Clean up my start menu...
- Thread starter Dylan_
- Start date
The "msconfig" utility is a grand ole tool that can reduce the number of programs that start up along with Windows. But the "add/remove" programs in the Control Panel can clear out quite a few unused programs by totally removing them. ( 
no not that!) Then of course there's the "Settings" link right off of the Start menu where you drop down to the task manager/Start menu link to choose the "add/remove" list under the Start menu tab. (which ones? 
) The quick way is to simply right click on the items seen in "Programs" and choose the delete option there. ( opps! deleted the wrong one!) Usually once I decide to remove some program a registry cleaner is used afterwards to clean out anything leftover along with deleting any folders created. That helps clean the drive up a little too. 
no not that!) Then of course there's the "Settings" link right off of the Start menu where you drop down to the task manager/Start menu link to choose the "add/remove" list under the Start menu tab. (which ones? ) The quick way is to simply right click on the items seen in "Programs" and choose the delete option there. ( opps! deleted the wrong one!) Usually once I decide to remove some program a registry cleaner is used afterwards to clean out anything leftover along with deleting any folders created. That helps clean the drive up a little too. And part of the process with reducing items in the program menu is to remove them as startup items. The "Settings>Task Bar and Start Menu>Start Menu tab>Customize>Remove" is the way to do both. Without desktop icons you would otherwise have programs running in the background with no access to them if you simply delete the links in the Programs Menu.
computerhakk
VIP Member
One way to clean it up if you don't want to remove or delete everything and don't like how it looks like that is to make the menu scrollable. This could be done via:
Right click on taskbar>Properties>Start Menu>Customize>Advanced
Scroll down the list and check Scroll programs
Other than that, you can go delete things you don't want off from there;
Or, group your programs such as they would look like:
START>PROGRAMS>Music Players>Winamp, Win Media, Itunes, etc.
------------------>Instant Messengers>Aim, MSN, icq, etc.
etc.. whereas before you wouldn't have them all grouped, but all individually taking up a slot on the menu.
Right click on taskbar>Properties>Start Menu>Customize>Advanced
Scroll down the list and check Scroll programs
Other than that, you can go delete things you don't want off from there;
Or, group your programs such as they would look like:
START>PROGRAMS>Music Players>Winamp, Win Media, Itunes, etc.
------------------>Instant Messengers>Aim, MSN, icq, etc.
etc.. whereas before you wouldn't have them all grouped, but all individually taking up a slot on the menu.
Archangel
VIP Member
I moved all folders of my games installed into the 'Games' folder wich contained freecell etc already.. that cleaned up quite a bit
and i moved other programs like PCprobeII, speedfan and everest etc to a folder called Utillities (wich i made by myself) and now my start menu is preatty clean again =)
adit: and i think computerhakk posed the easyer way of going that (I dragged and dropped the folders and shortcut's by hand )
and i moved other programs like PCprobeII, speedfan and everest etc to a folder called Utillities (wich i made by myself) and now my start menu is preatty clean again =)
adit: and i think computerhakk posed the easyer way of going that
(I dragged and dropped the folders and shortcut's by hand )
Counter - Strike
New Member
i do myn manually
Redbull{wings}
Active Member
actully there's a great program for cleaning up the all programs section in the star menu:
http://www.tidystartmenu.com/index.shtml
it organizes all the folders into different sections(also folders) its quite easy to use
http://www.tidystartmenu.com/index.shtml
it organizes all the folders into different sections(also folders) its quite easy to use
pdc76
New Member
And part of the process with reducing items in the program menu is to remove them as startup items. The "Settings>Task Bar and Start Menu>Start Menu tab>Customize>Remove" is the way to do both. Without desktop icons you would otherwise have programs running in the background with no access to them if you simply delete the links in the Programs Menu.
if you stop a program from starting up with windows, it doesn't remove it from the start menu. all he wanted to know was how to organize his start menu, as it was stretching clear across the screen. your posts are not helping him with that problem at all.
if you stop a program from starting up with windows, it doesn't remove it from the start menu. all he wanted to know was how to organize his start menu, as it was stretching clear across the screen. your posts are not helping him with that problem at all.
Besides reducing the number of programs that start along with Windows you also free up resources for the ones you most commonly use. One way to simply avoid clutter seen in the All Programs list is to customize it. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/personalize/startmenu.mspx
Now for removing items from the All Programs menu without effecting the programs installed which he was actually asking about
http://www.ehow.com/how_8220_remove-items-start.htmlThe items are removed by the one with administrative access so that will have an effect on other accounts as well for the most part. The desktop layout, themes, and permissions are setup in advance. The one thing you could try is take one not used by anyone else and remove that one item. Then you log into the other accounts. If it is still there you are ok to remove any others. But if it is now missing you know the answer there.