Recently used programs gone

drdug · Feb 2, 2005

I'm using XP PRo with SP2, and recently did a clean install. Now, my most
recently used programs list no longer works...it's totally blank. It does
have IE and OE icons at the top, but nothing below that where it would
normally show applications that I have recently used. How can I fix this?

TIA

Wesley Vogel · Feb 3, 2005

If XP Pro you can use Group Edit to check these also...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | OK |
Navigate to >>>
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\

Check the settings on these...

Remove the Documents menu from the Start menu

Do not keep history of recently opened documents

Clear history of recently opened documents on exit
-----

How To Display, Use, and Clear "My Recent Documents" on the Start Menu in
Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307875

Check these settings if you have TweakUI.

TweakUI
[+] Explorer

Allow Recent Documents on Start menu
[[This check box enables the display of “Documents” on the classic start
menu and enables the “List my most recently opened documents” checkbox on
the Start menu customization dialog.]]

Clear document history on exit
[[This check box will control whether Explorer will clear the recent
documents history, run dialog history and typed-URL history when
you log off]]

Maintain document history
[[This enables the tracking of recently opened documents on the Start menu
and on the file menu of many applications. (Note that some applications do
not respect this setting). ]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

drdug · Feb 3, 2005

Thanks for the reply....I'm assuming when you say "documents" you mean
programs, because I don't want recent documents displayed, I want the list
of frequently used programs to show. Does Windows not make a distinction
between programs and documents?

doug

Wesley Vogel said:
If XP Pro you can use Group Edit to check these also...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | OK |
Navigate to >>>
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\

Check the settings on these...

Remove the Documents menu from the Start menu

Do not keep history of recently opened documents

Clear history of recently opened documents on exit
-----

How To Display, Use, and Clear "My Recent Documents" on the Start Menu in
Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307875

Check these settings if you have TweakUI.

TweakUI
[+] Explorer

Allow Recent Documents on Start menu
[[This check box enables the display of “Documents” on the classic start
menu and enables the “List my most recently opened documents” checkbox on
the Start menu customization dialog.]]

Clear document history on exit
[[This check box will control whether Explorer will clear the recent
documents history, run dialog history and typed-URL history when
you log off]]

Maintain document history
[[This enables the tracking of recently opened documents on the Start menu
and on the file menu of many applications. (Note that some applications do
not respect this setting). ]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

drdug said:

I'm using XP PRo with SP2, and recently did a clean install. Now, my
most recently used programs list no longer works...it's totally
blank. It does have IE and OE icons at the top, but nothing below
that where it would normally show applications that I have recently
used. How can I fix this?

TIA

Click to expand...

Wesley Vogel · Feb 4, 2005

Oops. ;-(

[[Programs are added to the most frequently used programs list when you use
them. Windows has a default number of programs that are displayed on the
most frequently used programs list. When that number of programs is reached,
the programs you have not opened recently are replaced by the programs you
used last. You can change the default number of programs displayed on the
most frequently used programs list.]]

Right click the Start button | Properties | Customize button |
General tab | Under Programs | Number of programs on Start
menu: | What's the number?

Number of programs on Start menu
[[Specifies the maximum number of programs to display in the most frequently
used programs list on the Start menu. You can increase or decrease the
number.]]

Clear List button
[[Click to delete the shortcuts displayed in the most frequently used
programs list on the Start menu. This does not delete the program from the
computer. The next time you run a program, its shortcut is displayed on the
Start menu.]]
-----

Start Menu Most Frequently Used programs (MFU) list is empty
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/startmfu.htm

The Program Count for the Most Frequently Used Programs List Is Not Used
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320987

Frequently Used Programs Not Automatically Added to the Start Menu
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];282066

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

drdug said:
Thanks for the reply....I'm assuming when you say "documents" you mean
programs, because I don't want recent documents displayed, I want
the list of frequently used programs to show. Does Windows not make
a distinction between programs and documents?

doug

Wesley Vogel said:

If XP Pro you can use Group Edit to check these also...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | OK |
Navigate to >>>
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\

Check the settings on these...

Remove the Documents menu from the Start menu

Do not keep history of recently opened documents

Clear history of recently opened documents on exit
-----

How To Display, Use, and Clear "My Recent Documents" on the Start
Menu in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307875

Check these settings if you have TweakUI.

TweakUI
[+] Explorer

Allow Recent Documents on Start menu
[[This check box enables the display of “Documents” on the classic
start menu and enables the “List my most recently opened documents”
checkbox on the Start menu customization dialog.]]

Clear document history on exit
[[This check box will control whether Explorer will clear the recent
documents history, run dialog history and typed-URL history when
you log off]]

Maintain document history
[[This enables the tracking of recently opened documents on the
Start menu and on the file menu of many applications. (Note that
some applications do not respect this setting). ]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

drdug said:

I'm using XP PRo with SP2, and recently did a clean install. Now,
my most recently used programs list no longer works...it's totally
blank. It does have IE and OE icons at the top, but nothing below
that where it would normally show applications that I have recently
used. How can I fix this?

TIA

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

drdug · Feb 4, 2005

Thanks for the reply

I looked in the registry for the keys listed in the first article you referenced and the key"NoStartMenuMFUprogramsList" wasn't even in the registry. Could that be the reason the programs aren't showing? And I guess that begs the question: why is it missing in the first place? Considering I did a clean install recently and updated the SPs, etc.

Wesley Vogel said:
Oops. ;-(

[[Programs are added to the most frequently used programs list when you use
them. Windows has a default number of programs that are displayed on the
most frequently used programs list. When that number of programs is reached,
the programs you have not opened recently are replaced by the programs you
used last. You can change the default number of programs displayed on the
most frequently used programs list.]]

Right click the Start button | Properties | Customize button |
General tab | Under Programs | Number of programs on Start
menu: | What's the number?

Number of programs on Start menu
[[Specifies the maximum number of programs to display in the most frequently
used programs list on the Start menu. You can increase or decrease the
number.]]

Clear List button
[[Click to delete the shortcuts displayed in the most frequently used
programs list on the Start menu. This does not delete the program from the
computer. The next time you run a program, its shortcut is displayed on the
Start menu.]]
-----

Start Menu Most Frequently Used programs (MFU) list is empty
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/startmfu.htm

The Program Count for the Most Frequently Used Programs List Is Not Used
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320987

Frequently Used Programs Not Automatically Added to the Start Menu
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];282066

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

drdug said:

Thanks for the reply....I'm assuming when you say "documents" you mean
programs, because I don't want recent documents displayed, I want
the list of frequently used programs to show. Does Windows not make
a distinction between programs and documents?

doug

Wesley Vogel said:

If XP Pro you can use Group Edit to check these also...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | OK |
Navigate to >>>
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\

Check the settings on these...

Remove the Documents menu from the Start menu

Do not keep history of recently opened documents

Clear history of recently opened documents on exit
-----

How To Display, Use, and Clear "My Recent Documents" on the Start
Menu in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307875

Check these settings if you have TweakUI.

TweakUI
[+] Explorer

Allow Recent Documents on Start menu
[[This check box enables the display of “Documents” on the classic
start menu and enables the “List my most recently opened documents”
checkbox on the Start menu customization dialog.]]

Clear document history on exit
[[This check box will control whether Explorer will clear the recent
documents history, run dialog history and typed-URL history when
you log off]]

Maintain document history
[[This enables the tracking of recently opened documents on the
Start menu and on the file menu of many applications. (Note that
some applications do not respect this setting). ]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In drdug <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
I'm using XP PRo with SP2, and recently did a clean install. Now,
my most recently used programs list no longer works...it's totally
blank. It does have IE and OE icons at the top, but nothing below
that where it would normally show applications that I have recently
used. How can I fix this?

TIA

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Wesley Vogel · Feb 5, 2005

NoStartMenuMFUprogramsList is added by gpedit.msc if you have XP Pro. If
you don't have the key that shouldn't be the problem. No key means you
should have the MFU programs list.

Try this...

Remove frequent programs list from the Start Menu

Right click the Start button | Properties | Customize button |
General tab | Under Programs | Set Number of programs on
Start menu to 0 (zero) | Click the Clear List button | OK |
Apply | OK

Reboot.

Right click the Start button | Properties | Customize button |
General tab | Under Programs | Set Number of programs on
Start menu to more than zero | OK | Apply | OK

See if you start getting programs added to the list.

[[Most Frequently Used list displays programs based on how often they are
used. If you remove a program from the list, the computer resets its usage
count to zero. When the program is used again, it gains usage points and it
can reappear in the Most Frequently Used list.]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

drdug said:
Thanks for the reply

I looked in the registry for the keys listed in the first article you
referenced and the key"NoStartMenuMFUprogramsList" wasn't even in the
registry. Could that be the reason the programs aren't showing? And
I guess that begs the question: why is it missing in the first
place? Considering I did a clean install recently and updated the
SPs, etc.

Wesley Vogel said:

Oops. ;-(

[[Programs are added to the most frequently used programs list when
you use them. Windows has a default number of programs that are
displayed on the most frequently used programs list. When that
number of programs is reached, the programs you have not opened
recently are replaced by the programs you used last. You can change
the default number of programs displayed on the most frequently used
programs list.]]

Right click the Start button | Properties | Customize button |
General tab | Under Programs | Number of programs on Start
menu: | What's the number?

Number of programs on Start menu
[[Specifies the maximum number of programs to display in the most
frequently used programs list on the Start menu. You can increase or
decrease the number.]]

Clear List button
[[Click to delete the shortcuts displayed in the most frequently used
programs list on the Start menu. This does not delete the program
from the computer. The next time you run a program, its shortcut is
displayed on the Start menu.]]
-----

Start Menu Most Frequently Used programs (MFU) list is empty
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/startmfu.htm

The Program Count for the Most Frequently Used Programs List Is Not
Used http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320987

Frequently Used Programs Not Automatically Added to the Start Menu
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];282066

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

drdug said:

Thanks for the reply....I'm assuming when you say "documents" you
mean programs, because I don't want recent documents displayed, I
want the list of frequently used programs to show. Does Windows
not make a distinction between programs and documents?

doug

If XP Pro you can use Group Edit to check these also...
Start | Run | Type: gpedit.msc | OK |
Navigate to >>>
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\

Check the settings on these...

Remove the Documents menu from the Start menu

Do not keep history of recently opened documents

Clear history of recently opened documents on exit
-----

How To Display, Use, and Clear "My Recent Documents" on the Start
Menu in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307875

Check these settings if you have TweakUI.

TweakUI
[+] Explorer

Allow Recent Documents on Start menu
[[This check box enables the display of “Documents” on the classic
start menu and enables the “List my most recently opened documents”
checkbox on the Start menu customization dialog.]]

Clear document history on exit
[[This check box will control whether Explorer will clear the
recent documents history, run dialog history and typed-URL history
when you log off]]

Maintain document history
[[This enables the tracking of recently opened documents on the
Start menu and on the file menu of many applications. (Note that
some applications do not respect this setting). ]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In drdug <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
I'm using XP PRo with SP2, and recently did a clean install. Now,
my most recently used programs list no longer works...it's totally
blank. It does have IE and OE icons at the top, but nothing below
that where it would normally show applications that I have
recently used. How can I fix this?

TIA

Click to expand...

Click to expand...