Windows 7 - Custom Start Menu Folder

In my start menu I'd like to pin a folder or something that I can put my mouse over and it will expand and have a bunch of applications that I frequently use inside.

Like when I go Start > Paint my start menu will expand and I'll have a list of recent pics.

So I'd like to pin something to my start menu that when I mouse over it has app's I use. (I'd like to be able to add the apps on my own, and not use 'recent apps' or whatever)

Can this be done?

For taskbar try this tutorial. Taskbar - Pin or Unpin a Folder
you need to make a folder somewhere and put the shortcuts to the programs in their then pin that the taskbar.
Jerry

Thats what I want to do, however I dont want it on my taskbar I want it on my start menu.

You might get what you want by putting new toolbars on the taskbar:

1. Create a folder (anywhere) and put your shortcuts, including shortcuts to your app folders in it.
2. Right click on taskbar > select Toolbars > New toolbar. Navigate to, and open, the folder you created, then click "Select Folder".
3. On the taskbar, drag by the left vertical bar to where you want.
4. Drag the right vertical bar toward the left to hide the toolbar contents, as much as you like.
5. Right click on the left vertical bar and unselect "Show text" and "Show title".
6. Lock the taskbar, and the vertical bars vanish.

Now you only have to click on the >> button at the right to expand the toolbar list, after that the folder shortcuts in there will expand when you mouse hover.

You can also use as many toolbars as you need. If you want to space them, create an empty folder and a toolbar for it on the taskbar, and extend the empty space as required by dragging the right vertical bar.

Sorry I didnt realize I had the word taskbar in the first post.

I want to do this on my start menu.

No problem. I'd be interested to hear if you get a way to do that.

I have found the toolbar setup to be a quicker and more usable route to files, folders and programs than the Start menu - think of it as a substitution for the Start button.

Something like this?
You can have it with programs.

Or with programs and folders.

Jerry

In XP it was o so simple - the start menu was a folder, accessible in explorer and with a shortcut by right clikcing on the start button.
Dead easy to customise.
I collected all my installation folders into one folder called (you guessed) installation folders (everything installs with uninstall, readme etc etc). I then put the most frequently used programs in the order I wanted them, just the program icons under "programs) and created topical folders, "WEB" (browsers ftp, html editors page creation etc) "VIDEO" editors and players "SOUND" likewise, DOCUMENTS (word, page plus etc) & PHOTO (photshop, lightroom etc. Perfectly the way *I* use my computer.
Then on top I added a folder for frequently used files (shortcuts to things I use almost every session at some point)

How can this be done in 7 - all this nonsense pinning individual programs to the start menu and it putiing them in random order etc - creates a chaotic mess - and having the last used programs move to the first layer WTF??? just cos I used it before does not mean I need it to hand now!!!

Is there any equivalent in 7 - ie getting hold of real folders and arraning them with explorer, rather than messing about with so called customisation "options"??

I do not know what you mean but I can take a guess. Do you mean organising your Start Menu Applications in folders like mine?



As you can see I have organised every application in categories and I have like 100 Applications. If you want you can also customise each Icon based on what they actually are.

To do what I have done there are two ways.

Method 1 - Click Start, All Programs and click (hold) and drag each Application to wherever
Method 2 - Click Start and Right Click on All Programs and select Open All Users, make whatever folders and cut/copy and paste it wherever.

Looks as if everything I did oin xp should be possible in 7,,,BUT
when I right click the start button I only get "properties" and "open windows explorer" (whichopens explorer in a general way). the otion to "open all users" and "explore all users" is missing.

Is the start menu off documents & settings, users etc as a real folder like it was in XP? if it is I could dig around and find it