Organizing the Start Menu

I had heard that Microsoft was bringing back Start Menu functionality
to Windows, but if the technical preview is any indication of their
intentions, I am not impressed.

Barring the installation of third-party apps (Classic Shell, etc) is
there a way to make the start menu more functional?

Specifically,

1) can I get rid of (or at least reduce the size of) the space
allocated to the live tiles? I don't really use that functionality,
have removed all those tiles and right now my start menu extends
halfway across the monitor, with most of that space being blank.
1b) I figured out how to remove stuff from the live-tile area
but not how to put stuff back in.

2) Can I remove the "places" section from the top of the start menu?

3) Can I remove the "recently added" apps on the start menu?

4) In the "All Apps" section, the list is organized alphabetically,
with big (A, B, C...) letters announcing the start of each new
grouping. Having mastered the alphabet long ago, I find this
unnecessary. Can I remove these letters?

5) Similarly in the "All Apps" section, how do I add subfolders or
otherwise organize that menu? Used to be you could right-click the
start button and select "open all users" but that seems to be missing
in Win10.

Thanks for any advice. I figure if I keep wrestling with Windows 10
eventually get it to the point where it is actually usable.

On 02/27/2015 09:00 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
I had heard that Microsoft was bringing back Start Menu functionality
to Windows, but if the technical preview is any indication of their
intentions, I am not impressed.

Barring the installation of third-party apps (Classic Shell, etc) is
there a way to make the start menu more functional?

Specifically,

1) can I get rid of (or at least reduce the size of) the space
allocated to the live tiles? I don't really use that functionality,
have removed all those tiles and right now my start menu extends
halfway across the monitor, with most of that space being blank.
1b) I figured out how to remove stuff from the live-tile area
but not how to put stuff back in.

2) Can I remove the "places" section from the top of the start menu?

3) Can I remove the "recently added" apps on the start menu?

4) In the "All Apps" section, the list is organized alphabetically,
with big (A, B, C...) letters announcing the start of each new
grouping. Having mastered the alphabet long ago, I find this
unnecessary. Can I remove these letters?

5) Similarly in the "All Apps" section, how do I add subfolders or
otherwise organize that menu? Used to be you could right-click the
start button and select "open all users" but that seems to be missing
in Win10.

Thanks for any advice. I figure if I keep wrestling with Windows 10
eventually get it to the point where it is actually usable.





First the terminology:


The area on the left containing the small tiles is called the task bar.
On the right, where you see the larger tiles...the "start" area.

In the "start" area, just right click on the tile you want and there is
the option to "resize".

You can arrange them how you want simply by left clicking and dragging
to a desired location.


As far as returning tiles to the "start" area...again just right click
(the tiles on the task bar) and select "pin to start" .


What I like about Win10 (as opposed to Win8) is that although you have
the option to allow the tiles to take over the full screen...that option
is not foisted upon the user by default.



Other than having a Win8.1 installation in a Virtual Machine, I do not
use Win8 other that to have it as a reference.

More than likely when Win10 is released, I'll actually use it.

On Sun, 01 Mar 2015 06:49:40 -0600, philo wrote:

On 02/27/2015 09:00 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
I had heard that Microsoft was bringing back Start Menu functionality
to Windows, but if the technical preview is any indication of their
intentions, I am not impressed.

Barring the installation of third-party apps (Classic Shell, etc) is
there a way to make the start menu more functional?

Specifically,

1) can I get rid of (or at least reduce the size of) the space
allocated to the live tiles? I don't really use that functionality,
have removed all those tiles and right now my start menu extends
halfway across the monitor, with most of that space being blank.
1b) I figured out how to remove stuff from the live-tile area
but not how to put stuff back in.

First the terminology:

The area on the left containing the small tiles is called the task bar.
On the right, where you see the larger tiles...the "start" area.

In the "start" area, just right click on the tile you want and there is
the option to "resize".

You can arrange them how you want simply by left clicking and dragging
to a desired location.

As far as returning tiles to the "start" area...again just right click
(the tiles on the task bar) and select "pin to start" .


Thanks.

I already had a handle on resizing and removing the tiles. Currently
my "Start Area" is completely empty. So how do I make it smaller? I
thought it was supposed to resize the "start area" based on the
contents but mine does not seem to be doing that. It takes half the
screen when open, most of it the empty "start area".

There doesn't seem to be any way to rename the items on the start menu
either. Used to be you could right-click/rename.

What I like about Win10 (as opposed to Win8) is that although you have
the option to allow the tiles to take over the full screen...that option
is not foisted upon the user by default.


I can't say I'm impressed. The underlying OS technology seems sound
but the Win10 start menu is still too much the Win8 start screen, just
smaller and pegged to a button. Its as obtrusive as the original Win8
interface with none of the functionality of the older GUI.

Unfortunately, I will need to support it so I'm taking the time to
understand how it works but MS certainly isn't winning me back.

I will give MS interface team this though: for the first OS since
Windows95, they do not default to hidding extensions. Its a small step
but very welcome and long overdue.

On 03/01/2015 08:15 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:




snip

Thanks.

I already had a handle on resizing and removing the tiles. Currently
my "Start Area" is completely empty. So how do I make it smaller? I
thought it was supposed to resize the "start area" based on the
contents but mine does not seem to be doing that. It takes half the
screen when open, most of it the empty "start area".

There doesn't seem to be any way to rename the items on the start menu
either. Used to be you could right-click/rename.

What I like about Win10 (as opposed to Win8) is that although you have
the option to allow the tiles to take over the full screen...that option
is not foisted upon the user by default.


I can't say I'm impressed. The underlying OS technology seems sound
but the Win10 start menu is still too much the Win8 start screen, just
smaller and pegged to a button. Its as obtrusive as the original Win8
interface with none of the functionality of the older GUI.

Unfortunately, I will need to support it so I'm taking the time to
understand how it works but MS certainly isn't winning me back.

I will give MS interface team this though: for the first OS since
Windows95, they do not default to hidding extensions. Its a small step
but very welcome and long overdue.




As to hiding extensions...I never at all liked that and usually, when
setting up a system allow them.


As to further customizing Win10 ...I assume something like Classic Shell
would be the best way as there does not seem to be any simple way to do
it from within Windows.

"Spalls Hurgenson" escreveu na mensagem
...

I had heard that Microsoft was bringing back Start Menu functionality
to Windows, but if the technical preview is any indication of their
intentions, I am not impressed.

Barring the installation of third-party apps (Classic Shell, etc) is
there a way to make the start menu more functional?

Specifically,

1) can I get rid of (or at least reduce the size of) the space
allocated to the live tiles? I don't really use that functionality,
have removed all those tiles and right now my start menu extends
halfway across the monitor, with most of that space being blank.

....

1) There was an older thread about resizing Start menu. The formula was:

Run regedit, then go

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

And create a new DWORD called
EnableXamlStartMenu and leave the
default value of 0 unchanged.
Restart Windows.

On Sun, 1 Mar 2015 16:00:41 -0000, "Homer" wrote:

"Spalls Hurgenson" escreveu na mensagem
.. .


1) can I get rid of (or at least reduce the size of) the space
allocated to the live tiles? I don't really use that functionality,
have removed all those tiles and right now my start menu extends
halfway across the monitor, with most of that space being blank.

1) There was an older thread about resizing Start menu. The formula was:

Run regedit, then go

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

And create a new DWORD called
EnableXamlStartMenu and leave the
default value of 0 unchanged.
Restart Windows.


Oh yes, that's much more what I expected to see. Still a far cry from
useful but much, much, MUCH less obtrusive.

Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Sun, 1 Mar 2015 16:00:41 -0000, "Homer" wrote:

"Spalls Hurgenson" escreveu na mensagem
...


1) can I get rid of (or at least reduce the size of) the space
allocated to the live tiles? I don't really use that functionality,
have removed all those tiles and right now my start menu extends
halfway across the monitor, with most of that space being blank.

1) There was an older thread about resizing Start menu. The formula was:

Run regedit, then go

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

And create a new DWORD called
EnableXamlStartMenu and leave the
default value of 0 unchanged.
Restart Windows.


Oh yes, that's much more what I expected to see. Still a far cry from
useful but much, much, MUCH less obtrusive.

So what did it do exactly ?

Did it shrink down the menu outline ?

Paul

On Mon, 02 Mar 2015 09:48:45 -0500, Paul wrote:

Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Sun, 1 Mar 2015 16:00:41 -0000, "Homer" wrote:

"Spalls Hurgenson" escreveu na mensagem
...


1) can I get rid of (or at least reduce the size of) the space
allocated to the live tiles? I don't really use that functionality,
have removed all those tiles and right now my start menu extends
halfway across the monitor, with most of that space being blank.

1) There was an older thread about resizing Start menu. The formula was:

Run regedit, then go

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

And create a new DWORD called
EnableXamlStartMenu and leave the
default value of 0 unchanged.
Restart Windows.


Oh yes, that's much more what I expected to see. Still a far cry from
useful but much, much, MUCH less obtrusive.

So what did it do exactly ?

Did it shrink down the menu outline ?

Yes, pretty much.

After removing all the tiles from the start area, the start area was
gone. Its dimensions were very similar to the old Win9x Start Menu,
with just a single column of icons/titles. Its actually narrower than
the XP/Vista/7 Start menu, which has two columns (programs on the
left, system items on the right). A second column does appear when
pausing over certain items which may have a "recent item" or other
similar context menu, but that was a feature I liked in Win7 and I'm
glad it carried over.

(screenshot at http://imgur.com/ySWNVLv for those interested)

This modified Win10 start area does seem a bit buggy though; moving,
adding or removing tiles doesn't always work and sometimes they get
stuck and non-responsive until I reboot. And of course, the left-hand
column is still an absolute mess and comparatively lacking in function
to the Win7 start menu.

But it's a start.