I think that you need to be looking at menu.tpl in the /skin1/ directory, not the one in the /skin1/admin/ directory.

In the file that you just posted, that last line tells you what template that all the "capture" data is displayed in...

{ include file="menu.tpl" dingbats="dingbats_categorie.gif" menu_title=$lng.lbl_management menu_content=$smarty.capture.menu }

menu.tpl - and since there is no directory in front of it, that means that it is in the root of the skin1 directory.

When I change menu.tpl to menu_admin.tpl, and change every menu.tpl value in the admin folder, to point to menu_admin.tpl instead, I get a ton of errors saying warning, unable to read resource menu_admin.tpl :(

That's because there is no menu_admin.tpl, you need to create it.

I wish it was that easy. I did crete menu_admin.tpl, and placed it in every possible directory. admin, skin1, skin1/admin, root, etc.

It goes in skin1. Needs to have some content in it. Make sure it has the correct permissions as well.

Verified that it is in the right folder and permissions are correct.

It must be something inside of the standard tpl file that is making an issue with the code somewhere. :roll: