"All Programs" Window is Full - what can I do?

  • Thread starter Thread starter David
  • Start date Start date
Well, Peter, no I didn't realise that at all! Not knowing much about
Windows I am never sure what I can get rid of and what I have to keep.
I do have sortcuts on the desktop to all the apps that I normally
use, so if these files in the 'all programs' are not needed I can
certainly dump them.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated

David
Click to expand...

David, following Peter's advice on how to cleanup the Start Menu, when I
go to my start menu, All Programs, I then have only 10 or 11 choices
there at the top level, Apps, Audio, CDr, Games, Graphics, Internet,
Programming, etc. Then under those is where I keep the appropriate type
of program.

Here's my added help, after you have these top-level program group's
defined using Explorer, or the Start Menu folder, you can then just
simply go to the start menu itself and start dragging around the various
item's into their respective groups you want them in.

To add some more organization to it, on the root of my C drive, I have
folder's of the same name as the start menu groups, except for Apps.
Then, when installing a new program, if it's a CDr program, I install it
to the C:\CDr\<program name> folder, a new Internet program, installed to
C:\Internet\<Program Name>, SoundForge 6, installed to C:\Audio
\Soundforge.

I absolutely HATE the way programs install themselves. Everything always
want's to install to 'program files'\publisher name\program name
\shortcut's here. And then it want's to put it's start menu entries in
the same fashion. The only time I install an app into program files is
when it doesn't fit in any of my pre-determined categories.

This is a great utility I wrote and use daily, http://users.adelphia.net/
~thisnthat/menuhell/index.htm , which I was thinking of finishing up and
making available for download. There's a couple very tiny bug's that I
live with that I need to clean up first. I almost never go to the start
menu because of this utility. Incidentally, the screenshot's there show
you the structure I spoke of earlier on. The only difference between the
images shown there and the current version is that the most recent
version does not support the system tray, due to some lame program's that
have a system tray icon, but don't respond properly to shell broadcast's.

Regards,

DanS
 
David, once I gave you as much 'undeserved information as I did, I would
have thought you would have enough sense to make it the rest of the way on
your own, 'Obviously', I was wrong!

JAX
 
Thanks mate

David

André Gulliksen said:
One answer I don't see mentioned by anybody here: Ditch the fancy new-look
XP start menu. First, right click "Start", choose "Properties".

Oki, at this point I should point out that I am using a Norwegian XP, and I
can not verify 100% what the english names for the appropriate buttons and
options in the next steps are. But you should now be looking at a menu where
you can select between the new fancy start menu and the oldskool classic
start menu. Now select the classic start menu, click the Options-button next
to it (this one was inactive before you selected classic). Now you should
get a menu, where one of the top items (number 2 from the top on my
Norwegian XP Home) should say something about dynamic or personal start
menus. Make sure this is checked. You may also wish to make sure the "Scroll
programs" is checked.

Now you will find that your start menu has changed to the old Windows
95-look. You will also find that when you click Programs only the recently
used applications are actually visible, unless you click the arrow at the
bottom of the menu.

You may or may not like this style of start menu. But: Cleaning up the start
menu is still a good suggestion, no matter what kind of menu you like.
Click to expand...
 
David, from your posts, I figure you to be almost 15 years old. I recognize
your name and the properties from your posts. I will never try to help you
again. If you were mature, and smart enough, to be able to read and explore
the information given you, you would have already resolved your immediate
problem, computer related, that is.

JAX
 
Why undeserved? - surely anyone that uses windows deserves (and needs) all the
help in the world

When I followed your directions and found they were wrong, I looked elsewhere -
others tho have put me on the right track

David
 
My directions were wrong? I neglected to tell you to press the "Customize"
tab!! I thought I was addressing an adult who was capable of carrying out
the operation from where I left off.

JAX
 
David,

if you want you can switch to Classic view style. Click on

Right click on the taskbar
click on properties
go on Start menu tab
Click on Classic Start menu
Click Customize
Scrolldown and look for personalized menu
uncheck the box.
then close all the application window.
 
JAX said:
David, from your posts, I figure you to be almost 15 years old.
Click to expand...

A long way off Jax, but only wrong by about 45 years, so I guess for you that
is pretty close
I recognize
your name and the properties from your posts.
Click to expand...

Obviousely this is not an area in which you have any knowledge or skills then
I will never try to help you
again.
Click to expand...

Thank goodness for that if your last attempt is typical of your level of
knowledge and attention to accuracy
If you were mature, and smart enough, to be able to read and explore
the information given you,
Click to expand...

The problem with the 'all programs' window is now fixed thanks to Frank and
others - I haven't yet been able to download a driver for my floppy but am
persevering

David - who wonders why Jax has such a chip on his shoulder
 
Thanks - I will have a go at that

David
David,

if you want you can switch to Classic view style. Click on

Right click on the taskbar
click on properties
go on Start menu tab
Click on Classic Start menu
Click Customize
Scrolldown and look for personalized menu
uncheck the box.
then close all the application window.
Click to expand...
 
Hi David,
You must have realized that you were posting to a Windows user site and a
comment like "CRAPPY XP" was going to draw some heat from users who are
probably die hard Windows fans or users. That being said the whole flame
skirmish that went on was un-needed.

As far as Mac OS X being so much better than windows , just remember that OS
X is just a shell on top of a Unix Kernel.
 
Of course you are right Mark - best to not post stuff like that here but one
does get frustrated when the OS is just so poorly designed and so unstable. I
get so sick of reinstalling it and all my applications every time it lets some
new application stuff it up.

Mmm I am not sure tho that OSX is better tho - I really think Apple took a
backward step in downgrading from OS 9.xxx - while OSX may be technically
superior, it is in my view not so nice to use - if XP didn't crash and burn so
often, I think I would rather use it than OSX (and I DO realise that is an
almost sacraligious statement from a dedicated mac fan, but one has to be
honest)

David
 
There is nothing logical or user friendly about Macs, without the loss of
functionality and advanced features. Also, I have seen many of the
ridiculous things that Mac users must do (like the eject floppy disk thing).

Back on topic, although putting things into groups (such as Music, Games,
Internet, etc) can be helpful (and organized), make sure you do not narrow it
down too far, or it will take too long to find anything.

P.S. If you want an alternative to Windows, try Linux, not Macintosh. With
Linux apps being completely open-source, you can find alternatives to
anything for free (try http://www.sourceforge.net/). But, Linux is still
nothing compared to Windows.
 
Okay..heres a bit more help...after going to properties on the "start" tab
click on the "start menu" tab at the top then look for the "customize" box in
the lower right hand corner. Click that..then click on the "advanced" tab.
Scroll down to the bottom and you will find the "scroll programs" box...make
sure that it has an "x" in it then hit ok..then apply then exit. This will
change your all programs listing to a different setting. On my computer
(which by the way I think I had the same problem with - I could never see the
program id's for new programs that I installed, hence I couldn't use the
features there). I changed mine and now I can see all of my "missing"
information but now my menu is almost all on the left hand side...I'm still
playing with it so maybe I'll find the fix...but I wanted to help you out
here with the added information. Anyone got any quick information on how I
can spread out these menu listings to cover the page like it use to?????
Hmmmmmm????
 
Back
Top