In: Categories » Computers and technology » Windows Vista » What`s in the Start Menu: All Windows Vista Versions
| When you click All Programs, you're presented with an important list indeed: the master catalog of every program on your computer. You can jump directly to your word processor, calendar, or favorite game, for example, just by choosing its name from the Start -> All Programs menu. In Vista, as you'll notice very quickly, Microsoft abandoned the superimposed-menus effect of Windows XP. Rather than covering up the regularly scheduled Start menu, the All Programs list replaces it (or at least the left-side column of it). You can restore the original left-side column by clicking Back (at the bottom of the list) or pressing the Esc key. Tip: When the Start menu is open, you can open the All Programs menu in a number of ways: by clicking the phrase "All Programs," by pointing to it and keeping the mouse still for a moment, or by pressing the up arrow key (to highlight All Programs) and then tapping the Enter key, the right arrow key, or the Space bar.Keyboard fanaticsonce the programs list is open, you can also choose anything in it without involving the mouse. Just type the first few letters of a program's a folder's name, or press the up and down arrow keys, to highlight the item you want. Then press Enter to seal the deal. FoldersAs you'll quickly discover, the All Programs list in Vista doesn't just list programs. It also houses a number of folders. Software-company foldersSome of them bear the names of software you've installed; you might see a folder called, for example, Urge (Microsoft's online music-store partner) or Logitech. These generally contain programs, uninstallers, instruction manuals, and other related junk. Tip: Submenus, also known as cascading menus, have been largely eliminated from the Start menu. Instead, when you open something that contains other thingslike a folder listed in the Start menuyou see its contents listed beneath, indented slightly. Click the folder name again to collapse the sublisting.Keyboard freaks should note that you can also open a highlighted folder in the list by pressing the Enter key (or the right arrow key). Close the folder by pressing Enter again (or the left arrow key). Program-group foldersAnother set of folders is designed to trim down the Programs menu by consolidating related programs, like Games, Accessories (little single-purpose programs), and Extras and Upgrades. The Startup folderThis folder contains programs that load automatically every time you start Windows Vista. This can be a very useful feature. For instance, if you check your email every morning, you may as well save yourself a few mouse clicks by putting your email program into the Startup folder. If you spend all day long word processing, you may as well put Microsoft Word in there. In fact, although few PC users suspect it, what you put into the Startup folder doesn't have to be an application. It can just as well be a document you consult every day. It can even be a folder or disk icon whose window you'd like to find open and waiting each time you turn on the PC. (The Documents folder is a natural example.) Of course, you may be interested in the Startup folder for a different reason: to stop some program from launching itself. This is a particularly common syndrome if somebody else set up your PC. Some program seems to launch itself, unbidden, every time you turn the machine on. Tip: All kinds of programs dump components into this folder. Over time, they can begin to slow down your computer. If you're having trouble determining the purpose of one startup program or another, visit this Web page, which provides a comprehensive list of every startup software nugget known, with instructions for turning off each one: http://www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html. Fortunately, it's easy to either add or remove items from the Startup folder:
Once its window is open, navigate to the disk, folder, application, or document icon you want to add. Using the right mouse button, drag the icon directly into the Startup window. When you release the button, a shortcut menu appears; from the shortcut menu, choose Create Shortcuts Here. Close any windows you've opened. From now on, each time you turn on or restart your computer, the program, file, disk, or folder you dragged will open by itself.
|
legal disclaimer
1) Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article as well for any and all copyright infringements by authors and writers. E-articles is a free information resource. If you suspect this article for any copyright infringements, please read the Terms of service and contact us to investigate the problem.
2) The E-articles directory team is not responsible for inaccuracies, falsehoods, or any other types of misinformation this tutorial may contain and will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by a user through the user's reliance on the information gained here. Please read the Terms of service
Useful tools and features
If you like this article (tutorial), please link to it from your web page using the information above. Linking to this page, this is the only way to help us improve our service, the same time providing your visitors with a way to improve their online experience.
related articles
The Windows Vista installation DVD is bootable and self-installing, so you need only put it into your DVD drive and reboot, and the installation program will launch. To configure your computer to boot off a DVD, you'll need to use your system's BIOS setup utility. When you first power on your machine, you'll see a text screen with a summary of your motherboard, processor, and installed memory. (If you see only a logo, try pressing the Esc or Tab key.) Here, you typically press F2, Delete, or some other key combination to...
2. How to change the desktop background in Windows Vista
Vista has a whole new host of desktop pictures, patterns, and colors for your viewing pleasure. You want widescreen images for your new flat-panel monitor? No problem, Vista's got 'em. Want something gritty, artsy, in black and white? They're there, too. And you can still use any picture you'd like as your background as well. To change yours, right-click the desktop. From the shortcut menu, choose Personalize. In the Personalization dialog box, click Desktop Background. Use a Microsoft Photo...
3. Common Windows Vista and XP Filename Extensions
This tutorial lists many of the most common filename extensions that you'll find on your system, that you might download, or that you have received over the Internet. Extensions were universally used on DOS and Windows 3.1 files, but Microsoft has gone to some difficulty to hide them in Windows Vista. This is unfortunate, because they play a major role in the way Windows decides what application will be used to open a file, as well as which files will be visible when opening files in a given application. Although direct a...
4. Upgrading to Windows Vista from Earlier Versions of Windows
When you buy Windows Vista, you buy either a full version of the operating system or an upgrade. Ideally, you'd like to upgrade, because an upgrade is less expensive than buying the full version. Only PCs with Windows XP or Windows 2000 qualify for upgrades; users with PCs running earlier versions of Windows will have to buy the full version. Users who have Windows XP or Windows 2000 and can upgrade will have one of two choices when they do the Windows Vista installation. They can either perform an in-place upgrade or do ...
5. Potential Problems During Windows Vista Setup
Fully documenting all of the problems that could occur during the installation of Windows Vista would require a tutorial10 times the size of this one. Here, though, are some of the most common problems you're likely to encounter, and how to solve them: An out-of-date BIOS may cause a failed installation. Your motherboard will have a software-upgradeable flash BIOS. Contact the manufacturer of your system or motherboard for any BIOS updates it has available, but don't bother unless a BIOS upgrade is absol...
6. Windows Vista Sidebar and Gadgets
Gadgets perform automated tasks and display information; they live in the Windows Sidebar on the Desktop. To open Double-click the Windows Sidebar icon in the notification area. Control Panel -> [Appearance and Personalization] -> Windows Sidebar Properties -> Start Sidebar when Windows starts Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Sidebar Description One of Windows Vista's most useful new features is the Windows Sidebar and the Gadgets that ...
7. How to Start Up Applications in Win Vista
Windows Vista has more ways to launch a program than just about any other operating system: Double-click on a program icon in Explorer, on the Desktop. Double-click on a file associated with an application to launch that application and open the file. Pick the name of a program from the Start menu. Click on a program's icon in the Quick Launch Toolbar to start it. This toolbar can include icons for any programs, although by default, it often has icons...