Jump Lists

How to Open and Use Windows 7 Start Menu and Taskbar Jump Lists​

   Information

Jump Lists help you easily find and open the files and programs you use often. This will show you how to open and use the Start menu and taskbar Jump Lists in Windows 7.

For more information about Jump Lists, see: Developing for the Windows 7 Taskbar - Jump into Jump Lists - Part 1 - Windows 7 for Developers - The Windows Blog

   Note

Jump lists provide quick access to application features. Think of Jump Lists as a mini Start menu for the application. You can use Jump Lists on the taskbar and the Start menu to open your most frequently visited websites, recently opened files, and favorite programs with just one click. This helps eliminate the need to open the program and then load the relevant file, or by performing common tasks without opening the program first. Programs that use the system API for their Most Recently Used list (the list of recently used filenames that many apps have in their File menus) will automatically acquire a Jump List containing their most recently used files. You can Pin the programs and files you use the most on the taskbar and Start menu so you can open them from the same spot every time for quicker access.

On a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, the Jump List of an application may disappear permanently when you use the application to open or save a new item. This issue occurs when there are 999 items in the Jump List already.

Installing the update at the link below resolves the issue and enables the displaying of the Jump Lists.

A Jump List is not displayed in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 if the list contains more than 999 items

   Warning

Jump Lists will require that you have Recent Programs and Recent Items turned on for it to work.

A Tasks jump list for program (ex: Windows Live Messenger) options does not require to have Recent Programs or Recent Items turned on to work though.

OPTION ONE

Jump Lists in the Start Menu

NOTE: Jump Lists don't appear in the All Programs area in the Start menu.
1. Open the Start Menu.

2. Hover over a program in the Start Menu "pin to area" that has a arrow to the right of it indicating it has a jump list. (see screenshots below step 3)

3. The jump list for the selected program will now automatically expand open. Select a jump list item. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: You can also select the program in the Start menu pin area, then use the Shift+Tab keys to move over to the jump list. Next, use the arrow keys to select a jump list item and press Enter to open it.

OPTION TWO

Open Jump Lists on the Taskbar

1. Right click on a pinned icon on the taskbar (ex: Windows Explorer icon), and go to step 4.
OR

2. Press the Windows + ALT + (1-10) keys for the icon in the numerical order from either left to right or top to bottom on the taskbar, then go to step 4.

OR

3. Left click and hold on a pinned icon on the taskbar, drag up and release the left click, and go to step 4.

4. From here you can select what item you want to open with the selected program. (See screeshots below)



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Backup and Restore Jump Lists in Windows 7
• How to Pin or Unpin Items in Windows 7 Jump Lists
• How to Enable or Disable Pinning and Unpinning of Items in Windows 7 Jump Lists
• How to Change the Number of Recent Items to Display in Windows 7 Jump Lists
• How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Pin or Unpin a Program to the Windows 7 Start Menu
• How to Turn Recent Programs On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Turn Recent Items On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Create Custom Jump Lists in Windows 7
• How to Reset and Clear All Items in Windows 7 Jump Lists
• How to Enable or Disable Recent Items in Windows 7 and Vista

 

[ustahl]

Jump Lists not accessable

I have following problem trying to use taskbar jump lists:

When I right click a pinned taskbar icon the the jump list shows up like it should for as long as the mouse cursor stays on top of the taskbar icon. When I try to move the cursor onto the jump list, the jump list disappears before I reach it.
I only rarely manage to catch the jump list by really focussing on hitting it with explosive lightning speed. That can't be right, the jump list should be easily accessable. It seems like I am fighting with some too short delay setting. It's driving me nuts.:sa:

Could it be some menu delay or mouse speed setting?
I'd be grateful for suggestions on how to fix this.

Cheers Uffe

 

[Brink]

Hello Uffe,

Yeah, this seems to be a bug with the jump lists. Be sure to send feedback to Microsoft about it to help make them aware of this issue.

I have found that once you have it highlighted in the Start menu, using the arrow keys seem to help make selecting a item in the jump list easier to do.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[ustahl]

Hello Uffe,

Yeah, this seems to be a bug with the jump lists. Be sure to send feedback to Microsoft about it to help make them aware of this issue.

I have found that once you have it highlighted in the Start menu, using the arrow keys seem to help make selecting a item in the jump list easier to do.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi Shawn,
Thanks for swift response.
1. Feedback sent to MS.
2. Tried yr help by Start menu suggestion, but that only made a hassle of it all. I mean, if y're highlighting items in the Start menu, you might as well use that for yr selections and forget the elusive jump lists.
3. I also tried the following: right click taskbar icon, press shift or ctrl or alt or a combination of these, before trying to catch the jump list. Sometimes, it seemed, I got an extra fraction of a second for catching the jump list. Or maybe my hand is just getting faster through all this (silly) practice. It's like training for a shootdown at High Noon.:sarc:

I guess we have to wait for MS to fix it, maybe in an iterim Hotfix?

Cheers Uffe

 

[Barman58]

Hi Uffe,

One method that works for me with the jump lists is to left click on the icon then drag upward - this will open the jump list for me - I think it's included for multi-touch.

If your having right click problems however, it may not work, but worth a try

 

[ustahl]

Barman, thanks a lot!
You solved it. Left click & hold down & drag upward works like a charm.
Seems like that's the way it's supposed to work.
I feel stupid for not trying that myself. Obviously the solution was too easy.
No need to try right click any longer.

I hope Brink can also confirm this easy method for accessing jump lists, and, if deemed necessary, adjust the tutorial accordingly.

Cheers Uffe

 

[Brink]

Hi Uffe,

One method that works for me with the jump lists is to left click on the icon then drag upward - this will open the jump list for me - I think it's included for multi-touch.

If your having right click problems however, it may not work, but worth a try

Nice trick Nigel. The tutorial has been updated to include it.

Shawn

 

[burtie]

Just out of curiosity is there a way to edit jump lists on items pined to the taskbar?

 

[Brink]

Hello Burtie,

I have not found a way to yet.

 

[burtie]

Hello

Hmm such a shame, maybe there will be a way soon, it would be a really handy feature

 

[LarryE1946]

Just out of curiosity is there a way to edit jump lists on items pined to the taskbar?

Do you just want to remove an item? If that's all you want to do, just right click on the item in the jump list and then on "remove from this list". I haven't found a way to add an item though.

 

[Sheryl]

Isn't the arrow to the RIGHT, not the left of the name?

 

[Brink]

Hello Sheryl,

I'm not certain what you mean.

If you mean the menu arrow for a jump list in the Start Menu, then yes it should to the right of the name if it has one.

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[Airbot]

It's because you say the arrow to the "left" of it in number 2 of the tutorial Shawn.

 

[Brink]

LOL, DOH!! It's fixed now.



Thank you Aaron.

 

[Airbot]

No Problem Shawn, you're bound to have typos with all the tutorials you pump out.

 

[mjs]

I just got a new laptop at work running Windows 7 Professional, and for some reason when I try to LEFT-CLICK & DRAG UP the jump lists, they disappear as soon as I move the mouse off of the taskbar shortcut.

Any ideas?

For the record, when I RIGHT-click on a taskbar shortcut, the jump list works fine, it's only when I LEFT-click and drag up that it doesn't work. Maybe there is a registry fix for this?

 

[Brink]

Hello MJS,

Could you post a screenshot of the jump list with the item you want to drag pointed out? We'll see what may be wrong.

 

[mjs]

Brink, sorry, I should have updated my post here. I have since found the solution elsewhere in this forum. For the record, it appears to be a problem specific to Dell computers (including Alienware).

The answer is here: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...-preview-disappears-quickly-2.html#post375039

Thanks for the offer of help!

 

[Brink]

Thank you for posting back your results MJS. How interesting.