My most used programs resetting constantly

[Guest]

I recently bought a new laptop with Windows Vista Home Premium installed on
it. From the very start of using Vista, my start menu has not functioned
correctly. It works fine, and all of my favourite most used programs save on
the start menu as they should (I do have the option checked in the start menu
properties) - Untill I then restart my laptop. Once I do, Windows Vista just
'forgets' all of my most used programs that are supposed to be on the main
start menu! (They return to Welcome Centre, Windows Media Centre, Windows
Photo gallery etc..) It has done this since I bought the laptop, so it cant
be faulty hardware OR software can it? I am running as an administrator
aswell, with UAC disabled, so I dont think this has anything to do with it.
Please help me!

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Adam

Right Click the Start Button and select Properties. Make sure that the
"Store and display a list of recently opened programs" box is checked. Click
the Customize Button. In the middle of the dialog box, you should see
"Number of recent programs to display" this should be set to at least 10.

 

[Guest]

In the registry editor, in the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

In the right-pane, there should be a DWORD value named StartMenuInit
Double-click StartMenuInit and set 3 as its data.

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem, but I don't have that key. What now?

 

[dean-dean]

Go to this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Making sure "Advanced" is highlighted in the left pane, in a blank area of
the right pane right-click and choose New > Dword (32-bit) Value. Name the
value:

StartMenuInit

Then, again in the right pane, right click on the new StartMenuInit, and
choose Modify. Type the number "3" (without quotes) in the Value data box
(the base should be hexadecimal, which should be selected by default).
Click OK. You're done. You can close the registry editor.