Windows 10: Start Menu not displaying installed software

Hi all,
I'm sure that there will be a thread about this somewhere but I've been looking for hours so please forgive me if the answered is down a well trodden path.

Recently updated a Win 10 laptop - it has been dormant for a long time (maybe 2 years+). All was working fine before the upgrades.

Upgrades took a while but all seemed to go well - no reported errors.

When I looked at the start menu for Chrome or Windows (by typing these words into Cortana) I was offered Chrome (1) or Word (1).

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp shows the original items (ie Chrome and Word) with blank icons and the copies (Chrome(1) and Word (1)) with normal icons. The copies work the originals dont.

Looking in the start menu folder (given above) I see that both SYSTEM and ADMINISTRATORS seem to have full control but nothing happens if I try to move an item .... no error just no action. I can delete items though

I notice that the properties for the old (correct?) items shows no path in "Start In" and I cannot therefore open the destination folder.

I've tried creating a new user and then searching for these programs and nothing works but I can prowse to (say) C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15 and run Winword.exe

I've gone through several procedures that check for missing system files and all report OK.

Any thoughts?

:)

 

My start menu icons aren't showing up properly!

I have same problem, the start menu is not working. when you click it , nothing happened. Microsoft edge and store icon are missing on the taskbar.

 

Windows 10 Start menu not displaying desktop app icons

Although this answer seemed to really have promise, it did not solve the problem, 'desktop apps' still have no icons, just the little white file icon. This was after doing both method 1 and 2.

Windows 10 seems to run flawlessly aside to this.

 

Hi bremhillbob and welcome to Tenforums.
Have you tried this?
Reset Start Layout in Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials

There's also a possibility here (post #2):
Resetting Win 10 Start Menu Solved - Windows 10 Forums

.