Replace missing Start Menu entries and Desktop Shortcuts

This typically happens when specific applications update and the update process is interrupted or does not complete.

To fix (using Adobe Acrobat as an example) this problem:

  1. Confirm via Control Panel > Programs and Features that the software is still installed
    • If the application is not listed here, re-install it.
  2. Locate the application folder within C:\Program Files\Adobe
    • For x86 software: C:\program Files (x86)
  3. Dig around the application directory and folders to locate the application executable (Acrobat.exe, Firefox.exe, etc.)
  4. Right Click the exe > Send To > Desktop (create Shortcut)
  5. Go to the desktop & “clean up the Shortcut name”.
  6. Right Click/Copy the shortcut
  7. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
  8. Paste the icon into this folder
    • You can create a folder “Adobe” then paste the icon in there if that is how you would like it to appear in the Start Menu
  9. Reboot.
  10. You will now have the Start Menu entry & desktop shortcut.
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