Can't pin programs to Start menu anymore?

Nus said:

The 'Pin to Start' menu item has no effect whether it's from the Start->All Programs menu or File Explorer. I can drag and drop shortcuts from the All Programs menu and they will pin, but cannot do the same from File Explorer.

It had been working fine, I pinned a couple of apps via the context menu item, then I installed Visual Studio 2015 RC. After the installation completed I unsuccessfully tried to pin some of the new items and that's when I realised the problem had reoccurred.

See if these steps help. Some of these steps might require a good amount of time to complete - consider it maintenance downtime.

• Run the System File checker.
  See OPTION TWO To Run SFC /SCANNOW Command in Windows 8 in:
  SFC /SCANNOW Command
  
  
• Run Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management (DISM) to check and repair the Windows Component Store.
  See OPTION ONE To Run "DISM /Cleanup-Image" tool in an Elevated Command Prompt in:
  DISM - Fixing Component Store Corruption
  
  
• Prepare for a Clean Startup:
  See PART ONE How to Perform a Clean Boot in:
  Troubleshoot Problem with Clean Boot

Slartybart said:

See if these steps help. Some of these steps might require a good amount of time to complete - consider it maintenance downtime.

• Run the System File checker.
  See OPTION TWO To Run SFC /SCANNOW Command in Windows 8 in:
  SFC /SCANNOW Command
• Run Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management (DISM) to check and repair the Windows Component Store.
  See OPTION ONE To Run "DISM /Cleanup-Image" tool in an Elevated Command Prompt in:
  DISM - Fixing Component Store Corruption
• Prepare for a Clean Startup:
  See PART ONE How to Perform a Clean Boot in:
  Troubleshoot Problem with Clean Boot

Cheers, I'll give the first two a try and report back.

My Startup is completely clean as is, so no need for that.

Slartybart said:

• Run the System File checker.
  See OPTION TWO To Run SFC /SCANNOW Command in Windows 8 in:
  SFC /SCANNOW Command

I ran sfc /scannow and got:

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

But, strangely enough, pinning is back to working as it should do?

Don't think I tried pinning anything after the reboots since the Visual Studio install and the problem occuring. So perhaps rebooting sorted it?

Either way thanks for the help.

Glad to hear the issue sorted itself out.

As a young man I was a prestidigitator, but it probably was the reboot

Bill
.

Nus said:

So this issue has occurred again...

The 'Pin to Start' menu item has no effect whether it's from the Start->All Programs menu or File Explorer. I can drag and drop shortcuts from the All Programs menu and they will pin, but cannot do the same from File Explorer.

It had been working fine, I pinned a couple of apps via the context menu item, then I installed Visual Studio 2015 RC. After the installation completed I unsuccessfully tried to pin some of the new items and that's when I realised the problem had reoccurred.

So, I would have to say this is a bug with Windows.

I can live with it for now, seeing as this is a temporary installation, but it will be bloody annoying if it occurs with the official release.

If anyone has any ideas then feel free to chime in.

I'm having he same problem since build 10162. I was hoping the latest RTM build 10240 would finally resolve it but alas such was not the case. In any event, your workaround to drag/drop from the all programs menu was not something I had considered. And it works! Its a very easy workaround so thank you for that. Meanwhile, if you ever do find the root issue remain interested...

GreenScrew said:

I'm having he same problem since build 10162. I was hoping the latest RTM build 10240 would finally resolve it but alas such was not the case. In any event, your workaround to drag/drop from the all programs menu was not something I had considered. And it works! Its a very easy workaround so thank you for that. Meanwhile, if you ever do find the root issue remain interested...

I have done various registry hacks and other messing around with the install since my last post and the problem has yet to reoccur. So, I can't add any further information about the issue yet.

It will not be cool if it crops up in the release version. Having to do a registry backup everytime you install something or make a change, just to be safe, will get old fast. As will having to do multiple clean installs just to sort out a minor, but irritating, issue.

I have a post at Microsoft about this and it has gotten some traction with someone "in the know". Apparently, this can happen if you have more than 512 apps in the Start menu. They are working on a fix.

Microsoft Answers post:
Some Win32 apps missing from Start menu list - Microsoft Community

PowerShell command to tell how many apps you have:
Get-StartApps | measure

My other post here on this issue:
https://www.tenforums.com/general-discussion/8839-desktop-win32-apps-missing-start-menu-all-apps-search.html

Great work Aaron44126

!!!!

This one really solved my problem. if I had read this 3 days ago it would have saved me a whole lot of work. It happened to me, not being able to pin programs anymore to the start menu and I got so worried that something else about my win10 fresh installation was wrong that I decided to go ahead and do a clean format again... well, three days passed getting my machine right to the very detail before doing a system image backup and bam, about 30minutes ago the same error came back and not being able to pin programs to the start menu... so I thought it might have been some program I installed. but no, it was windows 512apps problem that got to me...
So I followed your info on
PowerShell command to tell how many apps you have:
Get-StartApps | measure

And sure enough, I had much much much more than that. So I decided it was time to bring that number down.
and this is why I am writing this post, because after what I did, the new apps I installed made their way to the start menu in no time, since I had not more that 512 apps.

so, and since your post REALLY saved me the trouble of having to re-format the pc, I decided to share to anyone like me 30 minutes ago, how you can drop down that number and not lose another second of sleep until MS resolves this problem.
so here it goes:
What are considered startApps are actually "Shortcut" files. Yeah, "Shortcut" files. and some that you REALLY don't need.
Because what is considered by the start menu as apps are ALL the shortcut files in this folder:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Every single file there is adding up to the 512 max.
So, all the programs you install that also add for example a shortcut for their website in this start folder, that shortcut/link will be adding up to that 512 number.
Yes, now you see how it is really pretty easy to get to that number in no time.
And it's safe to delete shortcuts from this folder. just don't delete important or system shortcuts. but even if you do, keep in mind that these are just shortcuts and not the actual files (though, please steer away from deleting system shortcuts). anyway, if you got this far you'll know which shortcut files you absolutely don't need.

For example, if you install a program such as Waves Audio Mercury that has more than a hundred plugins, you'll pretty soon be close to reaching that 512 number, because Waves also puts in that folder C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs the shortcut to the PDF manual file of every single plugin. so, yep, even though they are shortcuts to pdf files and not really apps, those shortcuts there will be counting as startApps.
And remember that by deleting the pdf shortcut you're not deleting the actual pdf file...

so, get your collective selves down to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
and delete away until MS solves this bug
worked for me and now I'm a happy camper.
cheers! and again, thanks Aaron

Aaron44126 said:

I have a post at Microsoft about this and it has gotten some traction with someone "in the know". Apparently, this can happen if you have more than 512 apps in the Start menu. They are working on a fix.

Microsoft Answers post:
Some Win32 apps missing from Start menu list - Microsoft Community

PowerShell command to tell how many apps you have:
Get-StartApps | measure

My other post here on this issue:
https://www.tenforums.com/general-discussion/8839-desktop-win32-apps-missing-start-menu-all-apps-search.html

Yep. Freaky strange