Two XP questions

[thanatoid]

Hi gang,

I have spent some time searching through 16 pdf and chm books
etc. about XP, total size 192 MB.

Virtually all of them appear to be nothing but rewrites of the
WinXP help files, presumably for people unaware that such files
exist. Except most cost about $30-$50 each. Great scam.

The only one that DOES appear to go into things in some depth is
the "Windows XP Registry Guide Book", but even THAT did not have
the answers to these two questions:

1. Why do items disappear from the "start/run" drop down list?
2. How do I make the &^%# regedit window always open maximized
(I tried stretching it to fit the screen as one of the sources
suggested, it did not work).

I have also Googled for these, nothing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SC Tom]

Hi gang,

I have spent some time searching through 16 pdf and chm books
etc. about XP, total size 192 MB.

Virtually all of them appear to be nothing but rewrites of the
WinXP help files, presumably for people unaware that such files
exist. Except most cost about $30-$50 each. Great scam.

The only one that DOES appear to go into things in some depth is
the "Windows XP Registry Guide Book", but even THAT did not have
the answers to these two questions:

1. Why do items disappear from the "start/run" drop down list?
2. How do I make the &^%# regedit window always open maximized
(I tried stretching it to fit the screen as one of the sources
suggested, it did not work).

I have also Googled for these, nothing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The easy one first:

2. If I maximize regedit before closing it, it starts maximized the next
time I open it.

1. Clean-up programs such as CCleaner and Windows Cleanup will clear the
history in Run. I don't know if there's a maximum number of entries, but
that may be another reason.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per thanatoid:

1. Why do items disappear from the "start/run" drop down list?

On my build, the initial view of that list is dynamic. XP seems
to add recently-installed apps and keep frequently-used apps -
removing others.

If I click the double downarrows at the bottom of the initial
list, I see all applications.

Also, RightClick Start | Customize | Sort will unscramble the
names and order them alphabetically.

Why on earth it doesn't keep them alphabetic over time as new
apps are installed is another question.... -)

 

[123Jim]

Hi gang,

................................>
1. Why do items disappear from the "start/run" drop down list?

If you clear the Internet Explorer history, the run list will also be
cleared. That's a good reason to use ccleaner to clear the browser history,
you can uncheck the run list in the list of items you wish to clear.

2. How do I make the &^%# regedit window always open maximized
(I tried stretching it to fit the screen as one of the sources
suggested, it did not work).

A program you have installed may be preventing your OS from 'remembering'
the last position of you program on the screen. Could it be Norton system
security, or MacAfee? ... bit of a wild guess I have to confess ..

 

[SC Tom]

Per thanatoid:

On my build, the initial view of that list is dynamic. XP seems
to add recently-installed apps and keep frequently-used apps -
removing others.

If I click the double downarrows at the bottom of the initial
list, I see all applications.

Also, RightClick Start | Customize | Sort will unscramble the
names and order them alphabetically.

Why on earth it doesn't keep them alphabetic over time as new
apps are installed is another question.... -)

That's not where he's talking about; he means the Run box.

 

[thanatoid]

The easy one first:

2. If I maximize regedit before closing it, it starts
maximized the next time I open it.

Not on my machine. I know it's "supposed to".

1. Clean-up programs such as CCleaner and Windows Cleanup
will clear the history in Run. I don't know if there's a
maximum number of entries, but that may be another reason.

I have programs that do that but I only run them on rare
occasions when the system needs to have dead rats and other
refuse removed from it. I have nothing set to do that at every
shutdown - I like 2 or 3 entries to stay in "Run" permanently, I
delete others manually on the rare occasion I am forced to
"create" one.

Still, thanks for the reply.

 

[thanatoid]

Per thanatoid:

On my build, the initial view of that list is dynamic. XP
seems to add recently-installed apps and keep
frequently-used apps - removing others.

If I click the double downarrows at the bottom of the
initial list, I see all applications.

Also, RightClick Start | Customize | Sort will unscramble
the names and order them alphabetically.

Why on earth it doesn't keep them alphabetic over time as
new apps are installed is another question.... -)

Thanks for the reply, but I was not talking about the entire
"START" menu. I have that more or less under control - after a
/long/ and annoying struggle.

I was talking ONLY about the entries in the

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Exp
lorer\RunMRU"

section, IOW, what you see after pressing WinKey/r.

As to your last paragraph, a setting in TweakUI may help solve
that. I know it doesn't happen to me anymore.

 

[thanatoid]

If you clear the Internet Explorer history, the run list
will also be cleared.

I haven't used MSIE since 2000 or something, so I have nothing
to clear. Still, it's another example of BRILLIANT MS
programming logic. WHAT does "run" have to do with MSIE?

SIGH.

That's a good reason to use ccleaner
to clear the browser history, you can uncheck the run list
in the list of items you wish to clear.

I have several "housekeeping tools" but none of them are set to
run automatically, while this happens /all/ the time. And I have
checked all custom settings which might cause this to occur -
nothing. I'm trying to locate the stupid registry setting (reg
search did not help) which somehow got set to make this happen -
I can think of no other reason for it.

A program you have installed may be preventing your OS from
'remembering' the last position of you program on the
screen. Could it be Norton system security, or MacAfee? ...
bit of a wild guess I have to confess ..

No, I have neither, I know better ;-)

Thanks for the reply!

 

[thanatoid]

Deleting your browsing History in Internet Explorer also
deletes entries in Run drop down menu.

I don't use IE.

If you useTweak UI, selecting the 'Clear document history
on exit' option also deletes entries in Run drop-down menu.
Also applies to third party system maintenance utilites
that have similar features.

I am aware of that, but I can not remember making, nor /find/
such a setting anywhere.

Open Regedit, then click the 'Maximize' button at top right
of window.

Do you think I would post these questions if normal procedures
solved the problems?

Thanks in any case.

 

[thanatoid]

my bad.

ok..now to the 'abnormal' stuff....
I perused my voluminous notes on issues with XP, and I did
have an issue with commands 'disappearing' from the Run
drop-down menu, along with other 'unexplained' issues after
installing XP SP3. I was unable to solve that issue or
several of the other issues thru normal means either, and
ended up uninstalling SP3. I noted "uninstalling SP3
resolved the issues".

Well, that's ONE more to add to all the reasons I've heard for
NOT installing SP3. Thanks.

 

[SC Tom]

Well, that's ONE more to add to all the reasons I've heard for
NOT installing SP3. Thanks.

Well, if uninstalling SP3 fixed his problems, maybe you installing it will
fix yours ;-)

Seriously, though, it just might. I haven't had any problems with XP
installing it, or since installing it, except on one machine, and that was
the HP-AMD deal. Simple patch from HP took care of that.

 

[thanatoid]

Well, if uninstalling SP3 fixed his problems, maybe you
installing it will fix yours ;-)

Installing or *UN*installing mine?

In either case, I don't think it's an option, since I installed
XP from a CD with SP3 integrated and I do not think it can be
removed in such a case.

Thanks for the follow-up, in any case. If I ever fix these 2
problems, I will post this vital ;-] info. Well I guess the
desktop shortcut solves one. The other is no big deal, since
sysedit in XP is largely useless, and those (well, and "command"
sometimes) two were my only MRU entries in the start/run. I
/will/ try the procedure mentioned below out of curiosity.

Since I spend 99.9 of my time on 98SELite, I haven't had time to
try one very promising procedure Andrew W provided a link to. I
made a desktop shortcut to the registry and I am just ashamed I
never thought of that, because I go into the registry ALL the
time. I guess your brain gets conditioned to do start/run for a
few things, after about 15 years of it. I admire Andrew W for
being outside-the-box enough to suggest it.

BTW, Evan, your suggestion did not work. But the desktop
shortcut is really the best idea. As above, I am deeply
embarrassed it never occurred to me.