topbanner_forum
  *

avatar image

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
  • Tuesday March 19, 2024, 5:31 am
  • Proudly celebrating 15+ years online.
  • Donate now to become a lifetime supporting member of the site and get a non-expiring license key for all of our programs.
  • donate

Author Topic: Launching win7 start menu items  (Read 17615 times)

skajfes

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 267
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Launching win7 start menu items
« on: April 05, 2011, 02:26 AM »
FARR doesn't seem to be able to launch some of windows7 start menu items (ie Snipping Tool). When I launch it nothing happens.
Items like installed applications work fine.

It seems to me that the problem is that the shortcut target is %windir%\system32\SnippingTool.exe. I think that the %windir% in the path is confusing FARR.

I tried using ShellExecuteEx as Launch method but then I got this error: Windows cannot find 'C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Snipping Tool.lnk'

Any ideas?
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2011, 02:32 AM »
I think i can fix that.. i did a similar fix for %programfiles% shortcuts.

One thing you could try as a workaround in the meantime is go to the "General" options tab in FARR, and try changing the checkbox for "Always launch shortcuts directly" and "Use document launch helper" and the Launch Method drop down.  See if any of those help.

skajfes

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 267
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2011, 02:43 AM »
One thing you could try as a workaround in the meantime is go to the "General" options tab in FARR, and try changing the checkbox for "Always launch shortcuts directly" and "Use document launch helper" and the Launch Method drop down.  See if any of those help.

Thanks for the quick response.
I tried every combination of those options, and none helps.
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2011, 02:48 AM »
question, the error says
Windows cannot find 'C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Snipping Tool.lnk'

Can you tell me what the actual location is for that shortcut, assuming that's not it.

skajfes

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 267
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2011, 02:57 AM »
That is the correct location of the shortcut.
I just wanted to note that it works fine when I launch it from the start menu, or from the run dialog.
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

lanux128

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 6,277
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2011, 02:59 AM »
question, the error says
Windows cannot find 'C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Snipping Tool.lnk'

Can you tell me what the actual location is for that shortcut, assuming that's not it.

it's here: C:\Windows\system32\SnippingTool.exe

lanux128

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 6,277
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2011, 03:03 AM »
It seems to me that the problem is that the shortcut target is %windir%\system32\SnippingTool.exe. I think that the %windir% in the path is confusing FARR.

the %windir% seems to have confused even Explorer.

win7_snipping_tool_05_04_11_001.png

Daleus

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2007
  • **
  • Posts: 147
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2011, 09:25 AM »
On Win7 64-bit, there are *two* program File folders - the one you would expect to find and another called Program Files (x86) for 32 bit apps.

I've seen a number of vendors' scripts for their products fail because they did not make the distinction.  Dunno if this is related (probably not as yer talking about windir) but there might be some similar changes in other locations that you should be aware of also.

Daleus, Curmudgeon-at-Large

wraith808

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 11,186
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2011, 10:13 AM »
^ On 64-bit windows, there's also the SysWOW directory... that might be the problem too...

Stoic Joker

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 6,646
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2011, 02:05 PM »
I took a quick remote peak at my x64 box and the path on it is indeed also:
C:\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe

skajfes

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 267
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2011, 03:13 AM »
I definitely is a %windir% issue. Same thing happens when I try to launch IIS manager, which also has %windir% in it's target path. (%windir%\system32\inetsrv\InetMgr.exe)
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2011, 06:47 AM »
Ok let me see if i can fix.

Filipe Meira Castro

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2010
  • **
  • Posts: 104
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #12 on: August 26, 2011, 07:00 PM »
Same issue here with the snipping tool ! Any fix? :D

skajfes

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 267
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #13 on: November 04, 2011, 05:09 AM »
Is there any news on this?
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2011, 12:31 PM »
Thanks for the reminder.. I will try to look at it again this weekend.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #15 on: November 17, 2011, 02:09 PM »
Fixed in new version not yet released; will be in next release.

Filipe Meira Castro

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2010
  • **
  • Posts: 104
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #16 on: November 17, 2011, 03:45 PM »
Thats Good news! Great Work mouser!

skajfes

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 267
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #17 on: November 17, 2011, 04:47 PM »
 :Thmbsup: Thanks mouser!
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #18 on: February 14, 2012, 09:57 PM »
Should be fixed now.

hamradio

  • Charter Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • ***
  • Posts: 825
  • Amateur Radio Guy
    • View Profile
    • HamRadioUSA.net
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #19 on: February 14, 2012, 10:46 PM »
http://www.sevenforu...ng-tool-missing.html

Maybe that will help some thats missing it from system32 directory.

lanux128

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 6,277
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #20 on: February 14, 2012, 11:05 PM »
http://www.sevenforu...ng-tool-missing.html

Maybe that will help some thats missing it from system32 directory.

as advised in the thread above, i checked and found that the tablet pc component is turned off on my pc. however when i tried to turn it on, explorer crashed so i'm leaving it off.. so is anyone else willing to try? :)



cranioscopical

  • Friend of the Site
  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • Posts: 4,776
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Launching win7 start menu items
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2012, 03:17 AM »
It's active on my machine.
I can't launch the .exe from FARR but I can launch it from FARR by calling the start menu .lnk