"Les" <completelyfalse@mailaddress.toavoid.spam> wrote in message
news:OXiUZ4OZIHA.5980@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi
>
> Vista Ultimate - fully up to date.
>
> I uninstalled a program through the Control Panel -> Programs and
> Features. This seemed to remove all signs of the application from the
> C:\Program Files folder, but I was left with the application with sub
> folders on the Start Menu/All Programs. Since I didn't need this anymore,
> I tried right clicking on it and selected Delete - this resulted in a
> dialog 'You need to confirm this operation - Continue/Skip/Cancel' - I
> selected Continue - the dialog box disappears but nothing else happens -
> the menu entries remained.
>
> Looking through various Vista newsgroups, I found a 'Take Ownership'
> registry thing - I installed this.
>
> Retrying the above and after 'Taking Ownership' of the start menu entry
> (entries), has exactly the same results - the references to the
> application still remain.
>
> Next I tried search for the application name and this led me to the folder
> '\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs' and I tried Delete
> there both without then with the Take Ownership - still the same dialog
> which when clicking Continue results in no action.
>
> On a related note: I have had times where I want to delete something from
> (say) the Program Files folder where I needed to go through the
> Permissions procedure and then get a dialog showing progress/time
> remaining etc but at the end, no actual deletions take place - strange!
> (btw I am not doing anything unorthodox in as much as I was only changing
> an installed application .dll updated file) - *however*, I found the Take
> Ownership did work in this instance.
>
> I'm now at a dead end in getting this start menu entry removed, and
> relying on the collective wisdom of this group to help me out.
>
> --
> regards,
> Les Hay, Livingston, Scotland

Have you tried
Right clicking the item
select Properties
Select the Security Tab.
Highlight the user you are logged in as.
Click the 'Edit' button
Place a check in the box for the Allow Full Control
Click Apply
Click OK

Now go back to the start menu and delete the item