Re: how to add folders to Start Menu

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:40:34 -0800, Miles wrote:

> Without losing the benefits of Win7 search and other features I would
> merely like to have the programs grouped as I had them in XP by
> subject, not merely a long list of programs with most of Windows stuff
> listed at the top, however interspersed with a few downloaded
> programs. For instance, subjects (folders) might be:
>
> Windows-Accessories
> Applications
> Internet
> Utilities A-M
> Utilities N-Z
> Video-Sound
>
> In WinXP when "Programs" was opened all that was seen was the above
> list whereby I click on any one and see the programs it contained. I
> found this much easier than going down a 2-foot long list looking for
> a program whether or not I know it's name.
>
> I know there are several programs available that replace the Win7
> Startup menu, but I don't want to lose the benefits it offers.
>
> Miles

I'm going to make a suggestion without trying it, since I don't want to
change my own Start Menu, but I think it's good.

Open the Start menu & right click on All programs, then choose Open. Go
into Programs and create a new folder in there. Name it as you like and
put the desired shortcuts in there. You could instead choose Open all
users, if that works better for you.

OK, I relented. I did the above and effortlessly got a new folder called
Test.

Now you have to deal with the sorting :-)

Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
box and typing a few characters.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:07:06 -0800, "Gene E. Bloch"
<not-> wrote:

>Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
>menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
>box and typing a few characters.

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. :-)

--

Char Jackson

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:35:48 -0600, Char Jackson wrote:

> On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:07:06 -0800, "Gene E. Bloch"
> <not-> wrote:
>
>>Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
>>menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
>>box and typing a few characters.
>
> I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. :-)

I take it you prefer a different method?

Or was it a result of laughing too hard?

Such ambiguity :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On 11/15/2011 5:07 PM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:40:34 -0800, Miles wrote:
>
>> Without losing the benefits of Win7 search and other features I would
>> merely like to have the programs grouped as I had them in XP by
>> subject, not merely a long list of programs with most of Windows stuff
>> listed at the top, however interspersed with a few downloaded
>> programs. For instance, subjects (folders) might be:
>>
>> Windows-Accessories
>> Applications
>> Internet
>> Utilities A-M
>> Utilities N-Z
>> Video-Sound
>>
>> In WinXP when "Programs" was opened all that was seen was the above
>> list whereby I click on any one and see the programs it contained. I
>> found this much easier than going down a 2-foot long list looking for
>> a program whether or not I know it's name.
>>
>> I know there are several programs available that replace the Win7
>> Startup menu, but I don't want to lose the benefits it offers.
>>
>> Miles
>
> I'm going to make a suggestion without trying it, since I don't want to
> change my own Start Menu, but I think it's good.
>
> Open the Start menu& right click on All programs, then choose Open. Go
> into Programs and create a new folder in there. Name it as you like and
> put the desired shortcuts in there. You could instead choose Open all
> users, if that works better for you.
>
> OK, I relented. I did the above and effortlessly got a new folder called
> Test.
>
> Now you have to deal with the sorting :-)
>
> Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
> menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
> box and typing a few characters.
>

I pin my primary programs to the Task bar and use Winkey+number key.

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:02:33 -0800, "Gene E. Bloch"
<not-> wrote:

>On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:35:48 -0600, Char Jackson wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:07:06 -0800, "Gene E. Bloch"
>> <not-> wrote:
>>
>>>Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
>>>menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
>>>box and typing a few characters.
>>
>> I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. :-)
>
>I take it you prefer a different method?

I was remembering a conversation here awhile back where someone said
the "type a few letters" thing was one of their favorite features, and
I chimed in and said it was easily one of my least favorite features.
Hilarity ensued.

I prefer every other method of launching programs over that one.

--

Char Jackson

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:42:02 -0600, Char Jackson wrote:

> On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:02:33 -0800, "Gene E. Bloch"
> <not-> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:35:48 -0600, Char Jackson wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:07:06 -0800, "Gene E. Bloch"
>>> <not-> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
>>>>menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
>>>>box and typing a few characters.
>>>
>>> I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. :-)
>>
>>I take it you prefer a different method?
>
> I was remembering a conversation here awhile back where someone said
> the "type a few letters" thing was one of their favorite features, and
> I chimed in and said it was easily one of my least favorite features.
> Hilarity ensued.
>
> I prefer every other method of launching programs over that one.

I admit to having trouble keeping the varying opinions straight. After
all, that thread was more than 24 hours ago :-) But now that you've
mentioned it, I recall the thread, just not the exact dramatis personae.

Of course, EMMV (Everyone's mileage may - and *does* - vary).

Speaking of varying mileage, I had some fun the other day. My friend and
I mentioned to another person - who is a very smart SW engineer - that
my friend's computer starts up with NumLock on and mine starts up with
NumLock off (both are Windows systems).

He carefully started to explain to us that the setting can be changed in
the BIOS. It took us a while to convince him that (a) we knew that, and
(b) we had *intentionally* set them up differently because we had
different, and strong, preferences.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:10:09 -0600, Bob I wrote:

> On 11/15/2011 5:07 PM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
>> On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:40:34 -0800, Miles wrote:
>>
>>> Without losing the benefits of Win7 search and other features I would
>>> merely like to have the programs grouped as I had them in XP by
>>> subject, not merely a long list of programs with most of Windows stuff
>>> listed at the top, however interspersed with a few downloaded
>>> programs. For instance, subjects (folders) might be:
>>>
>>> Windows-Accessories
>>> Applications
>>> Internet
>>> Utilities A-M
>>> Utilities N-Z
>>> Video-Sound
>>>
>>> In WinXP when "Programs" was opened all that was seen was the above
>>> list whereby I click on any one and see the programs it contained. I
>>> found this much easier than going down a 2-foot long list looking for
>>> a program whether or not I know it's name.
>>>
>>> I know there are several programs available that replace the Win7
>>> Startup menu, but I don't want to lose the benefits it offers.
>>>
>>> Miles
>>
>> I'm going to make a suggestion without trying it, since I don't want to
>> change my own Start Menu, but I think it's good.
>>
>> Open the Start menu& right click on All programs, then choose Open. Go
>> into Programs and create a new folder in there. Name it as you like and
>> put the desired shortcuts in there. You could instead choose Open all
>> users, if that works better for you.
>>
>> OK, I relented. I did the above and effortlessly got a new folder called
>> Test.
>>
>> Now you have to deal with the sorting :-)
>>
>> Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
>> menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
>> box and typing a few characters.
>>
>
> I pin my primary programs to the Task bar and use Winkey+number key.

Hey, it works! Thanks for the tip.

In truth, I prefer the mouse, so I usually just click on the task-bar
icons, but if I can learn the numbers, I'll try to try your method (I
meant the recursive tries). But since I only have nine icons pinned
there, memorization isn't vitally necessary :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

Char Jackson wrote:

> I was remembering a conversation here awhile back where someone said
> the "type a few letters" thing was one of their favorite features, and
> I chimed in and said it was easily one of my least favorite features.

Indeed, to me it negates the whole point of a GUI if you're advised to
type (part of) the name of the program you wish to invoke, I speak as
someone who is quite at home with using CLI on various other O/S.

On Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:22:37 +0000, Andy Burns wrote:

> Char Jackson wrote:
>
>> I was remembering a conversation here awhile back where someone said
>> the "type a few letters" thing was one of their favorite features, and
>> I chimed in and said it was easily one of my least favorite features.
>
> Indeed, to me it negates the whole point of a GUI if you're advised to
> type (part of) the name of the program you wish to invoke, I speak as
> someone who is quite at home with using CLI on various other O/S.

Only if you believe that by advising you thus, I am forbidding you to
use all the mouse clicks you like.

Anyway, I was not *advising* anyone, I was describing my method and my
preference in *one place* within Windows 7.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

* Bob I wrote, On 15-Nov-11 17:10:
>
>
> On 11/15/2011 5:07 PM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
>> On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:40:34 -0800, Miles wrote:
>>
>>> Without losing the benefits of Win7 search and other features I would
>>> merely like to have the programs grouped as I had them in XP by
>>> subject, not merely a long list of programs with most of Windows stuff
>>> listed at the top, however interspersed with a few downloaded
>>> programs. For instance, subjects (folders) might be:
>>>
>>> Windows-Accessories
>>> Applications
>>> Internet
>>> Utilities A-M
>>> Utilities N-Z
>>> Video-Sound
>>>
>>> In WinXP when "Programs" was opened all that was seen was the above
>>> list whereby I click on any one and see the programs it contained. I
>>> found this much easier than going down a 2-foot long list looking for
>>> a program whether or not I know it's name.
>>>
>>> I know there are several programs available that replace the Win7
>>> Startup menu, but I don't want to lose the benefits it offers.
>>>
>>> Miles
>>
>> I'm going to make a suggestion without trying it, since I don't want to
>> change my own Start Menu, but I think it's good.
>>
>> Open the Start menu& right click on All programs, then choose Open. Go
>> into Programs and create a new folder in there. Name it as you like and
>> put the desired shortcuts in there. You could instead choose Open all
>> users, if that works better for you.
>>
>> OK, I relented. I did the above and effortlessly got a new folder called
>> Test.
>>
>> Now you have to deal with the sorting :-)
>>
>> Frankly, I almost never look at the folders or programs in the start
>> menu. It's *way* too easy to run what I want to by just using the search
>> box and typing a few characters.
>>
>
> I pin my primary programs to the Task bar and use Winkey+number key.

That's a great idea that I didn't know about. Of course, I have very
few programs needed in the taskbar -- Firefox & Thunderbird auto start
with the computer, and there's open office in the taskbar and yes
win/1 opens it!! I'll add a couple of more common ones.

The problem I have is finding stuff in the start menu that isn't used
on a daily basis -- it's not in alphabetical order -- some programs
are stuck up top with Windows stuff, but most are below Windows items
-- but the list is horribly long so looking for a program is a chore.
Typing in the 1st couple of letters is almost OK, but when I first
started with Win7 really hated it and now only despise it -- it's slow!!