Windows 10: Anniversary Update - Clean Install. Start menu anomaly

I may have missed it in an earlier post from someone, but has anyone with this problem used the Microsoft Start Menu Troubleshooter?

The CAB file is available directly from Microsoft through this download link:

http://aka.ms/diag_StartMenu

I ran it but because my system is ok, it couldn't identify the problem.

 

Hi OldGuyGeek,

That could well be a good call.......and you are right for all my troubleshooting steps I overlooked this one.....doooh*Sad

I am unable to test just now as the systems are back with their owner but I will run the troubleshooter when I next have access at a remote login session......and keep you posted with the results of course.....

Many thanks,

 

A couple of ideas I've reminded myself I came across a long time ago + a couple I've found some say worked for them: treat with appropriate caution:


Have you ever had Stardock's IconPackager installed?
Go to 'Start' open run command, type in Regedit.
In the new window of Registry Editor go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex and delete the subkey/folder 'IconHandler'

In Task Manager, end explorer.exe: Scroll down the list of processed to find Windows Explorer.
Select it and click on Restart at the bottom right.

Note: Your desktop and task bar will be gone for a moment when you this. They will reappear automatically. When all icons on the task bar has appeared, click on the start menu to see if your icons has come back.

I was able to recover all missing apps in Start Menu by assigning ownership to SYSTEM and “enabling inheritance”. All missing files and folders had wrong ownership and had wrong ‘Permission entries”. In my case I did following steps:
1) Open File explorer -> C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\
2) Right click folder “Programs” then Properties
3) Click on Security tab, Advanced
4) Click on ‘Change’ next to Owner: , type SYSTEM in field ‘Enter the object name to select’ then ‘Check Names’ and OK
5) Check off ‘Replace owner on subcontainers and objects’. This step is important to set ownership to SYSTEM for every file and folder under ‘Programs’.
6) Check off ‘Replace all Child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object’. This step is important to enable inheritance for every file and folder under ‘Programs’
7) click Apply
8) Click OK, and close. click on START and watch ‘Recently Added’ scanning through and adding the files to the Start Menu.

 

Hi Dalchina,

Thanks again for the ongoing support much appreciated *Smile

To answer the first point I can confirm that Stardock's IconPackager has never been installed and also that I came across that same discussion and tried the remedy in case it was not Stardock specific......this is what I was referring to in my reply to your first post back on page 1!

In regard to your second "permissions" point I will certainly have a look into that and see what has been assigned the ownership and apply any corrections as necessary. I am a little more sceptical on this one as all of the Start Button menu tiles carry the correct colour, text labels and function correctly......just bizarrely they display the generic 'blank' icon image rather than their correct one......but as I said before nothing ventured......

Best regards,

 

I can't recall- have you tried
Start Menu Troubleshooter in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Hi Dalchina,

Can you believe it but NO.....as I noted to OldGuyGeek who posted on this one also a couple of posts back.......don't know how I overlooked that one....seems so obvious!

Clearly, this is my first candidate when I next have access by remote logon (both systems now back with their owner) and I will update here on how I get on.

I still can't believe I missed such an obvious step.......dooooh *Smile

 

ps.......Wondering if MS has updated the troubleshooter package for the 1607 update.......I would have thought with the well publicised return of the "start button" it would be an own goal if they had not??

 

No guarantee it'll fix this at all... I'd still be interested in how those shortcuts appear if you install Classic Shell start menu. (You can still launch the Win 10 menu with that installed. And just close it to be back with Win 10 as is- it's just another program).

 

Hi Dalchina....

No guarantees in life me thinks!! .....Will have a go with Classic Shell in due course and post the results here.....probably will start with the Start Menu troubleshooter.....still kicking myself over that one!

 

Hi Dalchina and OldGuyGeek,

Finally had the opportunity to do a remote log in and conduct some more tests along the lines suggested by yourselves.....

1. Windows 10 - Start Menu Trouble-shooter

Ran the trouble-shooter and much as I had anticipated it was unable to identify any issues in any of its categories and completed successfully. No changes to the start menu button tiles with the affected button tiles all remaining with their generic 'blank' images (see screen shots below).


2. As recommended by Dalchina for comparative purposes - Installed Classic Shell V4.3.0

To simplify things I only selected the "Classic Style" option and ran Classic Shell in that configuration. As Dalchina suggested the icons display correctly from both the "Programs" and "Apps" sub-menus which is indicative that whilst "Classic Shell" is able to render the icon image held in "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs " and the "C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" folders correctly whilst Windows 10 is not.

The screenshots below illustrate the issue, the first 3 are Windows 10 (1607 Update) Start Menu and the final one for comparison from Classic Menu:










Perhaps some sort of image rendering issue??

Interested to hear your thoughts on these images.....

Thanks again,

 

There is the easy solution for this problem. Even if you are on Any Version of Windows 10 with the Clean install and facing this problem, this solution works 99% of the times.

First of all, you have to do the Factory Reset / Repair the computer from USB/DVD installation media. You can do the System Repair without Installation media. After the Reset / Repair, you'll not see the problem.

If this not works, then open the Windows Update and check the new update. I heard that the new Update from Microsoft Solves the problem.