The actual number of items in there in everyone's install is not relevant, whether it's 32, 35, 37, 38 (I could have 39 easily if I reinstalled the PowerShell ISE items that I removed because I don't use).
The
massive difference between his two installs in similar systems is the issue - if one were 35 and the other 33, I don't think he'd be as concerned about it. But with one having less than half the other one, it was a cause for concern.
As he stated, though, he knows now that the apps not showing in the list are still accessible, as far as his needs are concerned, so it's really just a small conundrum now.
Thanks for the info. Trying an in-place repair install just now. I decided to go with the updates, and that’s bogging the whole process down, as I expected.
That might fix it, who knows? If it does not, I do suspect a hidden sysprep config file that explicitly doesn't create those shortcuts (for whatever reason). Which leads to the question:
Were both old OS installs Pro? Or was one Pro and one Home, by chance?
Sorry, I meant in the Start Menu folder of each.
Also a good idea - it could be something as simple as the All Users' Start folder having a weird permission on it so the items are not populating. Which may still lead back to a hidden syspre config (or may not lol - It's Windows after all).