Atom not appearing on Start Menu (or anywhere) on Windows 10 after first install.

[mjpierce7590]

Prerequisites

• [X ] Put an X between the brackets on this line if you have done all of the following:
  • Reproduced the problem in Safe Mode: http://flight-manual.atom.io/hacking-atom/sections/debugging/#using-safe-mode
  • Followed all applicable steps in the debugging guide: http://flight-manual.atom.io/hacking-atom/sections/debugging/
  • Checked the FAQs on the message board for common solutions: https://discuss.atom.io/c/faq
  • Checked that your issue isn't already filed: https://github.com/issues?utf8=✓&q=is%3Aissue+user%3Aatom
  • Checked that there is not already an Atom package that provides the described functionality: https://atom.io/packages

Description

Atom not appearing on Start Menu on Windows 10 after first install. Atom.exe does not exist anywhere on my system. The program, however, can be uninstalled through the control panel.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Download and install Atom
2. Acknowledge and close the welcome window
3. Go to start menu and wonder why Atom is not there
4. Go to C:\users\me\ .atom\ and wonder why atom.exe is not there
5. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\ and wonder why atom.exe is not there
6. Go to Control Panel >> uninstall a program, and wonder why atom.exe is there
7. Restart computer
8. Repeat steps 3 through 7

Expected behavior: Atom in start menu.

Actual behavior: Atom not in start menu.

Reproduces how often: 100%

Versions

atom does not work on command line. Latest version of Atom installed on 15 March 2017.

Additional Information

I'm using a 2 month old laptop with minimal bloatware. The machine seems to be in pretty good shape.

[mjpierce7590]

I appreciate any help here. Thank you.

PS I really want to move over from Sublime Text 👍

[winstliu]

Download and install Atom

Can you elaborate on this step? In other words, can you walk me through what website you went to and what buttons you clicked to download and install Atom?

[mjpierce7590]

I went here: https://atom.io/ And clicked the "Download Windows 64-bit Installer" button. (my computer is in fact 64-bit)

[winstliu]

Awesome, thanks. Does the %LOCALAPPDATA%\Atom x64 folder exist, and if so, does app-1.15.0\atom.exe exist?

[larduino]

Same issue here - loaded on windows 10 64 bit from Atom page . Now can't find a way or any sign of program. I reloaded it and still no sign of a way to start it or if it exists on computer. Did a search for atom.exe and came up with nothing.

To clarify - after I ran setup program Atom was open and I was able to do updates , install platformio, etc. But after I close it , there is no way to find or open it again.

[winstliu]

@larduino It would help if you could answer my questions above.

[larduino]

Okay - I found the atom.exe file here C:\Users\my user name \AppData\Local\atom\app-1.15.0\atom.exe and I made a shortcut so I can start it up now. Thanks

[winstliu]

/cc @damieng looks like another case of shortcuts not being added.

[mjpierce7590]

Thanks to @larduino , that's exactly where my atom.exe is as well.

[damieng]

That is the expected location for Atom but it is supposed to have added a shortcut to your desktop and to your start menu.

Does your username have any unusual characters or spaces in it?

[mjpierce7590]

nothing unusual about my username

[eTorAken]

Hi,

I got the same problem. It could be related to my username (Clément) which needs UTF-8 recognition.

Hope this helps.

[damieng]

That could be part of it - we shell out to Squirrel's update.exe - it's possible some utf-8 encoding is getting mangled through the process.

[ghost]

Personally have had no problems. Just reinstalled it today and it's fine for me. You could always search the file directory for the launcher, right click, and select "create shortcut". It typically ask to go on the desktop but if not just grab the copy of the shortcut and drag+drop it to the desktop. @larduino seems to have done this so if you haven't yourself you can do so. Pretty simple but if you're still having problems let me know.

[TheRenaissance]

I did just have the same issue with a standard, one-word username, though at least I could get past it with the above help (though I had to figure out that the version is now 1.17.0, not 1.15.0).

[corydeppen]

I'm having the same issue - Atom gets installed into %localappdata%\atom but no shortcuts are created anywhere. After uninstalling and reinstalling, a app-1.18.0-beta2 folder gets created. My username is 6 alphanumeric characters, so that shouldn't be an issue. While it's confusing to know which atom.exe needs to run and what the target should be for a shortcut to the application (i.e. should it include any switches, etc), Atom starts after running %localappdata%\atom\atom.exe. It's just an annoyance to manually create shortcuts and I think it indicates the installer is still problematic since this doesn't happen with other apps. In fact, this appears to be similar to #12124 that was reported almost a year ago on Win7.

[ssimo3lsuhsc]

I am having the same problem on Windows 7. My username is all alphanumeric.

[kb1lqc]

I have this problem too. Atom was installed to %localappdata%\atom but nothing in start menu, program folder, etc.

Windows 7 Professional SP1

Can confirm @50Wliu @damieng I re-installed with my anti-virus turned off and still had this problem. Username contains only normal letters.

Program is located at C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\atom

[kb1lqc]

Somewhat of a workaround here is to add %LOCALAPPDATA%\Atom to the PATH environmental variable and then you can at least search for atom.exe in the start menu. Then I just pinned it to the start menu.

It would be awesome if this was cleaned up for a better user experience on Windows. Hopefully this helps!

[AllanKoaikJunior]

I'm also facing the same problem. I've uninstalled it and reinstalled a couples of times now still can't find it anywhere on my computer accept for the atom.exe which is located in my user folder.

[piyawill]

I also have this issue. I was able to find atom.exe in C:\Users\my user name \AppData\Local\atom\app-[version]\atom.exe

FYI

[Downes]

Just so you know. I also have this issue. I was able to find atom.exe in C:\Users\my user name \AppData\Local\atom\app-[version]\atom.exe

[damieng]

There is definitely a bug here but without Squirrel adding more detailed logging we will not be able to get the bottom of it.

There is no need for any more people to simply report they are also having this issue.

[carkod]

@mjpierce7590 It is not located in the Program Files (x86) because you installed the x64 version, it should be in Program Files (without x86)

[hoelzlmanuel]

Found a solution to this problem!

Step 1: Go to "C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Github, Inc" Step 2: Copy the Atom shortcut in there Step 3: Paste it in "C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs"

Now Atom should be appearing in the start menu. This worked for me using the x64 version and Windows 10.

[SamuXzX]

For me the step 1 was different, because I found the file in another place:

Step 1: Go to "C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\atom" Create a shortcut of atom.exe, that you find in that folder, and cut it. Step 2: Go to "C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" Paste the shortcut in here. Now Atom will appear in the Start Menu.

I understand that it is a bug, so writing how we solved is a temporary solution, they have to solve it via code.

[Sant268]

A different problem,very similar to this one. I installed atom,and the welcome page instantly opened. I wrote programs for abt 2 hrs,and then I shut down my pc(i saved my files on atom).

After another startup,it disappeared,it shows atom in Change or Remove programs list,but no .exe file in APPDATA.Just an update file.,i clicked on it but nothing happens. After reinstalling ,it's the same, Opens first time and then disappears

[FranOz]

Same issue here. I have installed atom but I could not find it. I can't execute from cmd also.

[tazboyz16]

Im having same issues with not having any shortcuts to Atom Editor after Windows 10 x64 installer from the atom.io site. Version I have installed is 1.19.3 no trace of atom.exe in AppData folder. I was able to find its install files under C:\ProgramData vs installed in the Program files

[ntnbst]

what if I move this to a new location.

[Glowmex]

I had the same issue, look for the exe file everywhere without luck. I tried to uninstall, but it was not showing in the control panel either. I use Revo Uninstaller most of the time, and when I tried, there it was, so from Revo I right clicked and looked for the install location and viola, there it was! Followed the path: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\atom. From there, I made a shortcut in my desktop. Hope this helps!

[Hyvjan]

I had the same problem and windows search didn't find atom.exe from any directory. I found kind of workaround:

When I installed atom again and it opened I attached it to the taskbar. Now the icon stays on the taskbar and I am able to launch atom. Not good solution but works. Hope somebody else saves few hours of time while trying to figure this out.

[jkeithowens]

I had this same issue today, the info in replies above worked. I think the reason that you can't find the .exe file in a search is because the folder is hidden (at least it was on my computer). Once I made the folder "C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData" un-hidden, I could find the file in a search.

[AngiePeraza]

I had the same issue, previous replies worked but now Atom doesn't load, it tries to open but it doesn't and it doesn't show any error message neither.

I reinstalled and now I have the shorcut but Atom still doesn't open. (SO Windows 10)

[AlessiaBaka]

I have resolved by doing a research in all my :C partition. Found it in here: "C:\Users\ ***** \AppData\Local\atom" Shortcut on desktop and voilà!

Hope it helps!

[Baronsindo]

i can see atom any where in my computer, in this place C:\Users\ ***** \AppData\Local\atom i only see an update.exe

[wjgeorge]

happened to me with latest installer, got the shortcut, but not found on the CMD prompt line. I ended up adding %LOCALAPPDATA%/atom/bin to my PATH

[NaijaProgrammer]

@wjgeorge thanks for the path info. I did that too. I have to point out something, though. I am using atom 1.18.0 64-bit on a Windows 10 machine. The LOCALAPPDATA/atom does not contain a /bin folder. I just used the %LOCALAPPDATA%\atom, and it works for me. Also not the "\", as Windows does not allow the "/" as path separator.

[murdakah]

These are all workarounds and not an actual solution to the problem. What exactly is causing the directory and shortcuts to not be created? (Also the splash screen when installing is very small, but that's unrelated methinks) My username is also quite ordinary with no strange characters.

[damieng]

If we knew what caused it or how to reproduce it we could fix it. Unfortunately nobody seems to have come up with repro steps that work on other people's systems.

It could be permissions, folder length, disk space, unicode characters, group policies, anti-virus...

[murdakah]

@damieng Actually, I've installed it on 3 different windows 10 machines, all 64bit, all acting the same way. Atom installs, but no start menu shortcut. To reproduce you simply need to install atom.

It's also strange that it doesn't install to Program Files, but I suspect that was a conscious decision.

[damieng]

@murdakah Unfortunately the repro is not that simple or this thread would have hundreds of users. My own dev platform is also Windows 10 64-bit so I would have experienced it too.

It's interesting however that it happens on all three of your systems. Can you provide more information on what is common between them? Some thoughts;

• username on all
• connected to a corporate domain
• running additional security software

etc.

[murdakah]

Fair enough. 2 of the systems are Intel based, other one is an AMD Ryzen, so that rules out processor dependence, if that was even a thing.

1. All are in fact running Malwarebytes and Avast.
2. Usernames are all standard characters, all 3 different usernames through, so I doubt it is that.
3. They are not connected to any special domains.

[damieng]

Could you try temporarily disabling avast on one while you reinstall Atom on it (then re-enable after) and see if you get the icon this time.

[murdakah]

No difference. Neither disabling Malwarebytes nor Avast and both at the same time had any effect. Atom simply installed and launched with no start menu directory created.

[miajohannes]

I also have the same issue. No issue with my user name. Windows 10 32-bit. It got installed here: %localappdata%\atom. I pinned it to the taskbar from there.

[KBPsystem777]

Same case here before. But I followed the instructions above. I found the Atom.exe on C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\atom

[mrcycling]

I am having the same issues, installed Atom a couple of times without it appearing in the start menu.

After the second install, I did find a shortcut on the desktop (it may have been there the first time without me noticing it). It was a generic windows icon, but I was able to right click it and change it to the Atom icon.

[jimmybigbaws]

And...... I'm having the same problems as above on the win64 installer but as above ive no way of opening it. I cant find the exe files. I know theyre hidden but dunno how to unhide them which is simply yet another google search i need to do. I want this programme so i can learn programming, just didn't know i needed to be an expert before getting it to even work. I understand this is open source (which I'm all for) but when writing your instructions for things like the installation you guys need to recognise there are people like me who don't know python or how every bloody nut and bolt of every programme works. This entire process has been nothing but frustration because the info available to me is above my understanding for both atom and platformIO. Rant over... the short time i had the editor open i actually liked atom and found it straightforward i just wish you guys n gals had put as much effort into the installation side of things as they need serious work unless youre an expert in python/java

[damieng]

@jimmybigbaws There should be an icon in the start menu. It doesn't appear for some people and we've never been able to find out why as we can't reproduce it here.

You should be able to find the atom.exe by hand by using Windows Explorer and navigating to C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\Atom x64 Right-drag this to your desktop and choose 'Create Shortcut' to give it an icon.