Hmmm. I guess I should have been more explicit about what I'm trying to
accomplish.

Yes, I can create new shortcuts directly to the actual executables in
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\". I've created those shortcuts
directly on the Desktop and dragged them into
"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\", and those shortcuts,
in turn, do behave "properly" when pinned to the start menu.

But what I'm wondering about is why the special type of link that Microsoft
creates for the Office apps with the installation procedure won't work this
way? Could this be by design, as a result of some specific setting? It
wouldn't seem to make any sense. I'm pursuing this because I want to be sure
that there's not some issue with the way I'm preparing these systems. I don't
want to be breaking stuff. Particularly since I would really prefer using the
"Open Microsoft Office Document" and "New Microsoft Office Document"
shortcuts, and I don't think there's a direct executable I can link to create
regular shortcuts for those functions. At least I haven't found any way to do
it.

A few additional observations about my system.

1. You'll notice I said that I create shortcuts to the Microsoft apps on the
Desktop and then place them under the Programs folder. The reason I do it
that way is that Explorer doesn't seem to want me to create shortcuts
directly within the start menu location. The option to create a new folder is
there, but no option to create a new shortcut. This goes for both the
Organize menu and the right-click context menu. Design, or symptom of a
problem on these systems I'm preparing? All Vista systems I've seen have been
this way. (Of course I'm the one who prepared them, so who knows...)

2. When I look at the "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu" I see
"Open Microsoft Office Document" and "New Microsoft Office Document"
shortcuts already there that are NOT being displayed on the top level of the
start menu. When I look in "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start
Menu\Programs\" I do NOT see those two shortcuts, but both of those shortcuts
are displayed AT THAT LEVEL of the Start Menu! Again, I'm asking myself if
this is by design or if it is a symptom of an issue with the way these
systems were prepared. If it is by design -- putting the shortcuts in one
physical location in the file structure but showing them in a
non-corresponding organizational location in the Start Menu -- then I think
that's kind of a wacky thing for Microsoft to do. And way out of keeping with
the rather decent organizational approach I think they have taken toward the
UI in this operating system.

I'd appreciate further communication from anyone who's in the least bit
interested because my foray into solving this little conundrum hasn't been
getting anywhere.

Thanks.

"Lang Murphy" wrote:

> Have you tried deleting the shortcuts and recreating your own? I'm running
> O2007 Beta on Vista RTM and not having those types of problems, but I don't
> have Visio or OneNote installed. Have you tried installing O2007, checking
> to see if the problem exists, install Visio, check the problem, install
> OneNote, check the problem?
>
> Lang
>
> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:ED24F098-EEE5-43F3-AD04-30B3F6C664A7@microsoft.com...
> > I've posted about this issue under Office General Questions, but we
> > haven't
> > got very far with it. Location of that discussion --
> >
> > http://www.microsoft.com/communities...xp=&sloc=en-us
> >
> > I'll restate as briefly as possible:
> >
> > Systems are running Vista Business, Office Professional 2007, Office Visio
> > Professional 2007, Office OneNote 2007 -- all RTM. Complete install was
> > used
> > for each of the Office applications.
> >
> > The Office shortcuts produced by the installation process in the Start
> > Menu
> > work fine when selected by mouse or by arrow keys. The do NOT work when
> > selected with the Start Menu search function. It gets weirder. If I pin
> > any
> > of these shortcuts to the Start Menu's top level, they don't function at
> > all,
> > regardless of how they are selected. Same for placing them in the Quick
> > Launch toolbar. Drag them from their non-functioning position on the Start
> > Menu or in Quick Launch to the Desktop, and they work. All user accounts
> > behave the same. I have seen this now on five systems. I have not seen the
> > shortcuts behave properly (or in a manner that I would deem to be proper,
> > anyway) on a single machine with this combination of software.
> >
> > Systems are configured very much alike -- using renamed primary accounts,
> > Ctrl-Alt-Del required to log in, not showing last logged user. Nothing
> > fancy.
> >
> > Am I doing something wrong / dumb? Is there a fix for this? A hidden
> > setting? An obvious setting? Folks in the Office discussion area don't
> > seem
> > to be coming up with anything. I'm most CERTAINLY not coming up with
> > anything. Have tried Office diagnostics / repair - nothing. Have tried a
> > removal then reinstallation of the applications on one system - same
> > result.
> > If I'm doing something dumb, at least I'm being consistent about it.
> >
> > :\
>