Administrative Tools - All shortcuts missing...

[zedox]

I'm not 100% sure but I think I have a registry tweak that for some reason gets rid of all the shortcuts on my administrative tools.

Does any one know which one it is please?!

[mazin]

I think it's under this key:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

[nitroshift]

I think it's under this key:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

It is!

[zedox]

dont spose you know the actual key?

As searching through my reg tweaks file... it could be any!

[Takeshi]

Start_AdminToolsRoot

StartMenuAdminTools

Note: there's isn't one for the option to show Admin Tools but nothing inside, as suggested by your description

[Yzöwl]

I have seen it empty before.

If I remember rightly it was when I moved

%AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools

to

%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools

when logged in as Administrator.

I cannot understand for the life of me, why administration tools would be directly available to all users.

Anyhow, as the logged in Administrator after performing this move, the Administrator Tools group appeared empty.

Another possibility may be the lack or corruption of the desktop.ini within that folder

example

[LocalizedFileNames]
Component Services.lnk=@C:\WINDOWS\system32\comres.dll,-661
Computer Management.lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22023
Event Viewer.lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22029
Performance.lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22055
Data Sources (ODBC).lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22025
Local Security Policy.lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22040
Services.lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22059
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21762

[zedox]

I've found out what it is...

I have a batch script that runs during installation that removes loads of useless shortcuts and folders.

%AllUsersProfile%/Start Menu/Programs/Administrative Tools

is one of them...

I took this line out of my batch script, and hey presto, all the shortcuts are back...

Note: This folder may be present but it is not accessible from the start menu. It doesn't even appear on the start menu.

[Yzöwl]

Isn't it refreshing to know that there's probably someone else out there who's already made a similar mistake!

Still, although your problem is now fixed, I'd be happy to here from anyone, a successful method, (unattended or otherwise), of removing the administrative tools from all users, since all users are not administrators. The tools must still be available to 'selected' admin users and preferably at their usual entry point(s).

[Takeshi]

So it was a script and not a reg tweak afterwall.

Limited accounts cannot open those tools or can view but cannot run them.

I've just manually moved that folder to Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\ and all the shortcuts went along and could be seen in the usual place when logged in as Administrator. I suppose you've tried moving each shortcut too in your script.

When logged in as another admin account, Administrative Tools cannot be seen initially but can be immediately restored in Start Menu > properties.

They can be readily launched from Run of course.