Where Is the Windows Start Menu Folder?
Start Menu shortcuts live in per user AppData and shared ProgramData folders, merged into one menu.
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The Start Menu merges two shortcut folders. Your own entries live under AppData, while installers that chose all users wrote into ProgramData. Explorer presents both trees as one menu, with your folder winning name collisions.
Dropping a shortcut into the Programs subfolder puts it in the app list without an installer. Pinned tiles follow the same source on classic layouts. Admin rights matter only for the shared tree, which keeps per user cleanup safe.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Your personal Start Menu tree. Shortcuts in Programs appear in your app list. No elevation needed for anything here.
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Shared tree merged for every account. Installers need elevation to write here. A shortcut here appears for all users at once.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my new shortcut not appear in Start?
Check which Programs folder you used. Per user entries need no elevation while ProgramData ones do. Log out and back in when the menu seems stale, since Explorer caches the merge.
Where is the Startup folder for auto launch apps?
In the Startup subfolder inside each Programs tree. Per user startup runs for you alone, shared startup for everyone. Keep entries minimal because each one slows login.
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