are signed out.

Sign into the Administrator account and enable hidden folders.

Backup/rename the TileDataLayer folder in 'C:\Users\[user profile name]\AppData\Local' of my normal account. Then copy the TileDataLayer folder from the temp account to my normal account.

Logout of the Admin account and into my normal account and check the start/all apps menus (which did reset back to default for me).

Remove the temp account.

Disable the Admin account.


NOTES: On the first attempt I had not signed out of one or both of the user accounts and was informed that not all the files in the TileDataLayer folder could be copied as they were in use. Carried on and merged with a backup copy. This half worked (empty start/all apps menus (only power and all apps entries)).

Upon the successful attempt the start menu was returned to default. All apps menu was fine and contained my installed apps folders and shortcuts, it also now contained entries for my portable apps that had no entries before ((including Grid *Wink) but had been pinned to start)). EDIT: portable apps I had not pinned to start have no entries - obvious I guess.

Tested with a throw away text file and the weirdness is still present so now to be sure/carefull about what I pin to start.

Whilst I can't promise this will work for others, hopefully it will help some.