Managing the Start Menu


The Start menu in Windows XP is a lot different than the Start menu you got used to in previous versions of Windows. It does a good job of hiding things you don't use that often, while keeping your most frequently used programs front and center.

Changing the Way the Start Menu Works

Windows XP applies a handful of special effects to the Start menu. You can animate the Start menu when it opens, force submenus to open when you hover over them, and highlight new applications.

To change these special effects, follow these steps:

1.

Right-click the Start button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2.

When the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears, select the Start Menu tab and click the Customize button.

3.

When the Customize Start Menu dialog box appears, select the Advanced tab (shown in Figure 2.16).

Figure 2.16. Change the way the Start menu behaves and what it displays.


4.

To animate the Start menu, check the Animate Start Menu As It Opens option.

5.

To make submenus open when you point at them, check the Open Submenus on Hover option.

6.

To highlight the newest applications, check the Highlight Newly Installed Programs option.

7.

Click OK when done.

Changing the Size of Start Menu Icons

You can also choose from two sizes of icons in the Start menu. Follow these steps:

1.

Right-click the Start button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2.

When the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears, select the Start Menu tab and click the Customize button.

3.

When the Customize Start Menu dialog box appears, select the General tab (shown in Figure 2.17).

Figure 2.17. Change the size of the Start menu icons, as well as how many programs the menu displays.


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If you want to start the Start menu with a clean slate, click the Clear List button. This opens the Start menu with no programs displayed.

4.

Check Small Icons to display smaller icons than normal. Check Large Icons to display the default, large icons.

5.

Click OK.

Displaying More or Fewer Programs

By default, the Start menu displays the five most-recent applications you've run. You can reconfigure the Start menu to display more (up to nine) or fewer (as few as zero!) applications at a time.

To display more or fewer programs, follow these steps:

1.

Right-click the Start button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2.

When the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears, select the Start Menu tab and click the Customize button.

3.

When the Customize Start Menu dialog box appears, select the General tab.

4.

Select a new number from the Number of Programs on Start Menu list.

5.

Click OK.

Hiding (or Changing) the Browser and E-mail Icons

Also by default, the Start menu displays icons for your Web browser and e-mail client. For most users, that's probably Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. (If you have Office installed on your PC, Microsoft Outlook may be displayed as the e-mail client.)

You don't have to display these icons and you don't have to link them to Microsoft programs.

Follow these steps to delete or reconfigure these two items:

1.

Right-click the Start button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2.

When the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears, select the Start Menu tab and click the Customize button.

3.

When the Customize Start Menu dialog box appears, select the General tab.

4.

To display the icons for other browser or e-mail clients, go to the Show on Start Menu section and select new programs from the Internet and E-mail lists.

5.

To not display one or both of these icons, uncheck the Internet and/or E-mail options.

6.

Click OK when done.

Selecting Which Icons to Display and How

The default Start menu also displays icons for the Control Panel, My Computer, My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, Network Connections, Help and Support, and the Run command. You can configure Windows XP to not display any of these icons or to display some of the icons as menus.

Follow these steps:

1.

Right-click the Start button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2.

When the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears, select the Start Menu tab and click the Customize button.

3.

When the Customize Start Menu dialog box appears, select the General tab.

4.

In the Show These Items on the Start Menu box, click As Link to display an icon as a link to the main item; As Menu to display a pop-up menu when an icon is clicked; or Never to not display an item.

5.

Click OK when done.

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You can use this same method to add any program file to the Start menu, even if it doesn't appear on the Programs menu. Just use My Computer to navigate to an application file, and then right-click the file and select Pin to Start Menu from the pop-up menu.


When you choose the As Link option, clicking an icon displays the related item. For example, when you click the My Documents icon, the My Documents folder opens in a separate window.

When you choose the As Menu option, clicking an icon displays a pop-up menu that contains all the options in the selected item. For example, when you click the My Documents icon, a pop-up menu appears that lists all the folders and files in the My Documents folder.

Which option you choose depends on how you work. If you like to work from folders, choose the As Link option. If you like to work from menus, choose the As Menu option.

Adding a Program to the Start Menu Permanently

If you're not totally comfortable with the way programs come and go from the Start menu, rest assured the tried-and-true Programs menu still exists. Just click the All Programs link on the Start menu, and the Programs menu appears, just like you remember it.

If you'd rather display a program on the Start menu than on the Programs menu, but don't want the icon going away if you don't use it, you're in luck. You can add any program to the Start menu permanently. Just follow these steps:

1.

From the Start menu, click the All Programs link to display the Programs menu.

2.

Navigate to the program you want to add to the Start menu, and right-click that program.

3.

From the pop-up menu, select Pin to Start Menu.

The program you selected now appears on the Start menu, just below the browser and e-mail icons.

To remove a program you've added to the Start menu, right-click its icon and select Unpin from Start Menu.

Changing Back to the Old Style Start

If you don't like Windows XP's new Start menu, you can easily switch back to the "classic" Windows 9X/Me version.

Follow these steps:

1.

Right-click an open area of the Taskbar and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2.

When the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears, select the Start Menu tab (shown in Figure 2.18).

Figure 2.18. Switch between new and classic Start menus.


3.

Check the Classic Start Menu option.

4.

Click OK.



Microsoft Windows XP for Home Users Service Pack
Windows XP for Home Users, Service Pack 2 Edition
ISBN: 0321369890
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 270

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