start menu search defective

This subject might have been dealt with many times in this forum. I did search for posts before this, but I didn't find actually what I was looking for as regards the windows search.

I have Windows 7 Pro x64, I use a limited user (and another one with administrator privileges, obviously). When I try to search for programs using the start menu search (from all programs section), there aren't any results.

For instance, I try to search for HTC Sync, which I can see in "All programs", but it doesn't show up. On the other hand, a program like Firefox, that I can find, even though I don't see any entries of Firefox in "All programs"(!). And I don't know why.

It seems rather messed up, because some entries within the start menu are empty, even though the programs are installed. For instance, Nero 7 folder is there, but it's empty. However, HTC Sync is in "All programs", but I still can't find in start menu search.

Another example would be Outlook. When I search for it, it does show me "outlook" within the "Programs" section, and not "Microsoft Outlook 2010" as I am positive it should have. This tells me that it finds "outlook" somewhere else, and I can't figure out where.

This problem is partially solved by pining shortcuts to Start Menu, which of course is not a viable solution, because I should pin all programs there and the start menu would brim with shortcuts.

I can infer from the fact that some entries are empty that there are some problems with the administrator rights (every time I install a program, I need the admin password - which is what I choose it to be for security reasons), therefore I would gather that the owner of some files might be the administrator, and not the normal user which I use(?) But that does not make too much sense.

Windows 7 should and is built this way - to be able to use a limited user in normal circumstances and give him rights to the software you install, etc.

I have never considered the search box on the Start Menu to be used to search the Start Menu. Maybe I am mis-interpreting your comments, but can you find these items if you use the search box in Explorer?

Originally Posted by Saltgrass

I have never considered the search box on the Start Menu to be used to search the Start Menu. Maybe I am mis-interpreting your comments, but can you find these items if you use the search box in Explorer?

No, I can't. It's a different type of search engine. In explorer, for instance when I look up 'outlook' it lists some outlook files, including the .exe one, plus some outlook e-mails and so on.

So what I'm interested in is the "All programs" section. For me it is very useful when I want to run a program that I don't use very frequently. For instance, snipping tool. Instead of going to the 'accessories', which is harder to go to, I simply write 'snip' and it works on any other normal computer with windows 7. On this one, it doesn't.

Moreover, start menu search is very useful when you want to configure your windows and enter any control panel icons, instead of going to control panel and then groping for whatever you're looking for. "Power options" would be a very good example of that

So, any suggestions?