I've reached the point where I have enough programs to cause my program list in the start menu to become too large to fit the screen. Is there any way to customize windows so I'm able to see all my programs? I'm in the 'Windows Classic' theme.
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'All Programs' in the Start Menu has become too large.
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Shark-MegaByte
Limp Gawd
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I've always hated Start Menu bloat from programs installing in arbitrary new menus. Same with the subdirectories of Program Files.
Right-click on your Start Menu and choose Explore. From here you can manually organize the items in your menu. Create/delete folders, move/delete shortcuts, etc.
I eliminate all names of software companies from the directory tree at program install. They just go to C:\Program Files\Program Name. Then when they've done their best to screw up my Start Menu, I go and rip the shortcuts out of their default folders and group them by category. Uninstall shortcuts and most of the Help shortcuts get removed; if I want those I'll use Add/Remove Programs or the Help menu.
Click on Start - Programs on my system and the only folders you see are...
Accessories (the usual Windows junk that seldom gets used)
Games (obvious)
Imaging (PowerDVD, Iview, DivX Player, BS player, etc)
Internet (FTP & etc, Security subfolder with firewall/av/antispy-malware)
Microsoft Office
RW (anything related to cd or dvd burning)
Sound (ripping software and codec controls)
Startup
System Tools (relocated out of Accessories, with a few things like TweakUI and RegClean added)
Gotten so used to this system, I don't see how anyone can use the Start Menu in its normally wild, messy tangle.
Right-click on your Start Menu and choose Explore. From here you can manually organize the items in your menu. Create/delete folders, move/delete shortcuts, etc.
I eliminate all names of software companies from the directory tree at program install. They just go to C:\Program Files\Program Name. Then when they've done their best to screw up my Start Menu, I go and rip the shortcuts out of their default folders and group them by category. Uninstall shortcuts and most of the Help shortcuts get removed; if I want those I'll use Add/Remove Programs or the Help menu.
Click on Start - Programs on my system and the only folders you see are...
Accessories (the usual Windows junk that seldom gets used)
Games (obvious)
Imaging (PowerDVD, Iview, DivX Player, BS player, etc)
Internet (FTP & etc, Security subfolder with firewall/av/antispy-malware)
Microsoft Office
RW (anything related to cd or dvd burning)
Sound (ripping software and codec controls)
Startup
System Tools (relocated out of Accessories, with a few things like TweakUI and RegClean added)
Gotten so used to this system, I don't see how anyone can use the Start Menu in its normally wild, messy tangle.
I'm a big fan of Slickrun: http://www.bayden.com/SlickRun/
With this tool, I simply delete most icons from the Start Menu and use SlickRun instead
With this tool, I simply delete most icons from the Start Menu and use SlickRun instead
I have a script that can reorganize the start menu to a point. You will still probably still have to do some stuff yourself, but this may be able to get you a head start. It's a one way automated script, and has no undo function, so use at your own risk.
http://tinyurl.com/ycr9u9
http://tinyurl.com/ycr9u9
But is there a setting in Windows which would allow me to view the fourth column of programs if my mouse pointer were over that column?
The problem with going through the Explore folders is that certain programs are under "All Users" and others are under "Administrator" only. With the "All Programs" menu, I'm able to see both simultaneously.
The problem with going through the Explore folders is that certain programs are under "All Users" and others are under "Administrator" only. With the "All Programs" menu, I'm able to see both simultaneously.
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Incidentally, Vista partially (but not completely) alleviates this problem by having the folders stay open until you close them (kinda like Windows Explorer) as well as auto-sorting and putting in a proper scroll bar that works with the mouse wheel.
Luckily you don't have to use it much since the Search is so much better.
Luckily you don't have to use it much since the Search is so much better.
GJSNeptune
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2004
- Messages
- 12,372
Something else that I do is to create a folder somewhere other than my Desktop. In it I put shortcuts to a lot of programs and text files I open frequently. Then I right-click my taskbar and make the folder a new toolbar. Right now I have two, but the first was labeled with a lowercase L so as to take up as little room as possible. The second is an uppercase i.
Interestingly enough, the last time I did it the letters didn't appear, so all I have are the '>>'. It's basically another Start button, but on the right side of the taskbar.
And if you have a ton of listings under Start>Programs, the columns can sometimes take a second to display. With the taskbar toolbar, you keep it pretty small, and you only get listings that you use often.
Interestingly enough, the last time I did it the letters didn't appear, so all I have are the '>>'. It's basically another Start button, but on the right side of the taskbar.
And if you have a ton of listings under Start>Programs, the columns can sometimes take a second to display. With the taskbar toolbar, you keep it pretty small, and you only get listings that you use often.
The problem with organizing your start menu in XP is that some progs install the icon to the local user and some install to all users. The way I solve this is to cut and paste all the icons from local user to all users so that local user is empty. All program installs will now only put the icons under all users because it sees no program folder under local user. This makes it much easier to organize your start menu into categories so it doesn't become cluttered and scroll off the screen.
Sharaz Jek
Gawd
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2000
- Messages
- 647
coincedentally... what resolution do you run?
You could increase your resolution size.
If you plan to edit your start menu; do it via the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu\Programs". Note "Administrator" is my user name and your's could be different. Also note that you probably have multiple users and that your OS may be on a different partition like D or E or whatever.
Personally, I like to just keep the shortcuts to the applications and get rid of all the other crap like help files, web links, uninstallation files, etc.
If you plan to edit your start menu; do it via the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu\Programs". Note "Administrator" is my user name and your's could be different. Also note that you probably have multiple users and that your OS may be on a different partition like D or E or whatever.
Personally, I like to just keep the shortcuts to the applications and get rid of all the other crap like help files, web links, uninstallation files, etc.