FAQ: The "Run" entry in the Start menu is a very handy tool. Have you ever experienced loosing the "Run" option from the Start menu? Well one question recently received is regarding such a scenario. There are several reasons as to why this happened.. but only one very apparent symptom is like the screenshot below.
As previously stated, there are several reasons why the "Run" entry is missing from the Start menu. Let us start with the first restriction.
Explorer Policy Restriction. One reason is the restriction in the explorer policy.
[1] Open the registry editor.
[2] Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and change the value of "NoRun" to "0". Otherwise, deleting it serves the same purpose.
Logout and then log back in for the change to take effect.
Group Policy Restriction. Another reason for the missing "Run" entry in the Start menu is the Group Policy in effect on the machine.
[1] Open the Group Policy Editor.
[2] Under "User Configuration" -> "Administrative Templates" -> "Start Menu and Taskbar", set the value of "Remove Run menu from Start Menu" to "Disabled" or "Not Configured".
Unlike the Explorer restriction, you will not need to logout for the change to take effect. The "Run" entry will re-appear after both of the changes above.
Start Menu Customization. One more possible reason is previously applied customization(s) to the Start menu.
[1] Right Click on Start menu, then select Properties.
[2] On the ensuing window that opens click "Customize". And go to the "Advanced" tab.
[3] Scroll down toward the bottom of "Start menu items". The item "Run Command" should be ticked (like below).
Realizing the value of the "Run" entry in the Start menu is what brought you here. I am a strong believer in the significance of functionality over "security". We should all have "Run" in the Start menu.
I hope this helps your predicament.
