Accessories Folder Missing from Start Menu

Anonymous
2011-01-14T20:16:03+00:00

Hello - I just purchased a new cpu with Windows 7 Home Premium installed.  When I first started using the system I know that the traditional Accessories Folder which usually includes System Tools and other files/folders was on my Start Menu.  After using the maching for a bit of time and installing many new programs I noticed that the folder is missing.  Is there a way to get this back on the Start Menu without a system restore as that will cause me to loose my newly installed programs from what I have read on other threads.  Thanks for your feedback.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2011-01-14T20:25:34+00:00

You are correct that System Restore may cause you to have to reinstall your recently added programs.  Here's one possible alternative:

Restore Previous Versions of a File or Folder

1 - Click your Start button, then right-click the "All Programs" link at the bottom.  Choose "Open All users".

2 - In the window that opens, right-click the Programs folder and choose "Restore Previous Versions". The Properties window may take a moment to load in all the available old copies of that folder.  Cool Fact: These previous versions come from the same place as System Restore backups, except these let you restore individual files instead of your entire system :)

3 - Click a old version of the file from a date when you know the Accessories folder was still there, then click "open" and look around.  From there you can right-click the backup copy of Accessories, and paste it into your actual Programs folder (that you opened in step 1).

Hope this helps.


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  1. Anonymous
    2013-04-25T13:37:54+00:00

    I had a problem with that, caused by a 'hide files' virus.  My entire start menu went blank & I had to download a 'unhide' program.

    In the meantime though, all the start menu shortcuts were deleted.  I had to recreate many.  My accessories file is there, but it was completely empty - as was administrative tools, which I was able to reload.

    There are a few accessory programs/shortcuts within the accessory files, but not many.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-04-25T13:35:32+00:00

    WOAH so weird, I checked the shell folders & a couple were slightly different than you listed, then I checked user shell folders & they were all the way you listed.  When I went BACK to shell folders, they were ALL the way you listed.  How did that happen?  XD

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-03-16T02:39:26+00:00

    Click start menu, right click all programs, click open. See if the 'programs' folder has been hidden. If so right click on it and make the programs folder not hidden. This shall bring back 'administrative tools' and 'maintenance' should they have disappeared too.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-09T09:48:47+00:00

    Great, works perfectly :)

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