Windows 10: Editing The Start Menu Apps

Just a quick solution here rather than a question!

I have a number of small system apps that don't have an install, so normally I would just create folders and menus in the Start Menu Apps folder -

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

But Windows 10 won't allow you to create shortcuts in that folder any more. I have no idea why. Microsoft being dictatorial again, I suppose, but luckily the the solution is really simple. It will allow you to "copy" shortcuts, so you need to create your shortcuts on the desktop and then just copy them in one by one.

:)

 

How to change Start menu's "All apps" into other text and modify the icon file?

Hi,

Is there a way to edit "All apps" text and icon in Windows 10 start menu either through registry or editing system files?

Thanks!

 

Windows 10 Anniversary Edition Upgrade Question

I for one am not looking forward to this edition

Start menu defaults to all apps

Adds more advertisements to the start menu

Microsoft: We're planning to double Start menu ads in Windows 10 Anniversary Update | ZDNet

 

Dear davefaz

Just add your User and give him permissions to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs via Right Click on folder Programs, then Properties and choose Security tab and add there your User with Full Control at Allow tab.

Sincerely

 

Absolutely not true. You definitely can make shortcuts in that folder. Have a look below for some examples.

Every clean install of Windows 10 I run this PoSh script which creates shortcuts in that folder and set the "run as administrator" flag as required on the shortcuts I want.

If you think you can't make shortcuts in Windows 10 then you are simply wrong.

Code: # Shortcuts will be created in $ShortcutRoot for programs found in $ExeRoot (except for $Exclusions) $ExeRoot="C:\Users\Hali\OneDrive\Programs\" $ShortcutRoot=$Home + "\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\" $Exclusions = @("gdisk64","nvspbind","StartKiller","UnlockerInject32") $PoShExeRoot="C:\Users\Hali\OneDrive\Programs\Powershell Scripts\" $PoShShortcutRoot=$Home + "\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Powershell Scripts\" $PoShExclusions = @("Sleep Mac Transmission","Wake Mac Transmission","WakeTransmission") $SysinternalsExeRoot="C:\Users\Hali\OneDrive\Programs\SysinternalsSuite\" $SysinternalsShortcutRoot=$Home + "\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\SysinternalsSuite\" $SysinternalsExclusions = @( "accesschk","autorunsc","adrestore","Clockres","Contig","CoreInfo","ctrl2cap","diskext","du","efsdump","FindLinks","handle","hex2dec","junction","ldmdump","listdlls", "livekd","logonsessions","movefile","ntfsinfo","pendmoves","pipelist","procdump","PsExec","psfile","PsGetSid","PsInfo","pskill","pslist","PsLoggedon","psloglist","pspasswd", "psping","PsService","psshutdown","pssuspend","RegDelNull","regjump","RootkitRevealer","ru","sdelete","sigcheck","streams","strings","sysmon","sync","VolumeID","Whois") #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Check set-up #---------------------------------------------------------------- Write-Host "Shortcuts will be created in " -NoNewline; Write-Host $ShortcutRoot -f White Write-Host "for programs found in " -NoNewline; Write-Host $ExeRoot -NoNewline -f White; Write-Host " and " -NoNewline; Write-Host $SysinternalsExeRoot -f White $title="Keep folder structure for shortcuts?" $message="Enter choice" $choices = @( @("Yes", "Keep existing structure"), @("No", "Create Shortcuts in root directory"), @("Exit","Exit")choices | %{New-Object System.Management.Automation.Host.ChoiceDescription "&$i`b$($_[0])", $_[1]; $i++}) $result = $host.ui.PromptForChoice($title, $message, $options, 1) $choice = $choices[$result][0] Switch ($result) { 0 {$Consolidate=$False} 1 {$Consolidate=$True} 2 {exit} } #---------------------------------------------------------------- Function Set-Admin #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Set the Run As Administrator flag ($file) { if (-not (Test-Path $file)) { Write-Host "File not found " -NoNewline -f red; Write-Host "$file" -f red } else { $bytes = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($file) $bytes[0x15] = $bytes[0x15] -bor 0x20 #set byte 21 (0x15) bit 6 (0x20) ON (Use –bor to set RunAsAdministrator option and –bxor to unset) [System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes($file, $bytes) Write-Host "Administrator authority granted " -NoNewline -f green; Write-Host "$file" -f White } } ) $options = @($i=0;$#---------------------------------------------------------------- Function Create-Shortcuts #--------------------------------------------------------------- # Create shortcuts for all non-excluded .exe ($ExeRoot,$ShortcutRoot,$Exclusions,$Consolidate,$Recurse) { # Get all program objects if ($Recurse) {$Apps=Get-ChildItem -path $ExeRoot -include @("*.exe","*.ps1") -recurse} else {$Apps=Get-ChildItem -path "$ExeRoot*" -include @("*.exe","*.ps1")} Foreach ($App in $Apps) { $ShortcutName=[io.path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($App.FullName)+'.lnk' $IconPath=(Split-Path $App.FullName -parent)+"\"+[io.path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($App.FullName)+'.ico' if ($consolidate) { $ShortcutPath=$ShortcutRoot+$ShortcutName } else { $ShortcutPath=([io.path]::ChangeExtension($ShortcutRoot + $App.FullName.SubString($ExeRoot.Length), '.lnk')) } if (Test-Path $ShortcutPath) { Write-Host "Shortcut exists " -NoNewline -f cyan; Write-Host "$ShortcutPath" -f white } elseif ($Exclusions -contains $App.BaseName) { Write-Host " excluded " -NoNewline -f red; Write-Host "$App" -f red } else { # Create directory if required $ShortcutDirectory = Split-Path $ShortcutPath -parent if (-not (Test-Path $ShortcutDirectory )) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $ShortcutDirectory -Force } # Create Shortcut $WshShell=New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell $Shortcut=$WshShell.CreateShortcut($ShortcutPath) If([io.path]::GetExtension($App.FullName) -eq '.exe') { c } Else { $Shortcut.TargetPath ='%systemroot%\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe' $Shortcut.Arguments = '-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "'+$App.FullName+'"' } if (Test-Path $IconPath) {$Shortcut.IconLocation = $IconPath} $Shortcut.WorkingDirectory = Split-Path $App.FullName -parent $Shortcut.Save() Write-Host "Shortcut created " -NoNewline -f green; Write-Host $ShortcutPath -f White # Make Powershell shortcuts run as administrator If([io.path]::GetExtension($App.FullName) -eq '.ps1') {Set-Admin $ShortcutPath} } } } Write-Host "EXEs Processed" -f Yellow; Write-Host #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Sysinternals Programs #---------------------------------------------------------------- Create-Shortcuts $SysinternalsExeRoot $SysinternalsShortcutRoot $SysinternalsExclusions $True $False # sync.exe (want to add icon) $WshShell=New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell $Shortcut=$WshShell.CreateShortcut("$SysinternalsShortcutRoot\sync.lnk") $Shortcut.TargetPath = "$SysinternalsExeRoot\sync.exe" $Shortcut.WorkingDirectory = "$SysinternalsExeRoot" $Shortcut.IconLocation = "%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,217" # (54 accross *4 deep + 1 down = 217 in the dll) $Shortcut.Save() Write-Host "Shortcut created " -NoNewline -f green; Write-Host $SysinternalsShortcutRoot"sync.lnk" -f White # Set various shortcuts to run as Admin Set-Admin "$SysinternalsShortcutRoot`Autoruns.lnk" Set-Admin "$SysinternalsShortcutRoot`procexp.lnk" Set-Admin "$SysinternalsShortcutRoot`Procmon.lnk" Set-Admin "$SysinternalsShortcutRoot`sync.lnk" #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Powershell scripts #---------------------------------------------------------------- Create-Shortcuts $PoShExeRoot $PoShShortcutRoot $PoShExclusions $True $True #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Other Programs #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Get Programs in root Create-Shortcuts $ExeRoot $ShortcutRoot $Exclusions $True $False # Get programs in sub-directories (except Sysinternals) $OtherDirs = Get-ChildItem -path $ExeRoot -dir -exclude "SysinternalsSuite","Powershell Scripts" $SavedShortcutRoot=$ShortcutRoot $SavedExeRoot=$ExeRoot Foreach ($OtherDir in $OtherDirs) { $ExeRoot=$OtherDir.FullName+"\" if (-not $Consolidate) { $ShortcutRoot=$SavedShortcutRoot+$OtherDir.Name+"\" } Create-Shortcuts $ExeRoot $ShortcutRoot $Exclusions $Consolidate $True } $ShortcutRoot=$SavedShortcutRoot $ExeRoot=$SavedExeRoot # Set various shortcuts to run as Admin Set-Admin "$ShortcutRoot`windirstat.lnk" Set-Admin "$ShortcutRoot`TreeSizeFree.lnk" #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Other Shortcuts #---------------------------------------------------------------- $WshShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell $Shortcut=$WshShell.CreateShortcut("$ShortcutRoot\God Mode.lnk") $Shortcut.TargetPath = $Shortcut.TargetPath = "$env:systemroot\explorer.exe" $Shortcut.Arguments = "shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" $Shortcut.Save() Write-Host "Shortcut created " -NoNewline -f green; Write-Host $ShortcutRoot"God Mode.lnk" -f White if (-not(Test-Path "$ShortcutRoot\TN5250")) {New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "$ShortcutRoot\TN5250" -Force} Copy-Item $ExeRoot\TN5250\PUB1.lnk $ShortcutRoot\TN5250\ Copy-Item $ExeRoot\TN5250\SIASDEV.lnk $ShortcutRoot\TN5250\ Move-Item $ShortcutRoot\TN5250.lnk $ShortcutRoot\TN5250\ #---------------------------------------------------------------- # Rename any odd named #---------------------------------------------------------------- if (Test-Path "$ShortcutRoot\TFC.lnk") {Rename-Item "$ShortcutRoot\TFC.lnk" "$ShortcutRoot\Temp File Cleaner.lnk"} if (Test-Path "$ShortcutRoot\Rapr.lnk") {Rename-Item "$ShortcutRoot\Rapr.lnk" "$ShortcutRoot\Driver Store Explorer.lnk"} Write-Host Read-Host -Prompt "Press Enter to exit"[/quote]

Perhaps that script is a bit long winded so here you are - a simple Powershell example: Code: $WshShell=New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell $Shortcut=$WshShell.CreateShortcut("C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\WhatEverYouWant.lnk") $Shortcut.Targetpath= "C:\Windows\wordpad.exe" $Shortcut.Save()[/quote]
With that you will find searching for "WhatEverYourWant" opens "wordpad.exe". It can be quite useful if you tweek it (especially the first box) as Windows search doesn't find all .exe any more since Windows 8.1. That is an irritating change that MS don't want to revert though.