How to remove orphan Start menu item

  • Thread starter Thread starter Les
  • Start date Start date
L

Les

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.
 
Les said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
PC Medic said:
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
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply

Well, I followed your suggestion, but when I get to the dialog that has the
check boxes, they are all grayed out - same for all users (Administrator, Me
and System) - the default from new when I created the Me account.
 
Thanks for the reply

I could possibly do this, but as the only user and admin of my own computer
I feel it is somewhat inconvenient and shouldn't be necessary. Of course, if
I can't find another more convenient method I will of course swallow my
indignation and do as you suggest :)

Bob said:
Try this: Boot into safe mode and go through the same process.
Click to expand...
 
You're welcome.
Unfortunately your feelings having nothing to do with it.

Les said:
Thanks for the reply

I could possibly do this, but as the only user and admin of my own
computer I feel it is somewhat inconvenient and shouldn't be necessary. Of
course, if I can't find another more convenient method I will of course
swallow my indignation and do as you suggest :)
Click to expand...
 
Thanks SG, good info. Will give it a try. I also saw from that link, an
indication of what else I had noticed but didn't mention - that items on the
start menu don't appear in the start menu programme folder - I suppose
that's a separate thing though.

SG said:
Hi Les,

See if this will work for you...
http://forums.techguy.org/windows-vista/623387-solved-cannot-delete-folder.html

Look down at #7
Posts: 72
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Amsterdam
Experience: Advanced
Click to expand...
 
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