Making a progtam *NOT* show up in the Start Menu

[Jeff Heikkinen]

Hi! I have a question about the XP Start menu.

On the left hand side, where it supposedly shows the programs I use the
most often (though it seems to define "most often" strangely), is there
any way to tell XP *NOT* to ever put a certain program on that list, no
matter how many times I open it?

For example, Acrobat Reader is perpetually number two or three on my
list, but I *NEVER* open Acrobat Reader from there, I always go to the
file I want and double-click on that. That space could be better used
by almost anything else. I can delete it from the list but it always
comes back within a day or so; therefore that really isn't a solution.

I figure there must be a Reg hack or something; somehow it knows not to
put my default browser or e-mail program there.

 

[JB]

-----Original Message-----
Hi! I have a question about the XP Start menu.

On the left hand side, where it supposedly shows the programs I use the
most often (though it seems to define "most often" strangely), is there
any way to tell XP *NOT* to ever put a certain program on that list, no
matter how many times I open it?

For example, Acrobat Reader is perpetually number two or three on my
list, but I *NEVER* open Acrobat Reader from there, I always go to the
file I want and double-click on that. That space could be better used
by almost anything else. I can delete it from the list but it always
comes back within a day or so; therefore that really isn't a solution.

I figure there must be a Reg hack or something; somehow it knows not to
put my default browser or e-mail program there.
.

Download the new "TweakUI" for XP (v 2.10.0.0) from MS.
After you install that, you will find it in control
panel. Click on the icon and go down the list to "Taskbar
and Start menu/Start Menu". You will see a list that you
can check or un-check the programs you want/ do not want
on that list.

 

[Maureen Goldman]

Hi! I have a question about the XP Start menu.

On the left hand side, where it supposedly shows the programs I use the
most often (though it seems to define "most often" strangely), is there
any way to tell XP *NOT* to ever put a certain program on that list, no
matter how many times I open it?

For example, Acrobat Reader is perpetually number two or three on my
list, but I *NEVER* open Acrobat Reader from there, I always go to the
file I want and double-click on that. That space could be better used
by almost anything else. I can delete it from the list but it always
comes back within a day or so; therefore that really isn't a solution.

I figure there must be a Reg hack or something; somehow it knows not to
put my default browser or e-mail program there.

Are you sure you even want the personalized menu? As for Acrobat
Reader, why not just remove it from your programs list if you never
access it via its own shortcut.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Hi! I have a question about the XP Start menu.

On the left hand side, where it supposedly shows the programs I use the
most often (though it seems to define "most often" strangely), is there
any way to tell XP *NOT* to ever put a certain program on that list, no
matter how many times I open it?

Use TweakUI - one of the XP Powertoys from (if you have installed XP
SP1)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

If you have not installed SP!, the earlier version can be found at
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe

Once installed you will find it in Start - All Programs - Powertoys for
Windows XP

Its Taskbar and Start Menu - Start Menu page has a list of programs with
check boxes. It may not be 100% reliable, if some program decides to
put itself there rather than leaving it to the system, but helps a lot.

I also suggest in Start (r-click) Properties - Customise, using Small
icons and putting the number up (I use 15), with the browser and news
program unchecked, in the expectation that those will be in quick
launch. that way the 'remembered recent starts to be of real use

 

[Jeff Heikkinen]

Maureen Goldman, worshipped by llamas the world over, wrote...

Are you sure you even want the personalized menu?

It's handy, it just would be moreso if certain p[rograms didn't show up
on it.

As for Acrobat
Reader, why not just remove it from your programs list if you never
access it via its own shortcut.

WTF are you talking about? If you mean removing it from the "All
programs" area, that won't accomplish what I'm looking for. I'm not
sure you understood my question, to be honest.

 

[Jeff Heikkinen]

Maureen Goldman, worshipped by llamas the world over, wrote...

You indicated that the personalized menu was highlighting programs you
don't use, like Adobe Acrobat, because it is activated by clicking on
a .pdf file. (That IS considered use, by the way.)

Of course, why wouldn't it be?

If you have no need
to activate Acrobat via its shortcut, then why not remove the
shortcut?

It wasn't clear to me at the time I wrote the previous response (and you
did nothing to explain) that this action would affect the personalized
menu at all. Now that I *know* that little tidbit, I see what you were
getting at. A few extra words along the lines of "This will also remove
it from the personalized menu, in case you didn't realize that" would
have changed your post from "Apparent non sequitur" to "useful advice"!

Anyway, belated thanks for bringing that to my attention.

This doesn't eliminate the program, just its presence in the
personalized programs menu.

For the record, it was this kind of condescention that I was reacting to
with the WTF part. I do tech support for a living and while that does
not by any means make me infallible (witness the previous paragraph) it
does mean you can safely assume I know the basics.

PS: Don't be rude.

I was reacting to your tone, which seemed equally rude.

 

[sli]

For the record, it was this kind of condescention that I was reacting
to with the WTF part. I do tech support for a living

I've heard of tech support like this. Don't know anything and are rude
besides.

I was reacting to your tone, which seemed equally rude.

She gave a perfectly reasonable answer to a rather simplistic question. The
rudeness was all on your side.