Can't see "all programs"

[Jud McCranie]

I used to be able to see "all programs" by choosing a tiny font and
renaming the names of long entries to shorter ones. However, now I
can't see the fourth column of programs because it is off the screen
to the right. There is a lot of white space to the right of the
entries that used to not be there. I think this started with SP3. Is
there a way to make four or five columns visible under "all programs"?

 

[Malke]

I used to be able to see "all programs" by choosing a tiny font and
renaming the names of long entries to shorter ones. However, now I
can't see the fourth column of programs because it is off the screen
to the right. There is a lot of white space to the right of the
entries that used to not be there. I think this started with SP3. Is
there a way to make four or five columns visible under "all programs"?

No, it didn't start with SP3. You just have a lot of stuff. ;-) A better
solution instead of tiny fonts is to make folders and organize your Start
Menu better. For instance, you could have a folder called "Multimedia" and
put all your burning, video-making, etc. programs in it; a folder called
"Office" for all your word processors, spreadsheet programs, etc.; a folder
called "Images" for all your image management programs, etc.; a folder
called "Maintenance" etc. etc.

To organize your Start Menu, simply right-click on your Start button and
then left-click on Explore. You can create new folders,
right-click/copy/paste as you wish.

And to answer your question, no IIRC there is no way to make more columns.

Malke

 

[Jud McCranie]

No, it didn't start with SP3. You just have a lot of stuff. ;-)

I'm pretty sure that it did start with SP3. I had another XP machine
where I could see five columns. Now I can't even see four columns in
1280x1024 mode. Starting with SP3 there is a lot of wasted white
space to the right of the entry. In earlier versions, Windows would
adjust that white space according to the longest entry, so you could
shorten the names and get more columns visible. SP3 doesn't do that.
But I will make folders as you suggested.

 

[Jud McCranie]

To organize your Start Menu, simply right-click on your Start button and
then left-click on Explore. You can create new folders,
right-click/copy/paste as you wish.

Only a small number of items show up there - Start menu folder,
Programs folder only has 21 items, and I have well over 100 under "all
programs". Can I make it show all of them?

 

[Malke]

Only a small number of items show up there - Start menu folder,
Programs folder only has 21 items, and I have well over 100 under "all
programs". Can I make it show all of them?

Right-click on the Start Button and choose "Explore All Users". Many of your
program shortcuts are probably in the All Users Start Menu and not your
individual user's Menu.

Malke

 

[Jud McCranie]

Right-click on the Start Button and choose "Explore All Users". Many of your
program shortcuts are probably in the All Users Start Menu and not your
individual user's Menu.

Yes, that does it, thanks! I can handle it from here.