Help -- need to reinstall all vista start menu shortcuts

Help.

I cleaned up some shortcuts and folders in Start Menu/All Programs. I
saw something called Programs that I didn't see before (and it was
empty), so I deleted that, too. I then emptied the Recycle Bin.

To my shock, I realized that the Programs folder was a shortcut to c:/
ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start/Programs, so now I have lost all
the standard Windows shortcuts that I need -- like Accessories,
Windows SUA, and Administrative Tools (!).

I had done a full backup, but C:/ProgramData was not in the list of
things that gets backed up.

I do not have a Vista install CD, since I purchased the Vista Upgrade
online, and downloaded it.

How in god's name can I recover these important links?

Desperate...

Tim--

You don't have a Vista DVD because the company who makes it called MSFT is
gready and they forced the OEM named partner or whomever sold it to you not
to provide it. We will hear this thousands of times until Blackcomb and
then we'll hear it again. MSFT just can't get it into their heads to
provide the Win RE envivonment to its end user customers.

They don't feel committed and Mike Brannigan will jump up to the stage on
cue and say lol that the OEMs are committed. Ain't no one gives a damn who
takes your money if you get the way to use Win RE.

1) Try a restore point or points.
2) Try typing in search shell:name of shorcut <Enter>

CH



<tim.england@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1171848957.260821.75860@q2g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...
> Help.
>
> I cleaned up some shortcuts and folders in Start Menu/All Programs. I
> saw something called Programs that I didn't see before (and it was
> empty), so I deleted that, too. I then emptied the Recycle Bin.
>
> To my shock, I realized that the Programs folder was a shortcut to c:/
> ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start/Programs, so now I have lost all
> the standard Windows shortcuts that I need -- like Accessories,
> Windows SUA, and Administrative Tools (!).
>
> I had done a full backup, but C:/ProgramData was not in the list of
> things that gets backed up.
>
> I do not have a Vista install CD, since I purchased the Vista Upgrade
> online, and downloaded it.
>
> How in god's name can I recover these important links?
>
> Desperate...
>

<tim.england@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1171848957.260821.75860@q2g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...
> Help.
>
> I cleaned up some shortcuts and folders in Start Menu/All Programs. I
> saw something called Programs that I didn't see before (and it was
> empty), so I deleted that, too. I then emptied the Recycle Bin.
>
> To my shock, I realized that the Programs folder was a shortcut to c:/
> ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start/Programs, so now I have lost all
> the standard Windows shortcuts that I need -- like Accessories,
> Windows SUA, and Administrative Tools (!).
>
> I had done a full backup, but C:/ProgramData was not in the list of
> things that gets backed up.
>
> I do not have a Vista install CD, since I purchased the Vista Upgrade
> online, and downloaded it.
>
> How in god's name can I recover these important links?
>
> Desperate...
>'System Restore?
Try that.

should have read OEMS aren't committed and that's because MSFT forces them
into a contract not to provide it and neither of the entities making huge
profits from MSFT customers gives a damn about customers recovering. Dell
claims to be providing a Vista DVD when you pay them one to four grand for
their hardware.

CH

"Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in message
news:eT5Vjh8UHHA.4076@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Tim--
>
> You don't have a Vista DVD because the company who makes it called MSFT is
> gready and they forced the OEM named partner or whomever sold it to you
> not to provide it. We will hear this thousands of times until Blackcomb
> and then we'll hear it again. MSFT just can't get it into their heads to
> provide the Win RE envivonment to its end user customers.
>
> They don't feel committed and Mike Brannigan will jump up to the stage on
> cue and say lol that the OEMs are committed. Ain't no one gives a damn who
> takes your money if you get the way to use Win RE.
>
> 1) Try a restore point or points.
> 2) Try typing in search shell:name of shorcut <Enter>
>
> CH
>
>
>
> <tim.england@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1171848957.260821.75860@q2g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...
>> Help.
>>
>> I cleaned up some shortcuts and folders in Start Menu/All Programs. I
>> saw something called Programs that I didn't see before (and it was
>> empty), so I deleted that, too. I then emptied the Recycle Bin.
>>
>> To my shock, I realized that the Programs folder was a shortcut to c:/
>> ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start/Programs, so now I have lost all
>> the standard Windows shortcuts that I need -- like Accessories,
>> Windows SUA, and Administrative Tools (!).
>>
>> I had done a full backup, but C:/ProgramData was not in the list of
>> things that gets backed up.
>>
>> I do not have a Vista install CD, since I purchased the Vista Upgrade
>> online, and downloaded it.
>>
>> How in god's name can I recover these important links?
>>
>> Desperate...
>>
>

On Feb 18, 5:53 pm, "BobC" <rmc2kk@acworthcablenet dot.net> wrote:
> <tim.engl...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1171848957.260821.75860@q2g2000cwa.googlegrou ps.com...
>
>
>
> > Help.
>
> > I cleaned up some shortcuts and folders in Start Menu/All Programs. I
> > saw something called Programs that I didn't see before (and it was
> > empty), so I deleted that, too. I then emptied the Recycle Bin.
>
> > To my shock, I realized that the Programs folder was a shortcut to c:/
> > ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start/Programs, so now I have lost all
> > the standard Windows shortcuts that I need -- like Accessories,
> > Windows SUA, and Administrative Tools (!).
>
> > I had done a full backup, but C:/ProgramData was not in the list of
> > things that gets backed up.
>
> > I do not have a Vista install CD, since I purchased the Vista Upgrade
> > online, and downloaded it.
>
> > How in god's name can I recover these important links?
>
> > Desperate...
> >'System Restore?
>
> Try that.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Gentlemen,

I tried doing a system restore. Unfortunately, it looks like the
shortcuts defined in c:/ProgramData/ are not part included (I got an
error trying to restore the previous checkpoint, in any case).

I am re-downloading the Vista Upgrade from Digital Locker/Windows
Marketplace again (should take a number of hours). I hope that when I
launch it again it will give me an option to Repair Existing
Installation and not just tell me that Vista has already been
installed and then quit.

I thought I was doing everything right with the backups and all. Oh
well, learning experience. I just hope that I can eventually figure
out how to get these back -- especially the Administive Tools links...

Sorry i can't help you, but i did the EXACT same thing. I ended up
reinstalling because it seemed quicker than manually creating all those
shortcuts again....it was also on a 5 minute old install, so i had
nothing to lose but 25 minutes of my time.

Good luck, you weren't the only one.


--
Sucka

On Feb 18, 6:13 pm, Sucka <Sucka.2m8...@no-mx.forums.net> wrote:
> Sorry i can't help you, but i did the EXACT same thing. I ended up
> reinstalling because it seemed quicker than manually creating all those
> shortcuts again....it was also on a 5 minute old install, so i had
> nothing to lose but 25 minutes of my time.
>
> Good luck, you weren't the only one.
>
> --
> Sucka

It's good to know that even though it's kind of a user-error thing,
I'm not the only user who made that error :-)

I just hope to god that once this Digital Locker redownload finishes I
can launch it and repair...

Tim, I just sent to your gmail acct the Vista Start menu with all the
shortcuts, its about 57kb in a zipped folder.

amenx
---------------------

"tengland" wrote:

> On Feb 18, 6:13 pm, Sucka <Sucka.2m8...@no-mx.forums.net> wrote:
> > Sorry i can't help you, but i did the EXACT same thing. I ended up
> > reinstalling because it seemed quicker than manually creating all those
> > shortcuts again....it was also on a 5 minute old install, so i had
> > nothing to lose but 25 minutes of my time.
> >
> > Good luck, you weren't the only one.
> >
> > --
> > Sucka
>
> It's good to know that even though it's kind of a user-error thing,
> I'm not the only user who made that error :-)
>
> I just hope to god that once this Digital Locker redownload finishes I
> can launch it and repair...
>
>

On Feb 18, 8:28 pm, amenx <a...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Tim, I just sent to your gmail acct the Vista Start menu with all the
> shortcuts, its about 57kb in a zipped folder.
>
> amenx
> ---------------------
>
>
>
> "tengland" wrote:
> > On Feb 18, 6:13 pm, Sucka <Sucka.2m8...@no-mx.forums.net> wrote:
> > > Sorry i can't help you, but i did the EXACT same thing. I ended up
> > > reinstalling because it seemed quicker than manually creating all those
> > > shortcuts again....it was also on a 5 minute old install, so i had
> > > nothing to lose but 25 minutes of my time.
>
> > > Good luck, you weren't the only one.
>
> > > --
> > > Sucka
>
> > It's good to know that even though it's kind of a user-error thing,
> > I'm not the only user who made that error :-)
>
> > I just hope to god that once this Digital Locker redownload finishes I
> > can launch it and repair...- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

amenx,

I got your note and, after first checking things out to make sure it
looked safe, proceeded to copy the shortcuts in the appropriate
place. I now have my Administrative Tools and other links back!

There is one slight glitch -- every time I go to launch anything from
these links I get a Security Warning -- Unknown Publisher. I'll need
to figure out how to fix that up. I also hope to figure out how to
just reinstall the official way to fix it permanantly.

But the most important thing is I can know access everything.

I do not know how to thank you. That was HUGE, and very much
appreciated!

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 20:50:48 -0500, "Chad Harris"
<vistaneedsmuchowork.net> spake thusly:

>Tim--
>
>You don't have a Vista DVD because the company who makes it called MSFT [sic]
>gready [sic] they forced the OEM named partner or whomever sold it to you not
>to provide it.

Hummmm

Or maybe it's just the OEM that's cheap?

Many do provide it but most don't.
--
Scott http://angrykeyboarder.com

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?