'Default Programs command object for Start menu' in place of 'Default Programs' on Start Menu

Sorry, I tried searching but couldn't really find anything on it. One day I opened my Start menu and noticed it was a lot wider than normal. The second-to-last option on the right side, just above 'Help and Support' had changed from 'Default Programs' to 'Default Programs command object for Start menu.' Has anyone seen this, have any idea how it could have happened or how to fix it? I started a windows repair and it found an issue, but said if the computer restarted normally it was fixed. It did so, so it fixed something, just not this issue. I figure I may have to reinstall windows or something, but wanted to check here first. Oh, I'm also running AVG, Ad-Aware, and Spybot, and nothing out of the ordinary has been found.

Thanks in advance!

 

Might help if you first tell us why you were running a windows repair. These have a lot of drastic effects in Vista and should not be done routinely.

 

Sorry, I was running it hoping it might take care of this issue.

 

Just so I know what we're talking about ...



Did you do a Vista repair, or did you do a reinstallation of Vista?

 

Sure, no problem. I just did a repair. It mentioned that it would try to fix any problems it found and may restart many times during the process. If Windows started normally, it was repaired. It found something, restarted and came up normal. I figured a reinstall of Vista would be a last resort. Also, I forgot to mention, when you click on the now 'Default Programs command object for Start Menu' it will open, but only the four icons come up, no text.

 

There are several registry settings for Default Programs, the first of which contains the full string that you're seeing.



The entry for the start menu should be as follows:



HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache



Name: @C:\Windows\system32\sud.dll,-1

Type: REG_SZ

Data: Default Programs



Name: @sud.dll,-1

Type: REG_SZ

Data: Default Programs



There are a lot of entries like this, each with different keys, but everywhere you see "sud.dll" in the entry Name, and REG_SZ in the entry Type, the Data should contain "Default Programs", not the full string you're seeing.



So, use regedit to Find all instances of "sud.dll". Change all that have the same three sets of entries (Name, Type, Data) as above to have the Data read Default Programs.



That should fix it.

 

My apologies for such a long time with no response. I've searched the Registry and found the string you referenced in two places, but not where you said. However, they did read:

Name: @C:\Windows\system32\sud.dll,-1
Type: REG_SZ
Data: Default Programs


One was located:

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Windows\Shell\MuiCache

The other:

Computer\HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache

Also, when searching for just "sud" I found a few things that referene it, like in:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}

The entries:

Name: Info Tip, Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ Data: @%SystemRoot%\System32\sud.dll,-10

Name: LocalizedString Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ Data: @%SystemRoot%\System32\sud.dll,-1

Another, this one I found in a couple of places, here's just one example:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1968106d-f3b5-44cf-890e-116fcb9ecef1}\InProcServer32

Name: (Default) Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ Data: %SystemRoot%\System32\sud.dll

Sorry if that's a bunch of useless info. Just thought it would be better to have too much than too little. Any ideas?

Thanks again for everything!

 

I would hesitate to change the other keys. The two I found on my machine were where the text string was saved. My guess was that you would have the same keys, but the text would include the full name -- which you could then modify to restore to the short name. If you don't have the same registry keys, you probably should not mess with the other ones.

 

Yeah, I was little nervous to try that as well. Any other suggestions? Here's some screenshots of what I'm seeing. I can't use it to set any Default Programs and there's a few I'd like to change.

Thanks again!

 

The only other idea that comes to mind is restoring the default Windows System files. To do this, you open an elevated command prompt and type "sfc /scannow". Notice there's no space between the "/" and "scannow". That will force Vista to scan it's system files to see if any are missing or corrupted. It will most likely prompt for a Vista DVD, after all, it has to get the original files from somewhere.

 

Well, we're at least getting a little further I guess. I ran the check and it said it found files that it couldn't repair, never asked for the DVD. It mentions the "sud.dll.mui" four times in the log of the check though. All four entries look to be the same except for the numbers after CSI. It didn't find problems with any other files. I'm not sure what the .mui is, but is my sud.dll corrupted? My wife's laptop runs Vista, can I copy hers and replace mine with it? (Renaming my old one first, in case I need to go back for some reason.)

One entry:

2008-03-08 10:32:59, Info CSI 00000101 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:22{11}]"sud.dll.mui" of Microsoft-Windows-sud.Resources, Version = 6.0.6000.16386, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture = [l:10{5}]"en-US", VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2008-03-08 10:33:00, Info CSI 00000103 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:22{11}]"sud.dll.mui" of Microsoft-Windows-sud.Resources, Version = 6.0.6000.16386, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_INTEL (0), Culture = [l:10{5}]"en-US", VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
2008-03-08 10:33:00, Info CSI 00000106 [SR] Could not reproject corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:58{29}]"\??\C:\Windows\System32\en-US"\[l:22{11}]"sud.dll.mui"; source file in store is also corrupted
2008-03-08 10:33:02, Info CSI 00000108 [SR] Verify complete

 

Did we discuss "sfc /scannow"? That can be run from an elevated command prompt to restore the default Vista system files.

 

Yes, those entries are from the log when I ran that. Basically it said it couldn't repair them I guess. The only thing is I'm not sure what you mean by "elevated command prompt." I ran cmd.exe as an administrator. Is that the same thing?

 

Yes -- it's the same thing. If you press ctl-shift-Enter after entering "cmd", it will popup a UAC panel and open a command window as the Administrator.

 

Since it couldn't repair, how about copying the sud.dll from my wife's Vista laptop? Any risk there if I rename my old one first (in case I need to go back?)

 

If your two Vistas are the same version, that might work. You're liable to run into Ownership problems, but that's another issue.