Start menu on Vista

G

Gabriel

New Member
Just to make it clear, I have a notebook computer, from Gateway, which has come with Windows Vista installed.

Well, my problem is: I want the Start Menu to show my "recent programs", as it states in the "Customize Start Menu" window (left-click on start menu, properties - Start Menu tab - Customize).
However, it keeps showing some programs I never (or rarely) use, like Internet Explorer, Windows Media Center, Windows Media Player, "Try AOL Today", "Gateway Game Console", etc.

There are 9 programs in that list, and 8 of them never change. The last one of them changes to whatever was the last program I opened, which isn't exactly a great function...

I have tried left-clicking on each of the programs and selecting "Remove from this list", but they return after reboot.


Anyone has any suggestion?

Thanks in advance
 
Isn't the lack of the Control Panel's "add/rempve programs>add/remove Windows components" wonderful as now seen in Vista?! :rolleyes: "like a hole in the head obviously"

With a preinstalled OS your options are further limited except by using the msconfig utility to disable certain items from automatically loading up along with Windows. Dragging some folders into the recycle bin along with deletion of certain reg keys is the task and risky method to see some thing gone!

Vista now sees everything built into it rather then being option except for things like AOL. Usually Media Center has to be setup by first clicking on the Start>Programs link there. If you see the Try AOL on the programs menu simply drag that into the recycle bin along with the folder on the drive since that is an addon item put there by Gateway if not seeing any MS promotion or offer direct.

Personally I would love to dump WMP 11 and see WMP 10 run on Vista. But now MS expects you to buy a retail product like PowerDVD or Roxio's media player in order to play dvds or video files in the newer version there. :rolleyes:
 
I entered the "Spybot Search and Destroy" System Startup section, and didn't find anything that could be related to it. CCleaner's startup tool was also useless.

I tried throwing the AOL and the NetZero folder in the bin (but didn't actually delete them), but they still appear, and even after I "removed them from this list", they returned after startup.
Obviously, they aren't working anymore, but they're still there.

I can't drag start menu items to the bin. If I drag them onto the desktop, they're simply copied, not cut.

I didn't find anything at the sysconfig either. I tried searching for AOL in the regedit, but didn't find anything...

Any other suggestions?
 
Spybot S&D is an older tool for finding and removing adwares and spywares not removing anything preinstalled onto a system. CCleaner is mainly for cleaning up a drive of loose temp folders and clearing out the offline content for IE.

To see these removed totally a manual trackdown of the correct items in the registry itself would proceed an effective removal from the startup list. The main problem there is that is part of the prepackaged installation from Gateway. By right clicking on each item found in the Start>Programs menu you can see where each base folder is located. Once those are manually removed and the corrects values in the registry can be found and deleted the items will easily be removed from that list following a system restart to insure any and all processes are unloaded.

Manually editing the registry to remove items is still performed "at your own risk" especially where the OS and prepackaged softwares were preinstalled for you. The only tool for overriding default permissions is one called TakeOwnership where you can right click on any file or folder and choose that option for seeing it removed. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...ership-to-explorer-right-click-menu-in-vista/

If you go in the registry and make a mess the restoration of the preinstallation will only see the factory condition restored with the same items seen again. The tool there can be used once the folders are found under your user name in the users directory. Once removed there the items generally disappear on their own from the customize list. But that still will leave any registry entries intact there.
 
Dragging them onto the desktop only keeps them around there rather then seeing them removed totally. Besides the right click and delete method you still need to see any registry values removed as well as manual deletion of the folders on the drive.

The TakeOwership mod there allows you to overide any blocks when right clicking to delete a file or folder by clicking on that option first and then right clicking a second time for the delete option. The tool also works in XP as well as seen in Vista.
 
I have located the original folders, and have taken them to the recycle bin (and left them there) but the start menu icons are still there.
I have searched AOL in regedit, but didn't find it.

I'm not sure if this is what you said, but here's what I did: I downloaded this TakeOwnership editor, and took ownership of the entire start menu (the option won't appear for the individual files on that list), and removed "Try AOL". However, after I restarted the computer, it came back.
 
The TakeOwnership is not for use on the startup list but when browsing with Windows Explorer and wanting remove a file or folder there. Besides manual removal of the folders through an explorer window any registry values also have to be removed.

Have you looked in the Control Panel>Programs+Features prior to trying a manual removal to see if there's an item listed for the remove/uninstall option there? If found that would see everything removed in one shot rather then trying to simply remove it from the customize list.
 
Ok, I did manage to uninstall the gateway games console, and it disappeared from the list (though I haven't yet restarted the computer).
However, none of the other programs are in the "uninstall or change a program" screen.
There are some gateway programs I can't recognize, though:

Gateway Recovery Center Installer (this name sounds fishy)
Linkit_eBay (does this hae anything to do with ebay? it's published by gateway)
Gateway Connect (published by acceler)
 
The Linkit_eBay points at some exrta crap Gateway throws on for EBay and AOL. Gateway gets paid for including items like those on prepackaged systems even if it only serves as a method of advertising there.

The recovery center item should be left intact until you know whether or not that's part of the system restoration process there. It's used for seeing drivers installed as you review the information seen at http://support.gateway.com/s/Checklists/BPC/ck2007032963.shtml

The Gateway connect is the method used for setting up your home network. http://support.gateway.com/support/manlib/Desktops/8507934/07934.htm You'll note that this uses AOL for setting up your home network.
 
Well, I managed to remove AOL and gateway games after removing them from the program files (I uninstaled gateway games) and running CCleaner.
However, now only Windows programs that I never use appear. IE, WMedia Player, Media Center, Photo Gallery, Calendar...
 
Well you wanted those removed from the list. The programs you install separately should still be seen in the remove list and advanced view of folders. The defaults will be seen since those are part of the proprietary preinstalled package there. With your own custom installation of Windows the defaults plus what you install would then be seen unless removed since there is no automatic restoration.
 
Those are built into Vista unlike previous versions where you could simply use the add/remove Windows components to see them gone. For IE 7, WMP 11, and the new since XP Pro MCE edtition Media Center you can simply delete the desktop shortcuts if present.

Other then that where are you most of the time? I assume at the desktop doing other things now that the AOL and the Gateway games are gone. You can disable WMP and Media Center in the msconfig>services tab and simply ignore that they are in the remove list.
 
They aren't in the desktop.
They are in the Start Menu.

In the services tab I have:
WMP Network Sharing Device
WMC Receiver Service
WMC Schedule Service
WMC Network Sharing Device.

Which ones should I disable?
 
Any or all since those are non vital services there. Otherwise you would generally check off the "hide all microsoft services" box to avoid disabling any essential services Windows needs in order to run.

When right clicking on any item in the Start>Programs here and choosing delete it goes right into the recycle bin without problem. For some reason I don't think you have full administrative access there. Otherwise those would be deleted easily.
 
I'm also experiencing this same problem with a new Gateway desktop running Vista Home Premium. The issue is that the Start Menu recently used apps list resets everytime I log out and back in, no matter what I do. I've right-clicked and selected "Remove from this list" on each of the apps that Gateway seems to want to preload. When I do that they do go away until I log back in and then they are back. I should mention that other apps that I'm actually using get added to the list for that session but are gone again once I log out and back in.

I'm a long time WinXP and Vista user and I've never run across this issue before. Is there someone on this forum who can help with this issue who also understands that this has nothing to do with uninstalling or removing applications? It's simply a matter of these icons being forced on us every time we log on.

TIA,
Carl J. Bauman
 
What you are missing there is that Gateway has it's own automatic system restoration feature being seen there. If you remove a Windows component that is automatically restored or repaired on a fresh startup.

Unlike most older prebuild systems and laptops with preinstalled OS where there were recovery disks needed newer models now see a key or key combination for seeing Wiindows completely restored to factory condition. With a custom install on a new build or upgrade of one version to the next there is no hidden recovery partition or automatic restoration if something is removed.

The System Restore feature in Windows is used to roll back everything back to a previous point unless too much is gone. Then you would need to repair install or completely reinstall Windows to see something put back.
 
PC eye said:
...
When right clicking on any item in the Start>Programs here and choosing delete it goes right into the recycle bin without problem. For some reason I don't think you have full administrative access there. Otherwise those would be deleted easily.
Click to expand...

It's not Start>Programs. They are on the left hand of the start menu, you don't have to click on any other button.
Also, I believe I do have administrative access. This was the only account on this computer until some time ago, and also I can use the "Run as Administrator" option in some programs.
 
If you are talking about items above the Start button those can be dragged onto the desktop and deleted by simply right clicking on them for the delete option or dragging into the recycle bin. You can also drag shortcuts off of the desktop there. The rest are Programs, Documents, Settings, Search, Run which are permanent.
 
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