Start menu problems 1

[manners]

Hello.

The section of the start menu that lists the last X used programs doesnt seem to be working anymore. I do not remember changing anything that would cause this. I have tried incrementing the amount of programs it lists but this did not work, i have tried clearing the list so it can start again but this didnt work. Any ideas?

 

[bcastner]

I have only a sortof answer to your question at the moment. If you Start, All Programs, and right-click on a program icon you will see a choice to "Pin program to Start menu." This will give you an entry above the line in the left panel of the Start menu.

 

[compgirlfhredi]

Bob, I have 24 options in that right click and "pin to start menu" is not one of them?????? I no longer see the programs either, but that happened when I used TweakXP, and after uninstallation, they never came back. Nor IE icon or email icon(no matter how many times I put the lil checks in that box under start menu properties)...just didn't really care enough to delve into registry. Any ideas?
(BTW, you are very much appreciated!)

 

[crow053]

try a system restore

 

[bcastner]

See if you can reload TweakXP or try downloading TweakUi. It is possible the issue is as simple as excluding the drive letter from appearing.

 

[linney]

See if any of these apply.

320987 - The Program Count for the Most Frequently Used Programs List Is Not Used

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320987&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

282066 - Frequently Used Programs Not Automatically Added to the Start Menu

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282066&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

284198 - HOW TO: Prevent a Program from Being Displayed in the Most Frequently Used Programs List in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;284198&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

282462 - Programs Removed from the Most Frequently Used Programs List Can Reappear

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282462&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[compgirlfhredi]

linney, tried them all to no avail. Thanks fer tryin"

 

[bcastner]

You might consider letting Xteq's Xsetup try to remedy this problem.

http://www.xteq.com/downloads/

 

[compgirlfhredi]

bcastner, have used Xteq since 1996 on every OS I install...Excellent proggy!!! But as I use DesktopX v2

http://www.wincustomize.com/window.asp?Cmd=AUTHORINFO&accountid=640172

(click on pix for large view) you will notice that I have changed a LOT on my Start Menu...where would I start??! hehehe

 

[bcastner]

Step 1. Forcibly remove all tweaking tools from you and burn them.

Step 2. Clean reinstallation of XP

Step 3. Using Group Policy, create a limited limited limited user account for you.

Sheesh.

I really have no idea where to begin. The entries themselves are stored in the registry as linney noted:

_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileAssociation

Programs can also be registered to be excluded from the most frequently used list by creating the following NoStartPage string value:

(The REG_SZ string value must be empty or blank) HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\Appname.exe

Query: Do you have MRUBlaster or similar program? Can you remove it and test again?

 

[compgirlfhredi]

"Step 1. Forcibly remove all tweaking tools from you and burn them." :-D
I am the only tweaking tool I have at this point in time...(easily bored I guess)
I always save documentation (and Favorites in reg itself)when I start tweaking things in my Registry, think I will give it a looksee, hmmmmm???

 

[bcastner]

Print this out first:

http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp&NoWebContent=1

 

[manners]

I have TweakXP installed but as there isnt an option in it to disable the recently used programs menu I dont see how that would cause this problem?. I will uninstall it and see if it resolves itself. I do not like the idea of having to reinstall XP to fix something so trivial as this!

 

[bcastner]

manners,

I agree with you.

It is just that what you are experiencing is decidedly out of the ordinary. What happens with the "Most recently used" program list on the Start menu, lower left panel, is a decidedly "dark" issue in the OS.

I can think of ways to stop it absolutely, restrict what could appear, deny absolutely what could appear, but it is a "dark" issue having tried to influence all of this as to what ends up actually appearing in the lower panel.

As a very good guess, this is likely the "fault ?" of the quarantine routines of your antivirus software, or if you have installed an MRUBlaster type of application, blame it one this.

This is decidedly not normal XP behavior, and I am sorry that I cannot see a combination of registry changes to influence without danger the MRU process of XP.

Bill

 

[linney]

What would happen if you right click on the Start Button/ Properties and just use the "Classic" Start Menu (Specifies that your default Start menu has the same look and behavior as earlier versions of Windows).

Might be less to go wrong and worry about.

 

[compgirlfhredi]

AHA! FreshUI 6. ??? THAT was what I used. (hated it!...not for me!)

 

[bcastner]

fhredi,

I am truely stunned. I thought, like Will Rogers, you had not met a tweaking tool you did not like.

 

[compgirlfhredi]

 

[compgirlfhredi]

THIS better?

http://www.wincustomize.com/preview.asp?source=http://skins.wincustomize.com/mzfhredi/desktop.JPG

 

[bcastner]

404 error fhredi.