How do I customize Start Menu?

Question

When I click on the START button, and then right click and select Properties, and then Customize Start Menu and the tab that says Advanced, I cannot find a way to add Desktop as one of my options to click on. In the upper right it has:

My Documents

My Pictures

My Music

My Computer

My Network Places

I would like to customize that list and add Desktop to it and maybe replace My Network Places.

Is there anyway to do that in this Start Menu list?

Please give exact steps if you know a solution.

JRosenfeld · Answer

I (nearly) always try the solution I suggest before posting. However, in this instance, I must confess that I have start menu in classic mode (for which it works) and forgot to test in XP mode. My apologies.

Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 12-06-2003 08:36 PM

I have since found that if I add the desktop shortcut to the top pane of the start menu in classic start menu as described in my previous post, then switch to the XP start menu, the added desktop shortcut appears in the top left panel of All programs. Maybe that would do what you want.

Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 12-06-2003 08:48 PM

gblaca · Answer

This does not work.   I right clicked on START, clicked on Properties, clicked on Customize    Then there is not Add button.   Try it for yourself.   Please send the correct procedure.

JRosenfeld · Answer

Right click Start, click properties, customize, Add, browse, click on desktop in the window that opens, click next, click where you want to put it (on start menu or in programs menu, or wherever), click next, click finish. Ditto for the other ones (browse to the file ot folder in the browse step).

Use Remove instead of Add to remove shortcuts you don't want.

Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 12-06-2003 08:10 PM

gblaca · Answer

By adding Desktop in the Classic Start Menu view, it did NOT add it in the Windows XP Start Menu view.

gryjhnhpe · Answer

If you want to 'Desktop' why not just enable 'Quick Launch' by right click on Taskbar , select Toolbars > 'Quick Launch', the default usually has 'Show Desktop'. To remove unwanted 'Quick Launch' Icons just right click Icon & Delete. You can also  'Show Desktop' by pressing Windows+D  keys together.

jmwills · Answer

The best I remember, TweakUI had a function for doing this.  Download for free at Microsoft.

gryjhnhpe · Answer

@jmwills wrote:
The best I remember, TweakUI had a function for doing this. Download for free at Microsoft.

TweakUI for XP+SP1 only has option to allow checked programs to appear in Start Menu "Frequently Used Programs" list.

JRosenfeld · Answer

gblaca.

I'm sorry that it does not seem to work for you, it really does for me. There are two types of desktop shortcut icons. One, called show desktop, is usually in the quick launch toolbar. If you click on it it minimises all windows and shows the desktop (the quick launch bar is next to the start button on the taskbar; if you don't have it, right click taskbar, toolbars, check quick launch)); with the classic start menu, right mouse dragging that icon from the quick launch bar to the start button copies it to the top pane of the start menu.

The other desktop shortcut is to the desktop folder, which you can make in classic start menu as I suggested above.

When I do either or both of these and then switch to XP start menu, either or both short cuts do appear in the top left pane of All programs (as do all the shortcuts that I have in the top pane of the classic start menu).

Message Edited by JRosenfeld on 12-07-2003 01:38 PM

Windows General

How do I customize Start Menu?

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