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With Windows 10 Microsoft migrated to a database-ish solution for indexing programs in search and the start menu, rather than just using a /startmenu/ directory. AFAIK the exact implementation is still pretty unclear, but there is something along those lines.

Updating from 8.1 to 10 causes it to migrate everything from /startmenu/ to the new system, which ignoring issues such as a (seemingly arbitrary) cap of 500 applications, works fine.

However this failed for me, and from googling seems to be an issue from upgrading with an older dev build, which then carried on to RTM.

So does anyone know a way to force a rebuild/re-index of the program library? Rebuilding the system wide index through control panel (also in <=8.1) has no effect.

Kaelan Fouwels
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4 Answers4

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Windows doesn't auto-update the Start Menu since the coding had to be re-written to allow for UWP Apps to be shown (also why folder hierarchy is no longer recognized), and Windows 10 doesn't add the two Start Menu folders to the Index by default (they need to be for changes to be shown):

  1. Show hidden files must be enabled: 
    Reg Add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced /v Hidden /t REG_DWORD /d 0x1 /f
  2. Open Indexing Options: WinKey+R → Control SrchAdmin.dll → OK
  3. Modify → Change selected locations → Tick below locations → OK 
    # %ProgramData%: C:\ProgramData
  "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu"

# %AppData%: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming
  "%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu"
  4. Advanced → Troubleshooting: Rebuild → OK
    • Re-indexing is resource-intensive, taking several hours to days, depending on use, since the rebuild only occurs when the PC is idle; while a re-index can be forced when the PC isn't idle, without a substantial amount of RAM and fast CPU, severe lag will occur
  5. Reboot once Index is rebuilt
JW0914
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    I just rebuilt my index and it took 15 minutes without any noticeable impact on performances. How many millions of files do you have ? – Hey Jul 05 '17 at 16:37
  • My outlook pst's are several GB in size, and I also have non-standard locations set for indexing. – JW0914 Aug 28 '17 at 21:58
  • After doing the above, I was still seeing stale entries in my start menu (File Explorer (1)), etc. from some update. Next day I turned it on though, fixed. Probably worth doing a restart after the above for good measure. – benmccallum Jun 18 '20 at 15:36
  • @benmccallum Had the index been completely rebuilt prior to the reboot? If so, I'll add that to the answer. – JW0914 Jun 19 '20 at 11:39
  • @JW0914, Yep. I'd left the index settings window open and confirmed it had completed. So maybe worth adding a note :) cheers. – benmccallum Jun 20 '20 at 21:33
  • it does not show "Program Data" in the folder window – Behrouz.M Dec 09 '20 at 13:30
  • @Behrouz.M `%ProgramData%` itself shouldn't be indexed, only `%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu` – JW0914 Dec 09 '20 at 13:49
  • @JW0914 it is not listed so how can I add it to the list? – Behrouz.M Dec 09 '20 at 14:14
  • @Behrouz.M Follow #2 – JW0914 Dec 09 '20 at 14:15
  • @JW0914 as I said it is not listed – Behrouz.M Dec 09 '20 at 15:02
  • @Behrouz.M I'm not following... _Modify_ → `C:` dropdown arrow → Tick `ProgramData`. It's icon will be a lighter shade than other icons since it's a hidden folder and I don't believe it's tied to showing _Hidden files and folders_ in the folder view options. – JW0914 Dec 09 '20 at 15:26
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    @JW0914 It shows it after enabling showing hidden files. thanks – Behrouz.M Dec 10 '20 at 16:20
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I've been having some issues with the start menu index as well.

I'm trying out these steps to force the index to rebuild:

Right-click start menu -> Control Panel -> Indexing Options -> Advanced -> Rebuild

Sly_cardinal
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There is a possibility that the permissions on Windows Search Directories were affected during the upgrade to Windows 10. I may have a solution to try. Follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Troubleshooting
  2. In the search box (top right of Troubleshooting window) type indexing
  3. Select Search and Indexing
  4. Click Next
  5. Select My problem isn't listed above and click Next
  6. Enter a description of the problem (or leave it blank and all possibilities will be tested) and click next
  7. If the option appears, select Try troubleshooting as an administrator
  8. The scan begins to address the issue

Once the issue is corrected return to Indexing Options in Control panel to rebuild it (Control Panel > Indexing Options > Advanced > Rebuild)

Anthony Bartolo
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  • Did so and re-indexed everything, but still no dice. This would make sense but doesn't seem to be it... – Kaelan Fouwels Aug 21 '15 at 13:36
  • Some windows settings shortcuts on the start menu stopped working for my user account but worked for another user account on the machine after upgrading from windows 8.1 to windows 10. Followed these steps and all sorted now. – Matt Feb 22 '16 at 12:28
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For everyone who have this "problem", a simple reboot could also do the trick.

  • Tried rebuild index
  • Tried repair

Nothing,

Did a reboot, .... Magic

Patrick
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    That's the Microsoft way, since 1980 or so. – user184411 Jan 12 '17 at 04:35
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    The reboot in-and-of itself did not fix the problem, forcing a rebuild of the Index did. Certain indexed areas may not update without a reboot (or, more likely, a restart of explorer.exe and ending the DWM process, of which repopulates with the updated index). Rebuilding the Index normally takes substantial time (24hrs+ for me since I have a fairly large Outlook Archive PST), and unfortunately, Microsoft decided it was going to completely re-write how the start menu folders work, seeming to forget millions of software developers have no way, or it's flat out impractical, to adjust to that. – JW0914 Aug 04 '17 at 00:42