Automatically order your Windows XP Start menu alphabetically

The windows xp star menu adds new entries to the end of the list even though you have sorted it alphabetically before by right-clicking and choosing to sort the entries by name. Most users who sort their start menu alphabetically don’t like it when new entries to the start menu are added at the bottom of the list. Looks bad, causes confusion.

Fortunately there is a registry hack that changes the default sort order to alphanumeric instead of date. Start by right-clicking in the programs window of the start menu and select Sort by Name. Open your registry editor by pressing Windows + R and typing regedit to open the registry. Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\

Make sure you backup the key (MenuOrder) or the complete registry before you proceed. After you have done that delete the key MenuOrder. Once this is done new entries will also be sorted alphabetically.

Please note that the key will reappear after you have restarted windows.

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Tags: order start menu, windows tips, windows xp start menu
Categories: Operating Systems, Windows

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6 Responses to “Automatically order your Windows XP Start menu alphabetically”

1. says:

   December 2, 2006 at 12:09 am

   Interestingly I decided to try this but for some reason it doesn’t work on my machine. I still have everything appearing at the bottom same as before

   Reply
2. Martin says:

   December 2, 2006 at 1:05 am

   Thanks for the info. I had to rewrite the article to make it work for another pc i tried it on. Here are the steps:

   1. right-click the programs folder and select sort by name
   2. go to the registry key and delete the key menu order
   3. restart windows.

   Reply
3. Teeluck says:

   February 10, 2007 at 10:58 pm

   Here is a much easier way to sort alphabetically,
   http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/tips/menuprogram.mspx

   Reply
4. skone says:

   August 21, 2008 at 7:58 am

   *Teeluck*

   the purpose of the article is becuase the method you suggest DOES NOT sort the start menu AUTOMATICALLY.

   Reply
5. Tom smith says:

   July 24, 2009 at 9:35 am

   Yeah, Skone is right. Teeluck’s solution does not sort automatically, it sorts manually. You would have to repeat that process every time you install a program. The Registry Key solution (proposed by the author of this article) is the *automatic* solution.

   Reply
6. Max says:

   October 31, 2009 at 10:41 am

   I had the “no ordering” problem on my WinXP Start Menu: the solution proposed by Martin actually solved it.

   Thanks Martin.

   Reply