I used to have a thread that covered this bookmarked and of course I don't have the bookmark anymore. I've just spent the last hour doing searches and keep coming up empty. Anybody remember how to make or modify the special Start Menu shortcut that OEMs often place in the Start Menu?

Secondly, if anyone is able to find the old thread I'm referring to I wouldn't mind knowing what search phrase you used to find it.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/OEMLink.htm

That is how to remove it, and I reversed those steps, and I got the icon back

Bit of a PITA

Ah... here we go

http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=2751

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Explorer\StartMenu\StartPanel\ShowOEMLink]
"Type"="checkbox"
"Text"="@shell32.dll,-30516"
"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001
"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Exp
lorer\\Advanced"
"ValueName"="Start_ShowOEMLink"
"CheckedValue"=dword:00000001
"UncheckedValue"=dword:00000000
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"NoOEMLinkInstalled"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Explorer\StartMenu\StartPanel\ShowOEMLink\Policy]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Explorer\StartMenu\StartPanel\ShowOEMLink\Policy\NoOEMLink
Installed]
"RegKey"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Expl
orer\\StartMenu\\StartPanel\\ShowOEMLink"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-
00c04f60b9f0}]
@="Tek-Tips"
"InfoTip"="Tek-Tips Forums is Member Supported
""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-
00c04f60b9f0}\DefaultIcon]
@="%SystemRoot%\\TekTips.ico""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-
00c04f60b9f0}\Instance\InitPropertyBag]
"CLSID"="{13709620-C279-11CE-A49E-444553540000}"
"method"="ShellExecute"
"Command"="Tek-Tips"
"Param1"="http://www.tek-tips.com/";

Edited February 6, 200620 yr by undeadsoldier

Man, I totally got tunnel vision and didn't search outside of MSFN since I remembered there was a thread about this Thanks a million for the info!!

Here you go man:

oem manufacturer registry file

Change it to suit your needs, also you might want to change the icon aswell

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]
@="Google®"
"X-Setup Patched"="Yes"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\DefaultIcon]
@="%systemroot%\\system32\\shell32.dll,141"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\
  64,00,6f,00,63,00,76,00,77,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance]
"CLSID"="{3f454f0e-42ae-4d7c-8ea3-328250d6e272}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance\InitPropertyBag]
"CLSID"="{13709620-C279-11CE-A49E-444553540000}"
"method"="ShellExecute"
"Command"="Google®"
"Param1"="http://www.google.com/ig"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:00000000

I for one have used X-setup to enable it, and then I searched trough the registry for the string itself. I changed the icon to see if that's really what I`m changin` and it worked. Maybe it will work for you too.

Just replace the google link with your own.

Hope it helps