Windows Vista Start Menu

The start menu in windows vista has changed.

You remember the change in XP, i never thought it was really needed, but with every new windows edition the start menu changes, it just has to change so that you feel that microsoft is delivering for your money, but are they.

Start menu items scroll inside the space where you used to have the most frequently used icons, and they don't do it as soon as you open start menu), you still have to click on All Programs.

You may notice that the shadow of my desktop wallpaper can be seen through the start menu, if it was video playing over there, the shadow of the playing video would appear under the start menu, this is the transparency glass look we were talking about in the AERO review, it is in the start menu, on most windows (new applications), on the TaskBar, and the like

Click on an image to see larger image
Once you click on the start menu	Once you click on all programs	Once you expand a program group
As soon as we click the start button (no longer has the word start on it), we are greeted with something that looks familiar, the commonly used icons.	After clicking All Programs, a list was displayed in place of the (commonly used) entries in the start menu, Close to what was in XP, but rather than expanding the menu to use the entire screen, things expand in the start menu with scrolls	Notice how when we expanded the start menu we have scrolls, we will also have scrolls as soon as we open all programs once we have more program groups !

So, you want your old (functionality wise) start menu ?

When i used to install windows XP on a computer, i had to restore the old style start menu, but you probably got used to the XP style menu, so let us see if we can bring it back for you.

The good thing is that there is allot you can customize in the start menu... if you follow the simple, unchanged steps

Click on image to make bigger

XP style start menu

Customizing the start menu

(Scroll down for customizing the Classic start menu)

Get to the Taskbar and start menu Properties dialog box by following the steps in the pictures before (Right click taskbar -> Click properties, Then click the Start Menu tab)

Make sure that "Start menu" and not "classic start menu" is selected and click the Customize button right in front of it .

You will see a dialog box like this one

Computer in windows vista is My Computer in previous versions, The choice of 3 radio buttons gives you the ability to 1- Have computer display as a shortcut (link) on the right side of the start menu (Display as link), 2- Allows you to have it become a group and show the contents of computer as a list containing everything in computer (you will not be able to click on computer to open the computer window (Display as menu), and 3- And don't display this item that takes Computer out from the start menu (Don't display this item). Show or do not show the connect to link (shortcut), the connect to link takes you to network connection wizard, where you will also find a link to open (Network) window (the ones that shows all computers on your network. This allows you to 1- display a link (shortcut) to the control panel (Display as link), 2- Display as menu where it will expand to a scrolling (depending on your monitor resolution) group containing all items in your control panel and it itself will no longer be clickable (Display as menu), and finally to take the control panel out of the start menu (Don't display this item)

The default programs link in windows vista start menu allows you to chose what programs run when a file of a certain type is double clicked, When you click this you will get a screen allowing you to do many things like Set your default programs, Associate a file type or protocol with a program, Change auto Play settings (when you insert a CD or USB disk for example), and Set program access and computer defaults This gives you the chance to 1- Display a link (shortcut) to your documents folder (Display as link), 2- Have it expand showing you your files and folders in the documents folder (Display as menu), and 3- Not to display Documents in your start menu at all (Don't display this item). This, when checked you can drag and drop items from the start menu to anywhere on the start menu to change the order, You can also drag to the desktop to MOVE the link (shortcut) to the desktop, or to your quick launch toolbar or any other toolbar to COPY it there. When checked your internet explorer favorites will be accessible in an expanded menu from this, this is disabled by default This gives you 3 options when it comes to windows games, 1- Show a link (shortcut) to the games window (Display as link), 2- To make this expand (but not clickable) when you mouse over it (Display as menu), and 3- Not to have it in the start menu at all (Don't display this item), the games are also listed in the programs group This option allows you to specify if you want the icons in the start menu should be small or a bit larger

Classic Start Menu

Simply switching to classic start menu takes you back to 1998, with a start menu somewhat similar to windows 98 (You might even feel "Virtually" younger), and instantly adds the icons no longer in the start menu like computer (previously known as My Computer), Network (previously known as network neighborhood), Internet explorer, Control panel, Your Username (Previously known as My Documents). So it is Simple, but we will take a look on how to do it anyway

After following the steps in the pictures above (Right click the taskbar -> Click Properties, Choose the "Start Menu" tab, Click on the radio button "Classic Start Menu" to select it, then click Customize)

you will be presented with a dialog box like the one here.

Now this is the same dialog box you used to use before with earlier versions of windows, but we will go through the details fast

Classic start menu customization. (scroll down to go to normal start menu customization)

Display administrative tools	When checked, will add a programs group (inside programs), and within that group you will find Computer Management, Data sources (ODBC), Event viewer, iSCSI Initiator, Local security Policy, Memory Diagnostics tool, Print Management, Reliability and Performance Monitor, Services, System Configuration, Task Scheduler, and Windows Firewall with advanced security.
Display Favorites	With this one checked, You will see your internet explorer favorites in the start menu.
Display log off	With this one checked you will see "Log off YourUsername" right above Shut Down , The underlined letter is the shortcut for that item
Display Run	This is turned on by default, Allowing you to run programs by calling them (text command)
Enable context menus and dragging and dropping	When checked, this allows you to right click for a context menu, or drag and drop items to change there order on the start menu, it even allows you to drag and drop items to the desktop (this will MOVE the shortcut to the desktop) or to a toolbar on the taskbar (like quick launch) (This will COPY it to the toolbar)
Expand control panel	If this checkbox is selected, pointing to settings will not only give you a link to the control panel, it will also show you the tools within the control panel if you hover above it for a second, To open the control panel you will have to double click it
expand documents	In the start menu, the documents group (on the root level of the menu) expands to show you (your username), Documents (Previously My Documents), and pictures, With this one checked the Documents (previously My Documents) Will expand to show you contents from the documents folder, and documents will need to be double clicked to open the documents folder
Expand network connections	In the start menu, the settings group contains a shortcut to your Network Connections, if this checkbox is checked, the network connections will be expanded to display your ethernet adapters (EX: Local Area Connection) , your internet connections (myisp adsl), and to open the network connections window you will need to double click Network Connections
Expand pictures	Inside documents on the start menu, there is a shortcut to open your pictures folder, if this checkbox is checked, this shortcut will be expandable to display picture file shortcuts and folder shortcuts from your pictures folder, you will need to double click the pictures shortcut to open the pictures folder
Scroll programs	When you have many programs and program groups in your start menu programs group, the choices are either to display multiple columns of programs or to simply display one column and make it scrollable up and down, if this checkbox is checked, it will be scrollable
Show small icons in start menu	This one is simple, when you click the start button, the shortcuts on the start menu will either be big or small, if this one is checked they will be small. this only applies to the first level of the start menu
Use personalized menus	Personalized menu is what windows does to make the programs you frequently use there as soon as you open a group, and the ones you don't frequently use hidden until you click to have them display

Now we will take a look at the few buttons above the checkbox in the Classic Start Menu dialog box

Add -is a 3 step wizard that will add a shortcut to the start menu (in your programs group, or on the start menu directly)
1- Chose the file or folder you want to add a shortcut for
2- the second step is choosing where to have that shortcut on the menu, it starts at Programs group, but you have more choices than that, You can also create a sub folder (program group)
3- Choosing a name for the shortcut, by default it is the name of the file or folder you have chosen previously.

Remove - A 1 stop dialog followed by confirmation message (Are you sure)
1- Chose the shortcut or program group you want to take out

Removing can be done in another way by right clicking on the start menu and choosing delete.

Advanced - Allows you to explore the start menu in windows explorer, you can move them, add to them, or anything you can do to a file.

Sort - Sorts your program groups alphabetically followed by your shortcuts alphabetically as well.

What is missing still
1- Customizing the start menu in the registry
2- How are the initially displayed commonly used programs chosen