windows 7 start menu HELP BEER REWARD!

[RichB]

I’m pulling my hair out now (or should I say pulled) so a crate of beer to the first person who can help me! Yes I will deliver a crate to your door….

Domain Controllers 2008r2
File Servers 2003r2
Main desktops XP

Issue:
We are going down the windows 7 route, better late than never! I have got EVERYTHING to work how I want it other than it mapping the start menu.
We are using profiles .man.v2 and I don’t want to change that, they work well. I have copied over the start menu from where it lives in our XP profiles to windows 7. I know the start menu is called something different in windows 7.

Already tried:

• Folder redirection on the start menu
(Windows 7 Start Menu Redirection)
• Unticking hide protected operating system files
• Copying the files the C:\ of the machine to test it – still does not show up and wouldn’t work if we added extra software automatically

Any help would be great, and the beer will turn up!

[Steve21]

If you're using a mandatory profile, can't you just drop it into the default Appdata of that profile?

MyProfile.V2\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Sta rt Menu\Programs

Should show up with hidden/system files on.

Or am I missing something?

*Edit - Or use that path for a full redirect if you prefer, or are you saying that path isn't working at all?

Steve

[eddyc]

The start menu redirection is funny with Windows 7. You need to enable show common programs on the start menu in gpo in order for the redirected menu to actually work.
Force Classic Start Menu and Remove Users Folders from the start menu also break the redirection.

[eddyc]

Our polices are set as follows;

User Policies > Administrative Templates > Start Menu & Task Bar:

Policy Setting Comment

Add "Run in Separate Memory Space" check box to Run dialog box Disabled
Add Logoff to the Start Menu Enabled
Add Search Internet link to Start Menu Disabled
Add the Run command to the Start Menu Disabled
Change Start Menu power button Enabled
Choose one of the following actions Log off
Clear history of recently opened documents on exit Enabled
Clear the recent programs list for new users Disabled
Do not allow pinning items in Jump Lists Enabled
Do not allow pinning programs to the Taskbar Enabled
Do not display any custom toolbars in the taskbar Enabled
Do not display or track items in Jump Lists from remote locations Enabled
Do not keep history of recently opened documents Enabled
Do not search communications Enabled
Do not search for files Disabled
Do not search Internet Enabled
Do not search programs and Control Panel items Disabled
Do not use the search-based method when resolving shell shortcuts Disabled
Do not use the tracking-based method when resolving shell shortcuts Disabled
Force classic Start Menu Disabled
Gray unavailable Windows Installer programs Start Menu shortcuts Enabled
Hide the notification area Enabled
Lock all taskbar settings Enabled
Lock the Taskbar Enabled
Prevent changes to Taskbar and Start Menu Settings Enabled
Prevent grouping of taskbar items Enabled
Prevent users from adding or removing toolbars Enabled
Prevent users from moving taskbar to another screen dock location Enabled
Prevent users from rearranging toolbars Enabled
Prevent users from resizing the taskbar Enabled
Remove access to the context menus for the taskbar Enabled
Remove All Programs list from the Start menu Disabled
Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate commands Disabled
Remove Balloon Tips on Start Menu items Enabled
Remove Clock from the system notification area Disabled
Remove common program groups from Start Menu Enabled
Remove Default Programs link from the Start menu. Enabled
Remove Documents icon from Start Menu Disabled
Remove Downloads link from Start Menu Enabled
Remove drag-and-drop and context menus on the Start Menu Enabled
Remove Favorites menu from Start Menu Disabled
Remove frequent programs list from the Start Menu Disabled
Remove Games link from Start Menu Enabled
Remove Help menu from Start Menu Enabled
Remove Homegroup link from Start Menu Enabled
Remove links and access to Windows Update Enabled
Remove Logoff on the Start Menu Disabled
Remove Music icon from Start Menu Disabled
Remove Network Connections from Start Menu Enabled
Remove Network icon from Start Menu Enabled
Remove Pictures icon from Start Menu Disabled
Remove pinned programs from the Taskbar Enabled
Remove pinned programs list from the Start Menu Disabled
Remove programs on Settings menu Disabled
Remove Recent Items menu from Start Menu Disabled
Remove Recorded TV link from Start Menu Enabled
Remove Run menu from Start Menu Enabled
Remove Search Computer link Enabled
Remove Search link from Start Menu Enabled
Remove See More Results / Search Everywhere link Enabled
Remove the "Undock PC" button from the Start Menu Enabled
Remove the Action Center icon Enabled
Remove the battery meter Disabled
Remove the networking icon Enabled
Remove the volume control icon Disabled
Remove user folder link from Start Menu Disabled
Remove user name from Start Menu Disabled
Remove user's folders from the Start Menu Disabled
Remove Videos link from Start Menu Disabled
Show QuickLaunch on Taskbar Disabled
Turn off all balloon notifications Enabled
Turn off automatic promotion of notification icons to the taskbar Enabled
Turn off feature advertisement balloon notifications Enabled
Turn off notification area cleanup Enabled
Turn off personalized menus Disabled
Turn off taskbar thumbnails Disabled
Turn off user tracking Enabled

[RichB]

no app data folder even with hidden folders shown

[RichB]

The start menu redirection is funny with Windows 7. You need to enable show common programs on the start menu in gpo in order for the redirected menu to actually work.
Force Classic Start Menu and Remove Users Folders from the start menu also break the redirection.

Will give this a try in the morning

[RichB]

The start menu redirection is funny with Windows 7. You need to enable show common programs on the start menu in gpo in order for the redirected menu to actually work.
Force Classic Start Menu and Remove Users Folders from the start menu also break the redirection.

any idea where this is in GP done a search but cannot find it!

[Arthur]

The setting for common program groups is here: gpsearch.azurewebsites.net/#4636

[RichB]

Given it a go still no luck! was hoping for a quick fix this morning....

[Steve21]

Have you tried just dropping one into AppData? Even if it doesn't exist currently. Unless you have it redirected that's where it should normally sit. (At least I think it is)

Steve

[sonofsanta]

One thing that caught me out was that the Win7 redirected start menu requires your shortcuts to be inside a Programs folder e.g. redirect with GP to \\server\share\Win7StartMenu but actually put all your shortcuts into \\server\share\Win7StartMenu\Programs

[RichB]

There is no app data on the profile, inclduing hidden files. do you mean PC based?

[RichB]

anymore ideas people?

[AJWhite1970]

Set these two keys via a GPO to redirect the Start Menu?

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Value name Programs
Value type REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value data \\server\share\Start Menu\Programs

Value name Start Menu
Value type REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value data \\server\share\Start Menu

Andrew

[RichB]

Set these two keys via a GPO to redirect the Start Menu?

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Value name Programs
Value type REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value data \\server\share\Start Menu\Programs

Value name Start Menu
Value type REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value data \\server\share\Start Menu

Andrew

nope..... I must be missing something so simple here!