Windows 7 - Start Menu - Change Number of Recent Programs to Display

**Brink**

How to Change the Number of Recent Programs to Display in Windows 7 Start Menu

Information

This will show you how to change the number of Recent Programs to display under the Start menu Pin To area line in Windows 7.

Warning

Recent Programs will need to be turned on in order for the Start menu to display the number of recent programs you specify below.

EXAMPLE: Recent Programs list in Start Menu

OPTION ONE

Through Customize Start Menu Settings

1. Right click on the Start button and click on Properties.

2. Click on the Customize button. (See screenshot below)

3. Under the Start menu size section at the bottom, change the Number of recent programs to display to a number between 0 and 30. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: The default number to display is 10.

4. Click on OK. (See screenshot above)

5. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 2)

OPTION TWO

Manually in Registry Editor

1. Open the Start Menu, type regedit in the search box, then press Enter.

2. In regedit, navigate to: (see screenshot below)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3. In the right pane of Advanced, right click on Start_MinMFU and click on Modify. (see screenshot above)

4. Select (dot) Decimal. (see screenshot below)

5. Enter how many (0 to 30) recent programs you want to be displayed in the Start Menu, then click on OK. (see screensho above)
NOTE: The default number to display is 10.

6. Close Regedit.

That's it,
Shawn

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**Jannoth** · 07-15-2011

Hi, that's a great help - thank you, but my problem is that the number of displayed recent programs is fixed at four, whatever number is entered in the Customize Start Menu area. If I delete one from the list, another recently opened program immediately appears in the list.

I have tried varying the size of icons, varying the number of programs to be displayed from 0 to 30, rebooting, what else should I try??

I hope someone still reads this and can post some ideas.

Thanks

**Brink** · 07-15-2011

Hello Jannoth, and welcome to Seven Forums.

As a test to see if it may just be somthing wrong with your account, create a new administrator account, and see if it still does it in this new user account.

Windows 7 - Start Menu - Change Number of Recent Programs to Display

Start Menu - Change Number of Recent Programs to Display

Start Menu - Change Number of Recent Programs to Display problems?