Vista - Recent Programs in Start Menu won't display despite correct settin

My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and set
the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu) to
16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is set
to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start menu.
This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
--
Bob Kerchner

Hello Bob,

I would look for an appropriate restore point prior to your observation of
the problem and do a System Restºre.

Is it possible that you ran an antivirus & antispyware scan and it found and
removed something?

Or maybe you responded to some real time message and blocked something?

Did you look at the system event logs?

I can only speculate because you haven't provided any background prior to
encountering your prºblem.

Also before you do the System Restore you might want to bring your system up
in Safe Mode (the F8 key after BIOS and before Windows stªrts).

If the problems go away in safe mode, then you may have a bad driver.


Another safe mode option is to use last known good configuratiºn.

If that fixes the problem, then your registry may have been dªmaged.

Good luck.
--

"Bob Kerchner" wrote:

> My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and set
> the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu) to
> 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is set
> to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start menu.
> This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> --
> Bob Kerchner

Try this site for help with your problem:

http://www.winhelponline.com

--
I Bleed Blue and Gold
GO BEARS!


"Engel" <Engel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A2949D23-27EB-4DB3-9CD4-E6D57F901AA7@microsoft.com...
> Hello Bob,
>
> I would look for an appropriate restore point prior to your observation of
> the problem and do a System Restºre.
>
> Is it possible that you ran an antivirus & antispyware scan and it found and
> removed something?
>
> Or maybe you responded to some real time message and blocked something?
>
> Did you look at the system event logs?
>
> I can only speculate because you haven't provided any background prior to
> encountering your prºblem.
>
> Also before you do the System Restore you might want to bring your system up
> in Safe Mode (the F8 key after BIOS and before Windows stªrts).
>
> If the problems go away in safe mode, then you may have a bad driver.
>
>
> Another safe mode option is to use last known good configuratiºn.
>
> If that fixes the problem, then your registry may have been dªmaged.
>
> Good luck.
> --
>
> "Bob Kerchner" wrote:
>
>> My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
>> Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and set
>> the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu) to
>> 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is set
>> to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start menu.
>> This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
>> --
>> Bob Kerchner

Thanks for the site URL. It didn't seem to have anything for my particular
problem (searched on "recent programs" "start menu" under Vista) but it
certainly looks like a good source of information. I'll contact them if I'm
unable to resolve the problem here.
--
Sincerely,
Bob Kerchner


"Cal Bear '66" wrote:

> Try this site for help with your problem:
>
> http://www.winhelponline.com
>
> --
> I Bleed Blue and Gold
> GO BEARS!
>
>
> "Engel" <Engel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A2949D23-27EB-4DB3-9CD4-E6D57F901AA7@microsoft.com...
> > Hello Bob,
> >
> > I would look for an appropriate restore point prior to your observation of
> > the problem and do a System Restre.
> >
> > Is it possible that you ran an antivirus & antispyware scan and it found and
> > removed something?
> >
> > Or maybe you responded to some real time message and blocked something?
> >
> > Did you look at the system event logs?
> >
> > I can only speculate because you haven't provided any background prior to
> > encountering your prblem.
> >
> > Also before you do the System Restore you might want to bring your system up
> > in Safe Mode (the F8 key after BIOS and before Windows strts).
> >
> > If the problems go away in safe mode, then you may have a bad driver.
> >
> >
> > Another safe mode option is to use last known good configuratin.
> >
> > If that fixes the problem, then your registry may have been dmaged.
> >
> > Good luck.
> > --
> >
> > "Bob Kerchner" wrote:
> >
> >> My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> >> Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and set
> >> the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu) to
> >> 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is set
> >> to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start menu.
> >> This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> >> --
> >> Bob Kerchner
>
>

Sorry for the dearth of additional background information. I'm still in the
process of setting up my computer, and unfortunately this problem showed up
over a week ago. It wasn't a priority fix so I initially ignored it and have
by now made enough changes/installs and windows updates that going back to a
prior restore point really isn't an attractive option. Also, I'm not sure
exactly when the problem started (stupid to not take notes, I know, sigh, but
I was assuming that I needed only to reset the appropriate start menu
controls, "when I got around to it") so identifying a possible "culprit" to
uninstall is onerous as well. Is there some sort of log giving the date/time
of installs?

I will try the safe mode startup and see if the problem is present then.
--
Thanks for taking the time to help, it's appreciated.
Bob Kerchner


"Engel" wrote:

> Hello Bob,
>
> I would look for an appropriate restore point prior to your observation of
> the problem and do a System Restºre.
>
> Is it possible that you ran an antivirus & antispyware scan and it found and
> removed something?
>
> Or maybe you responded to some real time message and blocked something?
>
> Did you look at the system event logs?
>
> I can only speculate because you haven't provided any background prior to
> encountering your prºblem.
>
> Also before you do the System Restore you might want to bring your system up
> in Safe Mode (the F8 key after BIOS and before Windows stªrts).
>
> If the problems go away in safe mode, then you may have a bad driver.
>
>
> Another safe mode option is to use last known good configuratiºn.
>
> If that fixes the problem, then your registry may have been dªmaged.
>
> Good luck.
> --
>
> "Bob Kerchner" wrote:
>
> > My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> > Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and set
> > the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu) to
> > 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is set
> > to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start menu.
> > This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> > --
> > Bob Kerchner

Try this.
1. Right click the Start Menu.
2. Click Properties.
3. Select "Classic Start Menu" (Apply, OK).
4. Run a couple programs, e.g., Notepad, Adobe Reader,etc. (In Vista, any
program that was "pinned" to the Start Menu won't appear in the Recent
Program List).
5. Right click the Start Menu and choose properties again.
6. Select the regular Start Menu (Apply, OK).
7. See if any program you ran in the Classic Start Menu appears.

"Bob Kerchner" <BobKerchner@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:98018388-AC5B-4584-B839-5005FF10F767@microsoft.com...
> My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and
> set
> the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu)
> to
> 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is
> set
> to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start
> menu.
> This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> --
> Bob Kerchner

i tried this, but unfortunately no programs I ran showed up after I returned
to the "regular" Start Menu. Good idea though, thanks.
--
Bob Kerchner


"dean-dean" wrote:

> Try this.
> 1. Right click the Start Menu.
> 2. Click Properties.
> 3. Select "Classic Start Menu" (Apply, OK).
> 4. Run a couple programs, e.g., Notepad, Adobe Reader,etc. (In Vista, any
> program that was "pinned" to the Start Menu won't appear in the Recent
> Program List).
> 5. Right click the Start Menu and choose properties again.
> 6. Select the regular Start Menu (Apply, OK).
> 7. See if any program you ran in the Classic Start Menu appears.
>
> "Bob Kerchner" <BobKerchner@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:98018388-AC5B-4584-B839-5005FF10F767@microsoft.com...
> > My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> > Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and
> > set
> > the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu)
> > to
> > 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is
> > set
> > to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start
> > menu.
> > This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> > --
> > Bob Kerchner
>
>

Ok this might a long shot, but does this file/link still exist?

c:\users\(your username here)\Recent ?

It will only show if you have hide protected operating system files
unchecked.


"Bob Kerchner" <BobKerchner@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:98018388-AC5B-4584-B839-5005FF10F767@microsoft.com...
> My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and
> set
> the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu)
> to
> 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is
> set
> to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start
> menu.
> This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> --
> Bob Kerchner

The folder exists, but contains only links to recently-accessed files, not to
any recently-run programs. Good idea, though, thanks.
--
Bob Kerchner


"DefecTalisman" wrote:

> Ok this might a long shot, but does this file/link still exist?
>
> c:\users\(your username here)\Recent ?
>
> It will only show if you have hide protected operating system files
> unchecked.
>
>
> "Bob Kerchner" <BobKerchner@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:98018388-AC5B-4584-B839-5005FF10F767@microsoft.com...
> > My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> > Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and
> > set
> > the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu)
> > to
> > 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is
> > set
> > to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start
> > menu.
> > This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> > --
> > Bob Kerchner
>
>

Frequently Used Programs list is reset to defaults during every logon in
Windows Vista
http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/163/1/

KB

"Bob Kerchner" wrote in message
news:98018388-AC5B-4584-B839-5005FF10F767@microsoft.com...
> My recent programs suddenly stopped displaying. I have checked the Start
> Menu settings "Store and display a list of recently opened programs", and
> set
> the "number of recent programs to display" (in the customize start menu)
> to
> 16. I also confirmed that the registry StartMenuInit DWORD exists and is
> set
> to 3. Nonetheless there are no recent programs displaying in my start
> menu.
> This is not fixed by restarting. Operating system is Vista Home Premium
> --
> Bob Kerchner