lost icons in programs list

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How would a user keep on losing the program listings or icons in their start list?

I have one user who does this often (without knowingly doing it).

I can fix it by recreating the shortcut and pasting it on the start list. I do it for all users, but then it disappears again?

The program is one of the Office programs (Word) but it does occasionally happen to others.

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Can I just get a clarification. Are these profile driven PC’s on a network or are all the applications installed locally on the PC in question?

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Also, what operating system and service pack? Are the OSes fully patched? What version of Office and which service pack? Is Office fully patched?

Joe

--Joe

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If your user has NT-based OS (Windows 2000, XP):

1. Clean icon cache (deleting file C:Documents and SettingsLocal SettingsApplication DataIconCache.db or using TweakUI > Repair > Rebuild Icons)
2. Place the shortcuts to All Users folder (C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersStart MenuPrograms)

If your user has DOS-based OS (Windows 98, Me):

1. Clean Icon cache deleting C:WindowsShellIconCache file
2. Place the shortcuts to All Users folder (C:WindowsAll UsersStart MenuPrograms)

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When you refer to the “Start List”, is this the area “above” the All Programs on the left side of the Start menu?

If so these are in the “Recent Programs” area and will rotate out if not used when additional programs are are used.
If you want them to ALWAYS to be there, you can “Right click” and select “Pin to Start menu” then they will be PINNED above the Recent area.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Sorry, I do need to clarify what I am asking. And by thinking about the clarification I can pinpoint the problem a bit more.

The PC is in a domain. The user has a roaming profile. Some machines are Win2k and some are WinXP. The Win2k machines have Office XP and the WinXP machines have Office 2003. The user I am talking about mostly uses a Win2k machine, but does log on to an XP one occasionally. What the user sees on her programs list (the flyout menu from All Programs) is Office 2003 programs as well as XP. She thought that all was lost because her screen resolution on the Win2k machine meant that the whole programs list was not shown, and the Office XP entries are listed at the bottom.
So the icons are there, and work, but she is confused about the double entries. The 2003 entries obviously do not point to software on the Win2k machine.

The question changes. Is there a way to make sure that the only entries on the Programs list refer to the current machine? Not having roaming profiles is not an option.

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You have hit one of the major problems with roaming profiles.

Before retirement (2000) we had 2K machines with roaming profiles. It was found that the systems had to the the same down to the i’ and t’s, or one had problems. So, most of the programs were moved to a “Server” which made them available where ever we went. But there were a few programs that could not be run from a server, so we learned what machines we could use or not.

Unless things have changed in the method, I think you will continue to operate in the confused manner.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Thanks, Dave for the sage advice.

I was afraid that was going to be the answer. But at least, for the user (who is chronically afraid of computers) the problem is not hers. One step forward.

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