Windows XP Pro SP2 - Editing Start MenuHi,

[oddjob99]

Is it possible to edit the start menu other than by deleting items ?
My start menu is full to overflowing and I want to save space by grouping similar programs together such as Utilities,Dictionaries Etc.
Any advice will be welcome, many thanks in advance.
Oddjob99.

[Tweed]

You can drag and drop shortcuts. A better way is to open up Windows Explorer, go to Documents and Settings\YOUR PROFILE\Start Menu, or Documents and Settings\ALL USERS\Start Menu if applying to all users. You can create folders and shortcuts etc.

[vehelpfulguy]

I do this as follows. Dont know if it is the only way to do it but it works for me.

Open "My Computer" then double click on your hard disk icon.

This opens a window showing all the folders and files on your hard disk.

Double click on "Documents and Settings" and you now see a folder for "all users" and one for the userid you logon to Windows with.

Double click on either icon and you get another list of folders, and one of them is called "Start Menu"

Double Click on Start Menu and now you get a window with a number of folders and files, and these represent the entries on your start menu (they are probably in folder "Programs" .

more...

[vehelpfulguy]

continued..

Create a folder with any name you like, say Utilities (do this in the folder "Start Menu" NOT "Programs". This now becomes a group on your menu.

Now you can move entries from your "Programs" folder to your new Utilities folder.

Note you need to do this for both the "All users" folder and the individual named folder. Windows takes the entries from these two folders and "merges" them into the one menu.

NOTE: Dont move entries from your "All Users" folder to your individial named folder or vice versa, keep them separate.

I hope that makes sense.

[rojash]

Just a small addendum to these excellent answers:

A quicker way to open the menu in explorer is to right-click the start button and choose "Explore" or "Explore all users". The first will open your personal menu and the second will do as it says on the tin.

[oddjob99]

Hi there,
Many thanks Tweed and vehelpfulguy.
My start menu now has room for more entries.
After days of searching you solved my problems "just like that".
It shows that answer bank does what it says on the tin.
Thanks again .

[oddjob99]

Hi Rojan,

Thanks for your addition.I am really learning lots from you guys.
I never thought of right clicking the start button !
oddjob99

[oddjob99]

Hi Rojash,

Sorry I misspelled your name

oddjob99

[Tweed]

Glad to be of help : )