Start menu repair as easy as 1-2-3

As many of us who use the Windows operating system does have problems from time to time one of the biggest issues that many users have found are rather easy to fix on your own however, if you are uncertain as to what to do, the problem can become quite overwhelming.

If you are not computer savvy and feel that you can't take care of the problem yourself, this too is understandable, however, at a moments notice, late in the evening, there are times when you have to solve the problem yourself.

Fixing common start up menu problems is easy once you can identify the problem, in many cases simply fixing the registry will do the trick. It is always a good idea when installing Windows on your computer for the first time that you have a back-up saved on a disk of the registry. This is called a "boot-disc". There may be times when you have to reboot your computer using this disc.

Here are a list of problems that may come for your start menu that you can easily fix:

1) Empty all programs menu due to lost links
2) Missing "Turn off Computer" icon
3) Unable to right-click start menu icons and drag and drop shortcuts in the start menu
4) Start up menu option missing have to use classic

1) Empty all programs menu due to lost links- You should still be able to see the run command on your start menu. Click on the run menu from the start menu. Type in the following command in the run menu:

regsvr32/ishell32.dll

Press command then restart your computer. If this does not work, then it is time to try another method.

Find the "Shell folder data" for certain values in the registry. You will need to open the Registry Editor window by running the following in the command menu:

regedit.exe

Navigate your computer to "HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerUserShellFolders. You will then need to see if the following entries are listed:

Star Menu %USERPROFILE%StartMenu

Programs %USERPROFILE%StartMenuPrograms

Navigate to the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerUserShellFolders check for the following entries as well:

Common Start Menu %ALLUSERSPROFILE%StartMenu

Common Programs %ALLUSERSPROFILE%StartMenuPrograms

To repair the problem simply enter the missing expandable string values to the specific locations, restart your system and you should be on your way.

2) Missing "Turn-Off" icon- Open the registry editor window, set the value of "NoClose" to 0 in the locations given below:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWinoowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Last but not least restart your computer. This should take care of the problem of your missing "Turn-Off" Icon.

3) Unable to right-click start menu icons and drag and drop shortcuts in the start menu- Open up the task bar and start menu properties dialog box. right-click taskbar and select properites. Open the Start Menu tab and select the customize button. When using the classic start menu, select enable draggin and dropping check box and then close the dialog box.

Sometimes this box can be missing this means that something has decided to disappear in your registry once again. Go to the Registry Editor once again. Go to the following part of the registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Set the value of "NoChangeStartMenu" to 0. This should correct the problem you are having.

4) Start up menu option missing have to use classic- It can be frustrating to have to be used to use the classic start up menu from the task system. Many people are unfamiliar with this situation due to the newer versions of Windows however it can happen in the newer versions as well so be aware of this issue.

For Windows XP you will need to pull up the run command window enter GPEDIT.MSC, this will open the User Configuration- Administrative Templates folder. Once this window is open, select the Star Menu and Task bar option, set the value of Force classic Start Menu to Not Configured. This will prevent your computer from seeking out the classic start up. However, it could prove to be a problem should it not register properly.

When you are in Windows XP home, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USERMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer and set the value of NoSimpelStartMenu to 0.

Restart your computer and it should run normally once again.

Due to the many issues that can be caused through the registry, it is the best place to start when you experience issues with your start up menu. Check your computer for applications to help keep your system running smoothly. There are many great ones out there that run over night and will help keep your registry clean and running the way it should.