Start Menus

  • Thread starter Thread starter Greg
  • Start date Start date
G

Greg

Is there a way to better customize what is on your start menu on a per user
basis as with XP? In XP I used to use c:\Documents and Settings\User\Start
Menu and I was able to edit what was on all users start menu's Any insight
into how to achieve this in Vista?

TIA

-Greg
 
Look here...

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Some of these path changes are gonna break some scripts.

-Frank
 
If you right click the start button, you can Open or Open All Users (or
Explore if you prefer).
 
Greg said:
Is there a way to better customize what is on your start menu on a per
user basis as with XP? In XP I used to use c:\Documents and
Settings\User\Start Menu and I was able to edit what was on all users
start menu's Any insight into how to achieve this in Vista?
Click to expand...

Right click the Start Orb or click Start and right click on All Programs.
Look at Explore and Explore All Users.
 
So I see all those Windows programs. Can I make Windows folder and drag 'em
into it, or will that screw up everything?
 
[Default] On Tue, 6 Feb 2007 23:47:10 -0500, "Bill Condie"
So I see all those Windows programs. Can I make Windows folder and drag 'em
into it, or will that screw up everything?
Click to expand...


I dunno about you, but all of the porgams I've insatalled in Windows
are Windows programs (except for this one Java-based app that is...).
 
Bill said:
So I see all those Windows programs. Can I make Windows folder and drag
'em into it, or will that screw up everything?
Click to expand...

You are seeing shortcuts to programs and some folders to organize them.
You can create new folders all you want and drag the shortcuts around.
I would not delete the "programs" folders you see when you right click
on the orb and select "Open" or "Open All Users".
 
You have 2 separate locations where the All Programs shortcuts may be
located.

1. The All Users folder which is located at
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. To access this folder,
right click All Programs and select Explore All Users.

2. The User folder which is located at C:\Users\<user
name>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. To access this
folder, right click All Programs and select Explore. (Where <user name> is
the currently logged on user)

The shortcuts in these folders are placed there by the installation program
for the particular application and may be in either one or both of these
locations depending on how the installation program was configured.

If you want all of the program shortcuts to be seen by any user on the
computer, then customize the All Users folder. If you want these programs to
be seen by only the currently logged in user, then customize the <user name>
folder.

Create the sub-folders you want like Graphics, Sound. Utilities etc under
the All Programs folder and then drag the shortcuts into those folders.

Also:

You can make folders you want and name what you want on desktop and copy
program shortcuts into them and drag them where you want. You could make
copies of the folders you want as well. I don't believe you can hack the
start menu to behave like XP's did. I think they should have retained the
option to have an XP esque Start Menu, and many TBTs told them and the shell
team ignored them.

CH
 
I'm very much interested in this, as well, but can't find how to accomplish
it despite reading the threads.

In XP, I just moved certain program groups from All Users\Start to
<username>\Start. That made the menu links accessible only to the specified
user.

My home workstation (Vista Ultimate) is also use to work from home. I've
installed some things specific to that purpose. While I have appropriate
security for logins, etc., I don't want those menu items cluttering my kids'
desktop or start menu. How can I make them appear only on my 'work' account.

I tried deleting one entry (Cisco VPN) from the start menu location
accessible to everyone, but that seemed to actually delete the files in
c:\program files\Cisco VPN. I successfully restored it from the recycle bin,
but that puts it back on my kids' menu.

Where to go from here?

Thanks in advance.
 
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