So where are the Start Menu shortcuts stored?
In XP, C:\Documents and Settings\me\Start Menu was where mine lived, and C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu was where the shortcuts for all lived. It seems to have changed in Vista and Windows 7. Where have I been?
Actually I like the way the new dir structure is in Windows Vista and 7. Much more sensible, with no spaces in pathnames. Now if we could get rid of C:\Program Files (x86) to something like /usr/bin or even better /Applications/MyApp 🙂
Sniffing around I found “All Users”
C:\Users>dir "All Users" /a
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <SYMLINKD> All Users [C:\ProgramData]
08/16/2010 12:19 PM <DIR> Dave
07/14/2009 01:12 AM <DIR> Default
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <JUNCTION> Default User [C:\Users\Default]
07/13/2009 10:54 PM 174 desktop.ini
11/09/2010 11:31 AM <DIR> notadmin
07/14/2009 01:45 AM <DIR> Public
What’s in C:\ProgramData?
C:\ProgramData>dir /a
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <JUNCTION> Application Data [C:\ProgramData]
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <JUNCTION> Desktop [C:\Users\Public\Desktop]
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <JUNCTION> Documents [C:\Users\Public\Documents]
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <JUNCTION> Favorites [C:\Users\Public\Favorites]
08/12/2010 02:02 PM <DIR> Microsoft
08/13/2010 09:29 AM <DIR> Microsoft Help
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <JUNCTION> Start Menu [C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu]
08/16/2010 08:33 AM <DIR> Sun
08/17/2010 10:42 AM <DIR> TEMP
07/13/2009 11:08 PM <JUNCTION> Templates [C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates]
08/04/2010 11:32 AM <DIR> VMware
So my shortcuts are in
C:\Users\notadmin\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
and All Users are in
C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu