The Quick Launch Bar is a neat and quick way to start up your favorite applications.  The Quick Launch bar is located just to the right of the Start Menu and it contains “shortcuts” of your favorite applications.  The problem with the Quick Launch bar is that you really can’t have a lot of shortcuts to your favorite applications because it would use up too much space in the Taskbar.  The Taskbar is the entire bar at the bottom of the screen.

Of course, the middle of the Taskbar is the area that places a button for every application that you open.  We call these “Task Bar buttons.”  You want to use the majority of the Task Bar for these “Taskbar Buttons” which shows which applications you have open and are actively using.  (If you have an application open and are not using it, you should probably close the application).

So this Tech Tip is about how to customize the Start Menu.  You can make shortcuts of your very favorite applications right in the Start Menu.  The left section is the section that contains all your favorite shortcuts.  Well, it probably doesn’t right now, but it will if you read this Tech Tip and do it.

First – the anatomy of the Start Menu.  It is divided into 2 sections – the left section and the right section. 

The left section is the section that contains all your favorite shortcuts.  Well, it probably doesn’t right now, but it will if you read this Tech Tip and do it .

The right section contains a lot of stuff – links to My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, the Control Panel, Printers, Search and the Run menu. 

We’re not going to worry about the right side of the Start Menu – just the left side – the side that contains shortcuts to your favorite applications.

Right now, the left side contains shortcuts to application you use frequently – maybe – maybe not.    The left side also contains 2 sections.  Look carefully on the left side and you can see a line that separates the upper section from the lower section.  (Remember, we are talking about the left side of the Start menu.

So, as I said before, you can customize the left side of the Start Menu and place shortcuts of your favorite applications.   You can place them their permanently.  Note – if you don’t customize this part of the Start Menu, then Windows will do it for you.  They will add shortcuts that they think are your favorites.  You know – they never get things like this right!!!

OK – so follow these simple steps to customize the Start Menu with just the shortcuts that you want:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu and select Properties (click on it).  The Properties dialog box will appear.
2. Click on the Customize button.
3. Click on the down arrow next to “Number of programs on Start Menu” and set it to “0.”
4. Click on Clear List.  This will clear the old favorite list you have – the one that Windows set up for you with the shortcuts that they think are your favorites.  (They never get things right!).  Remember – we are going to put just your favorite shortcuts in the Start Menu.
5. Just below the Show on Start menu, deselect the checkbox next to Internet and also the one next to E-mail.  You won’t need these shortcuts in the Start Menu since they are already in your Quick Launch bar.  (Or at least they should be)
6. Click OK once and then click OK again.
7. Now click on the Start Menu and click once on the All Programs button.  The complete list of applications will appear. 
8. Find one of your favorite applications and then click right-click on it.  Click on the Pin to Start Menu command. 
9. You can “Pin” up to 30 of your favorite shortcuts in your Start Menu.  When you Pin a program, a shortcut is placed in the Start Menu permanently.
10. Keep adding your favorite shortcuts to the Start Menu – you can add up to 30 shortcuts – WOW!

Once you get your real favorite shortcuts to favorite applications in the Start Menu, you will be able to use the Start menu in a more efficient way.

OK - Start pinning – what are you waiting for