Classic Shell: Forum

Hello all, I'm a new user, so I beg your pardon if this issue is covered elsewhere; my searches didn't turn anything up.

So, I just "upgraded" to 8.1, as a result of having to buy a new PC, installed Classic Shell to make the 8.1 UI usable, and have been installing all my old software applications. For the most part, this works as expected; MS Office installed, MS Office folder/icons appear under "Programs" in Classic Shell Start Menu, easy peasy. Then I got around to one of my older, lower-priority programs (Civilization IV), installed it, and... nothing. No matter what I try with the Start Menu settings, no icon for CivIV (or for the parent folders, 2K Games\Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\) appears anywhere on the Start Menu.

Now, a workaround was easy (found the .exe file, pinned it to the start menu, functionality is now established). But I'm still wondering... what's going on there? Is this just a compatibility issue with some older programs that prevents Classic Shell from "seeing" them, or is there something that I need to do differently?

Again, all the newer programs I installed, like MS Office 2013, showed up in the Start Menu in their appropriate folders under Programs, immediately upon installation; this was the only exception.

Usually installers create shortcuts in this folder: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
That's where the start menu gets the contents for the Programs menu. If your installer didn't place its shortcuts there then the start menu can't find it. Maybe the installer has an option to create the shortcuts and you missed it. Or maybe it is a very old game that doesn't play nice with Windows.