Windows XP keeps track of how many times an application has been started by a user of the system and displays the most frequently used programs in the start menu. That’s a pretty convenient feature for some users but there is no obvious way to control which applications are listed in the start menu.
Start Multiple Applications from the Start Menu
Clicking on Start, All Programs, the folder of the software that you want to start and finally the software is the normal way to start applications using the Windows start menu. Unfortunately though it closes every time you have started a software from it which means that you have to follow the same path again if you want to open another application from it.
Alternatives to the original Windows startmenu
After a few months of using Launchy and Rocket Dock I realized that I actually did not use the startmenu of my Windows operating system at all. I either use these great apps that give me more flexibility and speed or use icons on my desktop for certain tasks.
Another reason why I’m not using the startmenu anymore is that it really looks and feels messy after a while because every new application adds it’s own folder to it. The question that came up for me is whether I needed the startmenu at all.
Pimp up the Vista startmenu
We all know that Microsoft decided to add the search function to the Vista startmenu and get rid of the run box by default. You can add the run dialog again but there is a much better way to add functionality to the search box using a little great application called Start++. It adds new commands to the search box which define actions that are executed. Typing “g searchterm” for instance opens the default browser and opens Google search results with the searchterm that you have entered. Eight default commands are already defined and you can add new ones with ease.
Add Run Box to Vista Start Menu
When I first tried to run a command in Windows Vista i expected to find the function at the same place where it is in Windows XP. When I opened the Vista start menu I was a little bit perplexed to find the Search in the place of the run command. Sure, I was able to simply press Windows + R to open the run command but I somehow still missed that function. I soon found out that it would be possible to customize the start menu and add the run command to it again.
Forget the Windows Start Menu Use Toolbox instead.
The Windows start menu is not really excellent when you want to find something fast. It always takes some clicks to reach the destination – be it a program, the control panel or a drive that is connected to your computer. Toolbox was designed as a application launcher that makes it easier to access drives, folders and applications in Windows. It uses an intuitive way to display toolboxes that contain links to everything that you can think off. You can link to drives and display their size, launch applications with one click and open folders with another. Access to those elements can’t be faster in Windows.
Start Menu Cleaner
The entries in the Windows start menu are growing all the time. Almost every program that you install adds an entry to the start menu and it happens that such entries are not removed when you uninstall a program. Sometimes only the folder with no content remains in the start menu, sometimes all of the links of an uninstalled program still reside there and point to a folder on your hard drive that is no longer there.
