Windows 10: Start Menu Folder Access

Hi,

I'm not sure if this has been posted before, as I did a search and couldn't find anything, but I might be phrasing it oddly. Anyway, does anyone know if there is a way to allow folder access through the start menu in Windows 10? By folder access, I mean like in Windows 7 you could open the start menu, then start typing C:\ and it would display the contents of the folder, or just type the folder path and hit enter to open it. I can't seem to do that now, and I'm not sure if I'm doing it incorrectly, it needs to be configured, or just isn't there.. anyway, thanks for any help!

:)

 

Cannot access start menu folder

Every time I attempt to open the start menu's folder, it crashes and closes before I can make any changes in it. I tried to do this because my chrome shortcut in the start menu disappeared and when I tried to add a new one it was under the name chrome
(2) so I tried to go in and delete whatever had the chrome name in the folder and I cannot access it. I get as far as AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu and when I try to open the programs folder, it will open it for a second, I can see what's inside
and it then crashes and closes the window.

 

Cannot access start menu folder

Hi,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community. I understand your concern and I am glad to assist you.

Please try the following and see if the issue can be fixed.

• Press Windows + X on your keyboard
• Select task manager
• Click File > Run New Task
• Make sure you have a check mark beside “Create this task with administrative privileges”
  
• Type Powershell
• Type the following in the Powershell prompt:
  
  $manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest
• Close the Powershell window
• Reboot PC and check if issue persist.

Method 2: Perform an SFC (System File Checker) scan on your system for any corrupted file settings.

• Press Windows + X on your keyboard.
• Select Command prompt admin.
• At the command prompt type “sfc /scannow” (no quotes), and then press ENTER.

Note: Do not close this Command Prompt window until the verification is 100% complete. The scan results will be shown after this process is finished.



Method 3: Download all the drivers of your system from the manufacturer’s website



1. Right-click on the driver setup file and click on ‘properties’.

2. Click on the ‘compatibility’ tab and check the box ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for’ and select Windows 7/8 operating system from the drop down menu and proceed with the installation.

3. Once this is done, restart the computer and check if the issue persists.



Hope this post is helpful. Get back to us with the results. We are happy to help.

 

Just pin the folders to the start menu

'Pin to Start' and 'Unpin from Start items in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Not sure about earlier builds, but in 10056 this works as you want.

In the Search box, you just type C:\ and it lists the contents of your root folder, and you can start walking it. If you type C:\ and enter it opens File Explorer in C:\

 

Mystere, I'll look for that version and check it out. Walking it sounds exactly like what I mean. Thank you so much!

 

10.056 is a leaked version - you'll have to wait for the official TP drop or run some sketchy code.

I tried the Start Menu search box in 10.049 and it does not walk the directory tree.
It doesn't even open the specified folder (C:\), it does return things with c in the name *Tongue

 

Hi

I find that it works in 10049 if you right click on the search option, from the right click dropdown on the start icon, but not if you do it from the task bar.

It opens a search window on the right side of the screen and displays the contents of C:\ and sub folders.

If you right click on a sub folder it gives you the option to open the folder location.

I find it's a little weird about finding stuff though.

If doesn't let you select a place to search, just "Everywhere, Files or Settings".

I searched for the word Lucy (my animated character) using "Everywhere" and it found 4 files, when I used the "Files" category it Found about 20 references spread over several hard drives out of probably 100 or more that are there.

So as a search engine it doesn't seem too efficient.

For searching I use Agent Ransack and have for years, it works like a charm.

Mike

PS, I used Agent Ransack to search for "Lucy" on my D:\ drive and it found 485 files, so I guess Windows search, doesn't!

 

I downloaded the leak, and it proceeded to glitch out and stop working after a reboot. So, I reinstalled all the way back up to 10049. Shame on me.

Anyway, it works in 10056. I hope they include it in the actual 10056, because I miss this feature terribly and am loving Windows 10 so far

 

I'm not sure where this fits, so I'll drop it here and hope that no-one is offended.*Wink

I'm on my little HP Pavilion laptop, running 10051 (don't have 10054 yet) and this is a reinstall, after previous installs have crashed on me.
I've only installed the very minimum of Windows tweaks, so as to not crash the OS. This time I did not install The Classic Shell.

I've done a few things, that I'd want to do, if I were to ever use Windows 10 as my MAIN OS.
I set up my desktop, with several icons, to make my everyday life easier, just like I have it on XP.
I have This PC (My Computer), Restore, Quick Shutdown, Firefox and a folder with all my Forums shortcuts, all arranged on my Desktop as I would on XP or any other OS. I've not yet installed any AV or AS software.
I've also set up to view all hidden files, to minimize UAC, and "Grant Admin Full Control".

And Lo & Behold,,,, the Startup folder is in the same location as it is on previous OS's, all the way back to XP.
C:\Users\MyName\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

The old Windows key + E , key combination, still opens up the Windows File Explorer, just like it has in previous versions of windows.

Now finding a "RUN" box was a bit more difficult, but I did finally find it.
I use the old "Ctrl+Alt+Del" key combination, to get into the task manager, then click on "File" and then click on "Run New Task".
I wanted to run MSCONFIG > Boot.ini, so I could set the boot delay down to 3 sec's and tell Windows how many CPU cores I want it to use.
Boot ups are really quick now!

Pretty much, everything I used in XP is still there, but MS just made it all a whole lot harder to get to.

I don't understand, how they consider that 'Progress' ???

*Cool

 

Not sure what you mean by those last two. If you mean you put the UAC slider down to the bottom, Ok. Not sure what you mean by Grant Admin Full Control, but it sounds like you're resetting permissions on system files.. and that's something that can be very dangerous on Windows 8.x and 10 because Windows gets very cranky if permissions are mis-set due to the extreme prejudice the OS has for preventing malware from taking root.

Umm... Ok.. and? BTW, Windows Key + R brings up the Run command just as it always has. In fact, nearly every windows shortcut key continues to work as it always has.

What exactly is "a whole lot harder to get to" about anything you've mentioned? You said yourself everything is in exactly the same place, and all the shortcut keys work as they always have...

I'm confused.

 

It's the modern design disease:More Clicks = More Efficient
*Doh
"Personalize" is a good example.
Since XP, it has taken ever increasing amounts of clicks to perform fewer customisations.

It's quicker to pull out the Ethernet cable, than it is to disable it via the Network Manager.

Internet browsers have taken the same path too.

 

Yeah, I had something of a related problem. I put a folder called "windows tweaks" in the start menu when I was using 7, and I'd like to be able to add more stuff to the folder, but the start menu directory ... isn't where we all left it. So, I searched the C drive and found it in the "Windows.Old" directory. Then I found it empty. So, then I thought I am now completely lost... so, then, I went to the new users directory, and I found it.

C:\Users\[insert name here]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Then, I needed to find the main directory, in order to change some program icons.

C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Hope that helps.

 

I think you are looking for C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs