Yup, that's the plan. I just hope that, when I find the problem, it won't be
of the variety that will make me feel compelled to redo the systems I've
already configured with Vista. They work very well.

My wife has a software development system that really should be reconfigured
after the last horrendous crapload of RAD utilities she tested imploded. I'm
trying to convince her to let me stick Vista on that box and let her run her
development environments within virtual machines -- so that they are easy for
her (and, ahem, me) to restore when entropy takes its course.

But that will have to wait a few weeks until she finds out about a couple of
new projects and the next load of geekware in store for that system.

I'm glad I'm a physicist and not a software developer. (Are all developer's
machines that -- disorganized?)

"Lang Murphy" wrote:

> Well... I'd say it would seem most likely to be some software screwup... if
> you're seeing this on multiple machines (read: reproducible) then if you
> want to narrow down the problem, start with a clean Vista build, install
> Office without OneNote, check for the problem, add OneNote to Office, check
> for the problem, install Visio, check for the problem. That's what I'd do,
> anyway... not that I'm the SME on this type of stuff, but I've had to run
> down a few problems in the past.
>
> Lang
>
> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B39F7AFE-B208-440F-A99D-08636FEE616F@microsoft.com...
> > Some day, when I have a few hours to burn, or when I don't have the time
> > but
> > opportunity knocks, I'll look at this again to see if I can figure out
> > just
> > what was going on. But the arrangement I have here is just fine -- only
> > requiring a little adaptation in the way I do a few things with respect to
> > opening a few specific documents.
> >
> > Can't say that the Vista / Office 2007 experience has been negative
> > overall.
> > Pretty good software all around. I really can't believe how smoothly and
> > quickly everything works. I'm running it on a couple of notebook
> > computers --
> > one of them a pretty high end Dell Precision model with a couple of gigs
> > of
> > RAM from a couple of years ago and the other a Panasonic R3
> > (ultra-portable).
> > The Panny has Intel integrated video, so it doesn't get to use Aero Glass.
> > The OS and other software look great on both computers, and everything
> > (including boot and shutdown) is quick and responsive.
> >
> > But someone, either Microsoft or myself, screwed up a little on those
> > shortcuts.
> >
> >
> >
> > "Lang Murphy" wrote:
> >
> >> Yeah, sometimes you just have to file stuff away in the Weird Folder and
> >> move on...
> >>
> >> Lang
> >>
> >> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:9A11FE85-E551-4EBD-873D-B3C88598AA4E@microsoft.com...
> >> > Aw, heck. I got tired of fiddling around with this. Life is too danged
> >> > short
> >> > to worry about something like this. Pretty much everything else I'm
> >> > using
> >> > in
> >> > Office and Vista is working fine. Life is good.
> >> >
> >> > So I blew away the stupid "Microsoft Office blah blah" shortcuts and
> >> > just
> >> > created my own shortcuts to the executables. All of those work just
> >> > fine --
> >> > with pin/unpin to start menu and with the start menu search function.
> >> > I'll
> >> > just have to do without the Open and New shortcuts.
> >> >
> >> > And, by the way, I did have to blow away the Microsoft shortcuts
> >> > because
> >> > their presence in the Start Menu folders prevented the search function
> >> > from
> >> > finding the working versions. Yes, that's right. Say, for instance, I
> >> > typed
> >> > "exc.." in the start menu search. The Microsoft Office Excel shortcut
> >> > would
> >> > get selected (despite the Excel one I created being pinned to the start
> >> > menu
> >> > AND ahead of it in the Microsoft Office folder, and hitting Enter would
> >> > still
> >> > get me nada.
> >> >
> >> > Weird. Weird. Weird.
> >> >
> >> > "jimmuh" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> 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.
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > > :\
> >> >> >
> >>
>