How to stop windows from tearing up my cust folder on version updates?

So i spent some time learning the ins and outs, and pitfalls of mucking around with the accessories, system tools, ease of access folders relative to windows updates.

I decided i'd hide all those folders, and simply make a custom one of my own. This way windows can do its thing when it updates, and my custom folder populated with shortcuts from the others would be there in all its glory, undisturbed until i will it so.

Yea, not in practice. Up until now, ive been backing the folder up and after each update/reset/restore or whatever else decides to purge half of it away - I simply delete it and copy the backup into its location.

Still i'd like to omit that step.

At first i thought setting it as read-only, but im unsure if that would save it. Perhaps setting the folder and all its contents as read-only, but im unsure if that would propagate to the apps themselves (not sure if windows follows shortcuts to their endpoints like that) and I dont want to risk something not working due to the aforementioned.

last thought, permissions. Unfortunately not only are permissions the area im most grey on when it comes to pc's, but I'm not sure if a windows version update would lambast those as well.

Anyone have any insight on what my potential solutions are, if any?

Though you don't say so explicitly, it sounds like you're talking about a Start Meenu folder, is that correct? If so, then from what I know of Windows 10 Start emnu behavior is that it doesn't like duplicate shortcut targets anywhere within its hierarchy. Meanig for a custom Start Menu folder with shortcuts to existing items, the existing shortcuts have to be removed. IS that what you did?
Also, give the full path to any relevant folders/files.

Keith

KeithM said:

Though you don't say so explicitly, it sounds like you're talking about a Start Meenu folder, is that correct? If so, then from what I know of Windows 10 Start emnu behavior is that it doesn't like duplicate shortcut targets anywhere within its hierarchy. Meanig for a custom Start Menu folder with shortcuts to existing items, the existing shortcuts have to be removed. IS that what you did?
Also, give the full path to any relevant folders/files.

Keith

ah yes. sorry if that wasnt clear. In hindsight thats certainly a relevant bit of info.

yes a start menu folder. I use open-shell and intentionally stuck it on the appdata side not the programdata side (all user side).

It is populated with shortcuts to windows other default folders/items such as cmd/powershell etc.

Perhaps your onto something regarding duplicates. I wonder why it doesnt take them all then. I've moved nothing. Every single one is a shortcut that comes from one of those other folder/location/items.

irrespective of reasoning, would a read-only stop it?

ultimately dragging and dropping the folder in every time i do a version upgrade (not often obviously) or an in-place (even more rare for the most part) is not a huge deal. Just annoying to have to re-do it and ensure its backed up all the time etc.

thanks for the reply :)

f14tomcat said:

Is this the folder you are referring to?

Correct. I created a folder in there called "Windows Utilities" and created shortcuts from windows default folder locations and dumped in there. Then hid the original locations so I just have 1 folder full of windows apps i deem necessary.

lol help me out, im old. whats a s.w.a.g.? I'm sure ill facepalm after :P

LOL. I pegged the last letter as "guess" but the first 3.... not too often i come across e-acronyms i dont know by now, but thats a new one for me :)