Taskbar and Start Menu

Taskbar and Start Menu

Table 5-14 describes the settings in the Taskbar category. Most notably, you can disable balloon tips by setting the REG_DWORD value EnableBalloonTips to 0x00. Create this value if it doesn't already exist.

Table 5-14 Values in the Taskbar Category

Setting	Name	Type	Data
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Enable balloon tips	EnableBalloonTips	REG_DWORD	0x00 | 0x01
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Warn when low on disk space	NoLowDiskSpaceChecks	REG_DWORD	0x00 | 0x01
Show name on Start menu	NoUserNameInStartMenu	REG_DWORD	0x00 | 0x01
Show taskbar notification icons	NoTrayItemsDisplay	REG_DWORD	0x00 | 0x01

Grouping

The settings in the Grouping category, as described in Table 5-15, enable you to control how buttons are grouped on the taskbar. Using the TaskbarGroupSize value, which you should create if it doesn't already exist, you determine the applications that Windows collapses into groups first:

• Group least used applications first.

  Windows groups least frequently used applications first, and groups more frequently used applications as necessary.

• Group applications with the most windows first.

  Windows groups applications that have the most open windows first, and groups applications with fewer open windows only as necessary.

• Group any application with at least N windows.

  Windows groups applications that have N windows open on the desktop.

Windows uses the same REG_DWORD value for all three cases. If you set TaskbarGroupSize to 0x00, Windows uses least-used grouping. If you set it to 0x01, Windows uses most-windows grouping. If you set it to any other value, Windows groups any application that has that number of open windows.

Table 5-15 Values in the Grouping Category

Setting	Name	Type	Data
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Group least used applications first	TaskbarGroupSize	REG_DWORD	0x00
Group applications with the most windows first	TaskbarGroupSize	REG_DWORD	0x01
Group any application with at least N windows	TaskbarGroupSize	REG_DWORD	N

Start Menu

Windows displays the most frequently used programs on the bottom of the Start menu. This handy feature prevents you from having to hunt for applications that you use often. Some applications don't belong on this list, however. I tire of seeing Notepad on the Start menu just because I happened to use it to view a text file. I also don't like seeing Command Prompt on the Start menu every time I type cmd in the Run dialog box. The solution is to tell Windows which applications you don't want it to add to the Start menu. Do that in the key HKCU\Software\Classes\Applications.

In Table 5-16, look up the application that you want to keep off the Start menu's list of frequently used programs. If you don't find the program in Table 5-16, find the program's file name by looking in the Program Files folder or at the program's shortcut on the Start menu. Then add to Applications a subkey with the same name as the program's file name (but omit the path). Add the REG_SZ value NoStartPage to the program's subkey, and leave it blank. For example, to keep Notepad off the Start menu, create the subkey Notepad.exe in HKCU\Software\Classes\Applications, and add the value NoStartPage.

Table 5-16 Values in Windows Start Menu Category

Application	File Name	Application	File Name
Accessibility Wizard	Accwiz.exe	Narrator	Narrator.exe
Address book	Wab.exe	Notepad	Notepad.exe
Backup	Ntbackup.exe	On-Screen Keyboard	Osk.exe
Calculator	Calc.exe	Outlook Express	Msimn.exe
Character map	Charmap.exe	Paint	Mspaint.exe
Command prompt	Cmd.exe	Pinball	Pinball.exe
Data sources (ODBC)	Odbcad32.exe	Remote Assistance	Rcimlby.exe
Disk cleanup	Cleanmgr.exe	Remote Desktop Connection	Mstsc.exe
FreeCell	Freecell.exe	Solitaire	Sol.exe
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard	Migwiz.exe	Sound Recorder	Sndrec32.exe
Hearts	Mshearts.exe	Spider Solitaire	Spider.exe
HyperTerminal	Hypertrm.exe	System Information	Msinfo32.exe
Internet Backgammon	Bckgzm.exe	System Restore	Rstrui.exe
Internet Checkers	Chkrzm.exe	Tour Windows XP	Tourstart.exe
Internet Explorer	Iexplore.exe	Utility Manager	Utilman.exe
Internet Hearts	Hrtzzm.exe	Windows Media Player	Wmplayer.exe
Internet Reversi	Rvsezm.exe	Windows Messenger	Msmsgs.exe
Internet Spades	Shvlzm.exe	Windows Movie Maker	Moviemk.exe
Magnifier	Magnify.exe	Windows Update	Wupdmgr.exe
Minesweeper	Winmine.exe	WordPad	Wordpad.exe
MSN Explorer	Msn6.exe