[Windows 10 1511] Problem with Menu Start shortcuts


  1. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
       #1

    [Windows 10 1511] Problem with Menu Start shortcuts


    Dear Friends

    First of all, hello to everybody! :) It's my first post here at this great TenForums.

    I have got a problem with proper sorting of my shortcuts in Menu Start. English is not my first language, so please forgive me my poor English. I will describe my problem as good as it's possible. I have installed for example Winamp and after installation, there is a shortcut named Winamp under "C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs". When I go to "Start>Menu Start>All programs" there are lots of shortcuts of installed programs and there is also my Winamp shortcut under letter "W". I would like to change name of the Winamp shortcut to "Nullsoft - Winamp", to have it located under letter "N", but when I change name to "Nullsoft - Winamp" it's still visible under letter "W" instead of "N" in my "Start>Menu Start>All programs".

    I have tried deleting and creating once more shortcut to Winamp with name "Nullsoft - Winamp", but it's still not under the right letter, always "W" instead "N". I have checked something, when I click Properties of this shortcut I have got in field Target Path "C:\Program Files (x86)\Winamp\winamp.exe", so I have added after some case for example "C:\Program Files (x86)\Winamp\winamp.exe" -anything and then I have saved such shortcut, guess what, my "Nullsoft - Winamp" is now at letter "N". When I go once more to shortcut Properties and remove "-anything" and my Target Path is once again "C:\Program Files (x86)\Winamp\winamp.exe" and then I click save, my "Nullsoft - Winamp" is once again in wrong place, under letter "W".

    I don't know, why this is happening. Are there any cache, settings, fix which I can use to have a proper sorting and order in my Menu Start? I hope you understand my English.

    I would be glad for any help and support.

    Thank you in advance.

    Sincerely
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 5,169
    64bit Win 10 Pro ver 21H2
       #2

    I believe this is because the sort order is determined by the first letter of the file to which the shortcut points. So in your case the file is winamp.exe

    When you changed the entry the shortcut no longer pointed to a valid filename and so Windows used the first letter of the shortcut name to position it in the list.

    In Windows 10 there are all sorts of ways of starting programs and apps. So, if after clicking the start menu, you just type the first letter of the app you want, you will immediately get a list of all the apps starting with that letter. You may find this is quicker and easier to do.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Dear philc43

    philc43 said:
    I believe this is because the sort order is determined by the first letter of the file to which the shortcut points. So in your case the file is winamp.exe

    When you changed the entry the shortcut no longer pointed to a valid filename and so Windows used the first letter of the shortcut name to position it in the list.

    In Windows 10 there are all sorts of ways of starting programs and apps. So, if after clicking the start menu, you just type the first letter of the app you want, you will immediately get a list of all the apps starting with that letter. You may find this is quicker and easier to do.
    Thank you for your fast reply. Maybe you are right about quicker findings, but this is not a solution for my problem. I have this problem with every shortcuts of any installed applications. Why Windows 10 is still remember the old name of the shortcut and place it in All Apps under Menu Start with old first letter of shortcut naming? Maybe there is some database, cache or something similar, which need to be refreshed? Or maybe there is a problem with Menu Start elements, which also need to be refreshed?

    Someone have got the same problem with Windows 10 1511?

    Please try changing name of any of your shortcuts and see, if it is placed under right letter in All Apps under Menu Start.

    Thank you in advance.

    Sincerely
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5,169
    64bit Win 10 Pro ver 21H2
       #4

    As I explained, it is not the name of the shortcut that determines its sort order. It is the name of the file that the shortcut points to.

    To prove this I just changed a shortcut I have for GIMP 2 which appears under the G section. My new shortcut name is My GIMP 2 and it still shows up under the G section because the new shortcut is still referencing a file called gimp-2.8.exe which begins with G.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Dear philc43

    philc43 said:
    As I explained, it is not the name of the shortcut that determines its sort order. It is the name of the file that the shortcut points to.

    To prove this I just changed a shortcut I have for GIMP 2 which appears under the G section. My new shortcut name is My GIMP 2 and it still shows up under the G section because the new shortcut is still referencing a file called gimp-2.8.exe which begins with G.
    So you have the same problem, because this is a bug. I have called to my friend, which work with Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB version and there is no such problem at all. He may change name of his shortcuts and there are also placed under a proper letter Menu Start under All Apps. So the Windows 10 has something wrong with version 1511, LTSB has got 10240 as latest build.

    Thank you once more for your support.

    Sincerely
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 5,169
    64bit Win 10 Pro ver 21H2
       #6

    Thanks for the follow up. Please report this to Microsoft via their Windows Feedback app. It is difficult to know what are bugs and what are features these days! :)
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Dear philc43

    philc43 said:
    Thanks for the follow up. Please report this to Microsoft via their Windows Feedback app. It is difficult to know what are bugs and what are features these days! :)
    Yep, that's true. I have workaround for my problem, just need to create vbs script that contains:

    Code:
    Dim objShell
    Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    objShell.Run("""<target_path>""<arguments>")
    Set objShell = Nothing
    For example, to create a shortcut to launch Steam in silent mode you need to create vbs file with:

    Code:
    Dim objShell
    Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    objShell.Run("""C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe""-silent")
    Set objShell = Nothing
    ...and give it a name: Valve - Steam.vbs, then create shortcut with it as Target Path, choose your shortcut icon from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe and name this shortcut as Valve - Steam.lnk. Final step is to copy Valve - Steam.lnk under %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu or C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu.

    After this you will have Valve - Steam​ shortcut under letter "V" in All Apps under Menu Start! :)

    Maybe someone will also search for a fix of the problem I have described for shortcuts in Windows 10 1511, so here you are Of course you need to delete the default shortcut for Steam created during installation of this application.

    Sincerely
      My Computer


 

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