Start Menu Weirdness

Ok, I seem to be having problems communicating what the issue/problem is. Let's try it again, from the top. My previous WIN7 installation (different computer) had little arrow marks by some programs (Word, Excel, Notepad, Windows Media Player, to name a few) in the Start Menu. These marks indicated that the program had been used to open files (Word docs, etc). If I click on the little arrow mark, it opened a sub-window to the right of the start menu and it listed all of the files recently opened by that program. (See the picture attached to post #3.)

I have replaced that computer with a new one, and on this one, I cannot get the little arrow marks (or the associated "Recent" file list) to show up in the Start Menu. I have compared all of the settings associated with CUSTOMIZING the START MENU between the two machines and the checks and options are identical.

Check also whether these 2 boxes are checked.

Ok I understand what you are trying to achieve, did you try what I was saying and if you did,
did it work, I need to know that first.

whs said:

Check also whether these 2 boxes are checked.

Yes, they are checked.

jfar said:

Ok I understand what you are trying to achieve, did you try what I was saying and if you did,
did it work, I need to know that first.

Ok, I did what you suggested. It worked for MS Word, but it did not work for MS Excel.

hank: i would compare your start menu properties between the two computers. eventhough i do not think that this is your problem.

but, i would check if word is set to show in word recent files etc.. the start menu might be taking the list from there.

tapuz said:

hank: i would compare your start menu properties between the two computers. eventhough i do not think that this is your problem.

but, i would check if word is set to show in word recent files etc.. the start menu might be taking the list from there.

Thanks for the suggestion, but there was nothing there to be changed to enable it. Word is playing nice, Excel is not. Grrr.

Still looking for an answer to this one. It appears the issue of NO jumplist only applies to Excel. I have jumplists associated with the Start Menu entries for MS Word, MS Expression Web 3, MS IE 8, VLC Media player and a few others... but still nothing for Excel.

One "sort of" workaround was to install Hedgehog's JumpList Launcher app. It's OK, but not as "clean" as having the Excel jumplist in the Win7 Start Menu.

When you select the program at the Start All Programs, Don't start it, right click on it and Select
Pin to Start Menu. When it is pinned to the Start Menu you will then have the arrow that you
are talking about to link you to the last open pages, as per your photo on the first page.

Yep. That works for every app that I have tried it on...except MS Excel. It it pinned to the Start Menu, but NO jumplist for Excel.