Giving the Start Menu more recent programs without changing its si

[Greg]

If anyone knows of a better place to send suggestions to Microsoft from, I'd
love to know where.

My suggestion is minor, but would be categorized under making windows more
user friendly. I personally do not like a big start bar, at the same time I
work with a lot of programs. I like seeing those i work with most right there
when I click start, but often I'm looking for one or two that have fallen
just under the cut off point for the recent programs list. I know I can go in
and set my recent programs to be a higher number and as a result get myself a
massive start menu, but I don't want that.

I would like to be able to use my mouse wheel to scroll through my recent
programs. I'd be happier to set 5 visible ones, and scroll via wheel to see
the other 4-5 I access frequently than to set my bar to display 10.

Like I said, this is just a small little suggestion, but it would add just a
touch more eye candy and be a little more user friendly. It just feels like
something I should be able to do.

----------------
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http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/co...icrosoft.public.windows.vista.file_management

 

[Dave]

https://feedback.windowsvista.micro...tp://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_vista_master

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Greg.

What I do is add my favorite programs to the Quick Launch Toolbar. I have
about 2 dozen there; I don't know what the limit might be. But I don't let
them all show; that would make the QL stretch half-way across my Taskbar.
So I drag the near-invisible QL end marker to let about 8 icons show near
the Start orb, and the rest of them are represented by a little chevron icon
that expands into a pop-up menu when I click on it. This way, I have my 8
most-favorite programs just a single-click away, and more than a dozen
others just 2 clicks away. ;<) If you prefer, you can make your Taskbar 2
or more lines high (just drag and drop its top edge); this would let you see
a LOT of QL icons without needing the pop-up menu.

These QL icons do not appear on the Start Menu's Most Recently Used list,
but they also don't disappear if I haven't used them for weeks at a time.

Another neat thing about QL icons is that I can launch them with the <Win>
key and a number key. For example, Quicken is the 3rd icon in my QL. So
<Win>+3 launches Quicken for me. I usually start my computer day by holding
down <Win> and pressing 3 4 6; this starts Quicken, WLM and Outlook.

As you probably know, there are several ways to get the icons into QL. One
way is to drag an icon there (from either the desktop or from the start
Menu) and either Move or Copy it. Another is to right-click on the app in
the Start Menu and click Add to Quick Launch. In either case, you might
need to first right-click the Taskbar and uncheck Lock the Taskbar; you
might want to lock it again when you've got things the way you want them
(semi-)permanently.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64)