How to get recently used programs to show up in start menu again


  1. Posts : 28
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       #1

    How to get recently used programs to show up in start menu again


    A while back I used a few different programs to tweak Windows 7. One of the programs I used caused the recently used programs to stop showing up in the star menu. Under properties now I can't even set the number of programs to show because it is grayed out and unselectable. Any body know how to get this function back? I have ran SFC to see if there was something corrupt in Windows 7 with no errors returned. I think there is something turned off in the registry but have no idea where to look. Any help is greatly appreciated.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 8,679
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Start Menu properties and check the "Store and display a list of recently opened programs"
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 398
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #3

    All you need to do is pin them to start menu, which will make them show up once you click start menu. Simply go to the program (.exe) right click and click pin to start menu. Program you used probably just erased those pinned items from showing up.

    Let us know if this helps!

    And if i miss understood you let me know.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 28
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Yeah thanks for the try at helping but I already tried the most obvious way to get my recent programs to show up. Thanks for trying Stalker but as I said in my orig post that option was greyed out. I just got that option un greyed a minute ago by changing the track user settings in my group policy. I unchecked and applied, then rechecked and applied both the settings under the start menu properties/privacy settings. I still don't seem to be getting the recently used programs list to be showing up though. I am going to change the registry value of StartMenuInit to 3 so it'll reset the recently used list and see if that helps.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 8,679
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #5

    Try this
    Start > Regedit > Navigate to

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

    On the Right Pane .. Delete "NoRecentDocsMenu"
    Source

    I suggest to create a back-up of registry before doing any changes!
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 28
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Thanks for trying stalker. Whatever the tweak program did it for I don't know but I had to go into gpedit.msc and change my user tracking value to enable, that gave me back my option of storing recent programs. Then I had to go into regedit and change the value of startmenuinit from 4 to 3 to reset the recent programs list. It seems to be working now.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 8,679
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #7

    You're welcome. Glad that problem is solved. :)
      My Computer


 

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