Windows 10: Windows 11: adding .url files to the start menu

My Windows 11 system does not appear to allow .url files to be added or pin into the start menu. I have attempted to manually copy the .url files into:C:\Users\miahn\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Once copied they are not added to the start menu. Other types of short cuts added to the above directory are successly added to the start menu.Further Windows 11 Explorer does not have the "Pin to Start" option on .url on the context menu, where as other shortcut do have the option.

:)

 

Adding shortcut icon to the start menu

My first thought was 'why does that need a registry key - surely one just adds a shortcut...?' So I tried that with a sc to a vbs script I use, and simply added it to the start menu folder at C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu, like so:



Then I rt-click on that (in the Start menu program list) and select 'Pin to Start':



Hey presto! (if 'Start' as opposed to the 'Start menu' was what you wanted). For some reason, it appears sc's to scripts (well, vbs at least) cannot be added to 'Start' in one step, as can sc's to executables. But then I tried with a sc to a Powershell script (.psi) and it simply opened in Notepad (or NP++), my default action. So I had to change the default action for a .ps1 to 'run Powershell', which meant finding the .exe down in Windows\System32\Windows Powershell, after which the sc worked from either the Start program list or 'Start'.

There may be a way to create a sc to a .PS1 that runs without making that the default action for all .PS1 files, but I haven't managed that.
<update>: create a sc to C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -file your.ps1 and that should execute regardless of default .ps1 behaviour.

I've no idea if this is any help to you, but I've learnt something! Martin

PS duh! I realise you want to add it to the very LHS icons, in which case I don't know, and can't see how from what I've read so far.

 

Files missing from "Start Menu" "All Programs"

RE: WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 32bit, Files missing from "Start Menu" "All Programs" list.

I have several "start menu" programs missing in my "all programs" list. One of the missing entries is the "accessories" folder and all related files.

As far as I can tell all of the missing files are on the system and they can be found by using the "start menu search" facility. This problem is occurring with other users but I can not find a solution which works to get things back the way they were after installing the OS.

I am seeing the missing apps and other items at this location in iexplore.exe %allusersprofile%\Start Menu\Programs .

Everything I have tried to get these items back into my "start menu" "all programs" list has been met with failure except creating a shortcut. A shortcut is not the real fix as it leaves two entries in the folder.

When I right click on the highlighted "all Programs" box, in the start menu, a small options list pops up, if "open all users" is selected a new window pops up. Inside that window I can click on the programs folder where I can see the missing entries that should appear on my "all programs" list plus those which I presently see on my "all programs" list together in a single directory listing.

How can I get the above directory list of programs back into the "start menu" "all programs" area so I do not have to go through this extra window and select the programs folder to locate what I wish to run?

I also noticed my accessories folder has a lock on it while I am in the primary user administrator account. If you know how to get rid of the lock it would be helpful however I can find that information when I get a chance to look up the answer?

I noticed some hidden (first tier) folders on the C: drive which I made visible while leaving protection on the OS folders. I can now see these folders in an iexplore.exe directory listing. This did not fix the problem in the "all programs" file selection list and I do not remember if this folder was hidden when the OS was installed.

When I opened up the system to allow a login directly into the Administrator account everything shows up the same as it did when the OS installed along with all other programs installed afterward.

After some progress I am still here *Bang Head :banghead: and slowly getting closer to an answer. Can anyone help me get there a little faster?

 

Feature suggestion: Add right-click menu

Suggestion: Please add a Windows 7 Jump-List and/or right-click menu to the GPU-Z icon in the Windows taskbar. Possible menus in it would be "Exit" and "About GPU-Z...".
Maybe also "Switch to tab 1/Switch to tab 2/Switch to videocard 1/Switch to videocard 2" too.
Examples of programs that have such menus are ICQ, Skype, AIM.

NOTE: It seems for a right-click menu, Windows 7 is not needed - it works on WinXP and Vista too.
But even a Windows 7 Jump-list may be good enough.
What do you think?