Organizing my Start Menu

[MikeyChris]

I am finding Win 7 to be a mixed bag. Some things I really like, others not so much. In older versions it was simple to organize my start menu by right clicking the START button and clicking on OPEN or OPEN ALL USERS, then PROGRAMS and copy, move, make folders, etc. as I wanted to organize things. With Win 7 it isn't so easy, and in fact some of my programs that do NOT like to be installed in the PROGRAM FILES folders I find cannot have shortcuts placed anywhere but the desktop. It seems Microsoft is taking away control from power users in an effort to dumb down the OS to help those folks that just want to USE their computer (i.e. be a MAC).

Has anyone found a way to build their START MENU the way they like?

I know the search bar makes this seem unnecessary, but I am a bit anal about this and want to arrange things the way I want them.

Thanx.

 

[MacGyvr]

You can create folders on the menu as you like, but all items will remain in alphabetical order.

 

[Brink]

Hello MikeyChris,

In addition, it's pretty much the same way in Windows 7.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/296-start-menu-all-programs-add-delete-shortcuts.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[MikeyChris]

Win 7 Star Menu

Perhaps I didn't give enough detail about the issue I have with the START MENU.

I have several programs that by default do NOT install themselves in the \Program Files\ directory (either the 64 bit or X86), and in fact, their publishers recommend NOT installing them in those directories (for reasons I do not know, I am not that familiar with the issues). With these particular programs, if I create a directory in the appropriate user start menu folder, and then drag shorcuts into that folder, I get a message from windows informing me it cannot create a shortcut there, would I like it to creat a short cut on my desktop? NO, I do not want the shortcut on my desktop.
Since I am not near a Win7 machine right now,I can't replicate the isue. I will try to remember to do so tonight. Maybe then I can more accurately explain the issue.

 

[DeaconFrost]

First, blame the writers of the software for not automatically making shortcuts. Second, try to create the shortcuts without clicking and dragging. Copy the actual program executable, and then once in the proper Start menu folder, right-click and choose Paste Shortcut.

I've also found that when setting up a new system and organizing the Start Menu, I have to turn UAC off, or it will be a long, tedious process.

 

[kado897]

You could also create your own "start menu" as a toolbar.

1. Just create a folder somewhere you can keep it.
2. Add any folder structure you like to this and populate the folders with shortcuts to your programs
3. Right Click on the taskbar and select Toolbars->New toolbar...
4. Navigate to the folder you created and select it and you have created your "start menu"

An image of mine is attached below.

 

[MikeyChris]

First, blame the writers of the software for not automatically making shortcuts.

They do make shortcuts, they just aren't where I want them. For example, I like to group all my shortcuts to utilities (maybe a folder with several apps, or just an app) in one folder named Utilities. Usually I then just drag program and/or folder shortcuts for all my utilities into this folder. That has always worked for me in Win 3 thru XP (I have never tried Vista, so not sure on that one).

The above procedure works IF the folders are located in the PROGRAM FILES directory, but if they are in the root, I get the message about not being able to create the shortcut in the folder I want.

I may be doing something stupid, I haven't had the time to delve back into it again. Maybe this week end.