Windows XP offers 2 types of start menu
1. Regular Start Menu
2. Classic Start Menu
The difference between both
Classic start menu will not have the My computer / My documents /My Music links inside the start menu. But the regular or the new Start Menu will have all these and it will not display the My computer and My documents Icon in the desktop.
Start Menu appears on the left bottom corner of any windows system by default. and this can be adjusted to any direction like right left and top.
When you click on the start menu you will get a list of menu like below
The left side of the column has the recently accessed program and the right side of the menu has the shortcut to many programs.
You can completely customize this start menu by yourself or by spending some money buying some software. I suggest you to try it for yourself.
Right click on the start menu (RIGHT CLICK) and you will see a menu like below. (you may not have all that appearing in the screen shot)
When you click Open, It will open a window by default in the following location
C:\Documents and Settings\Mirror
Mirror is the login Id for the computer so I have Mirror here, for example if your user Id is Daniel the link will be like below
C:\Documents and Settings\daniel
Here you will see the start menu items listed, You can arrange this item and also delete add more shortcuts to the start menu.
And these item will be listed in the start menu as seen below
You will see what ever you have added on the right side top of the Start menu.
But hey wait, This may not be the one you wanted to change but everything down below the right top section.
Here it is how to do
C:\Documents and Settings\Mirror\Start Menu\Programs
(Instead of Mirror enter your Computer user name.)
You will see all the programs under your user name. You can add new programs delete start menu item and create new shortcut, why not have one of your frequently accessed� file placed there, and you will see that in your start menu.
But there is one more thing, There are still programs that you cannot see in this window but that will appear in the start menu. How to organize that?
Right Click the “Start Menu”
Left Click “Explore All users”
This will open a window and that is usually
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
You will see all the folders like programs folder and any other application shortcut.
This is very simple and useful. I will try to post a video later.
If you have any questions, please post a comment