Start Menu problem

[zasquatch]

Help!
My Start Menu is picking most (or maybe all) of the folders and files in my Program Files directory. For example, I have a folder in my Program Files directory called Benchmarks for progs like 3DMark, etc. Inside of that I have a folder for 3dMark03, another for 3DMark2001SE, etc. When I go to the Start Menu>Programs>Benchmarks>3dMark03 it expands out to show every file in the folder! And it doesn't show them as shortcuts either. If I check properties for one, it shows the actual file. I believe this has done this for every new folder I've made in the Program Files folder. The normal shortcuts show up also, but normally (in their own folders or right on the root of the Start Menu>All Programs) like the way the program installed it. This has made a real mess of my Start Menu.

When I boot up, it gets to the part where it is loading the icons that show up in the icon tray, and there is like a 30 second delay where a can't do anything related to the Start Menu, Tanksbar, or Icon Tray. I believe it is loading all that Start Menu stuff during that time.

This is ticking me off to the point I may do a clean re-install. But I'd rather not do that if I don't have to. I figure it's probably just a manner of changing a something in the registry, but I don't know enough about the registry to figure that out. But if one you registry gurus can tell me what to change, I do know how to edit the registry safely.

Help! This is d-d-d-driving me crazy!

 

[sunase]

Bizarre, the stuff in your "C:\Program Files" directory is showing up in your start menu? TweakUI does allow you to change the folder for your start menu without editing the registry directly. The option is in the My Computer->Special Folders area in TweakUI. That's probably just the "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu" one, though. I image there's a "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu" setting that could be causing this as well.

 

[zasquatch]

Got it fixed! I think I got pretty lucky. Made a backup of the registry, then I did a search for "programs" trying to find an entry that didn't look right. When I found one, I'd delete it and log out and back in. It took 5 or 6 tries, had the Start Menu all screwed up (it was completely empty at one point). Finally hit on the right one. I don't even remember what it said or what section it was in now.

Thanks sunase for your help. After reading your post I searched the registry for "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu". I thought everything looked ok there, so decided to search for programs. You got me pushed in the right direction! Thanks!