Windows 7: Start Menu Weirdness

I recently purchased a new computer with Windows 7 (64bit Home Premium) installed. I had previously upgraded my old XP machine to Windows 7.



I have installed MS Office 7 and I have pinned both Word and Excel to the start menu. On my old machine, when I opened a document, that document would later appear on a sub-window of the start menu. The system would add a little arrow on the right end of the Microsoft Word entry, for example, and hovering over the arrow would display the recently opened items associated with MS Word. I cannot get that arrow and file list to appear in the start menu on the new computer. I have been through the customize process, but nothing I do fixes this issue.

Is there a "secret handshake" that I don't know? I realize this is a nit, but it is bugging me, big time!

Hank

Windows 7 is a bit different. If you open an excel document or a word document, it appears in the task bar at the bottom. You put your mouse over the icon and you can see the document.

If you do not have this feature type task bar, in search, and make sure it is properly set.

You are missing my point/question. The upgraded Windows 7 machine gives me the document as shown in the photo. My new machine (also Windows 7) does not. But both are running Windows 7 Home Premium.

The issue is with the Start Menu. If I want to open that same document later, I go to the Start Menu, highlight MS Word, click on the little arrow and see the Recent Items listed to the right in the sub-window that the little arrow opens.

No worries on missing my original point. Perhaps I wasn't clear.

I have already tried PINning the programs to the start menu and the task bar. Neither has worked. I have PINned and unPINned them several times... I realize it's a nit, but it is truly annoying me.

Others have had this problem. Read and try these suggestions. Hope it works

Start Menu - Pin to - Vista Forums

Do the following: Right click on the taskbar (or orb) > Properties > Start menu button > Customize > roll down to where it says "Open submenus when I pause on them with the mouse pointer" (it is under "O") > check the box in front of that > OK > Apply.

Thanks, I appreciate you help and your patience with me.

Sorry, no dice. I had already checked that... and tried unchecking, saving and then rechecking and saving. Still doesn't work.

Hi, try this, Pin the Word program to the Taskbar, open a word document and save it as whatever you like
lets say XYZ, and then save it and close it. Now go to the Task bar and hold your curser on the
Word program Icon and just lift it up and the word document is there as you describe,
Have a look at the pic, I hope this is what you mean.

I just checked and it all works exactly how you want on my box. So the good news its possible! Jumplists are the thing you are trying to have function, but i didnt change anything for them to work, so maybe inadvertantly you have changed your jumplists from default actions?