Start menu items missing sometimes

[jimbur]

I'm running Vista Home Premium. I have 12 items pinned to the start menu.

SOMETIMES when I click on the start menu button only 8 items display. If I
click again (close the start menu) and click once more (open the start menu),
then I'll see all 12.

SOMETIMES I see all 12 items on the start menu the first time I open it.

I tried unpinning all items from the start menu and restarting the machine.
Then I went back through and (re-)pinned the items. That didn't help. I still
have the sometimes 8/sometimes 12 situation.

This is a minor irritation, but it's a silly bug to have in Vista. Does
anyone have a clue as to what I'm experiencing, how to set it right?

 

[guitardude]

Try disabling the "recently opened programs". right click start menu, click
properties, then deselect the box under Privacy that says "Store and display
a list of recently opened programs." Maybe this will make it only show the
ones you have pinned.
guitardude

 

[jimbur]

Both "Store and display..." boxes are - and have been - unchecked, so that's
not it. I may try checking one of them to see if that makes the pinned items
hang together - but I'd really prefer not to have those tagalongs cluttering
up the start menu. Thanks for your suggestion.

 

[Emil Lulic]

Try setting the number of programs to show in the start menu to 8, reset the
computer, and then try setting the number to 12, and restarting your pc
again... maybe that'll help.

Emil Lulic

 

[jimbur]

The "Start menu size/Number of recent programs to display" area is greyed
out, i.e. it's not something I can get to or modify. I know I could do that
in XP, but Vista has it protected.

 

[Emil Lulic]

My Vista hasn't! I can change it as I wish...

The "Start menu size/Number of recent programs to display" area is greyed
out, i.e. it's not something I can get to or modify. I know I could do
that
in XP, but Vista has it protected.

 

[MICHAEL]

It's grayed out if you have unchecked "Store and display a list of recently
opened programs". I have 20 programs added to my Start menu.
I also have unchecked "Store and display recently opened files" and "Store and
display recent programs".


-Michael

 

[jimbur]

MAYBE I'm okay now. Here's what I just did:
Opened Start Menu Properties.
Checked BOTH "Store and display" boxes.
Clicked Apply and then OK, i.e. closed the Start Menu.
Opened Start Menu Properties again.
Clicked on Customize.
This time I COULD get to the Number of programs to display! (I set it to
zero.)

(This had to be done in two steps? Did I not click on Apply when I tried
this before? Can you get away with that?!)

This was my last little frustration with Vista. Nice to have it resolved.
Thanks for your time - and for motivating me to keep slugging away at the
problem.