start menu
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RerouteXPSearch Changes Your Start Menu Search To Your Favourite Third Party Engine
11:30PM Jason Fitzpatrick | Windows only: If you have a system search tool you prefer over Windows XP’s default—the Hive Five on the topic would indicate many of you do—RerouteXPSearch makes your Start menu use that app. Using the tool is as simple as downloading it, running the stand-alone application, and plugging in the location of the executable for your preferred search tool. In the screenshot to the left, the start menu link is being redirected to the lightning-fast search tool, Everything. After being introduced to the tool by LH AU (via Kevin) last year, it has become an absolute indispensable part of my daily work flow. RerouteXPSearch is freeware, Windows XP only. RerouteXPSearch [WinHelpOnline] More »
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Start Killer Hides The Start Button In XP, Vista And Windows 7
3:30AM Adam Pash | Previously mentioned Start Killer—the simple utility that frees up taskbar space by removing the Start button—now officially supports hiding the Start button in Vista and unofficially in Windows 7 (I tested it and it seemed to work just fine). Granted, the Start button doesn’t eat nearly as much real estate in Windows 7 or Vista as it does XP, but if you always access it by pressing the Windows key anyway, Start Killer performs a nice little tweak that can save you much needed screen real estate. Thanks Rupert! More »
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Customise Windows’ Start Menu Folders
11:30PM Gina Trapani | Windows only: By default Windows includes your “My Pictures” and “My Music” folders in the Start Menu’s right column, but you can change those defaults to folders you use more often using two handy VB scripts. The replace My Pictures VB script and the replace My Music VB script each do just that. Right-click each link to save those files to your PC, then double-click to run them. Enter the new path you want to appear in your Start Menu (even a network location, like to a shared music folder), and then you have to log off and back into your PC to see your changes. Behind the scenes, these scripts are editing your registry; if that idea makes you nervous—and it should—then do pass. I tested both successfully on my machine. These scripts are part of a huge library of Windows VB script tweaks; have a look at some more at the Kelly’s Korner web site using the link below. For more fun with useful VB scripts, see the screensaver away message. Registry Edits for Windows XP [Kelly's Korner via gHacks] More »
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Portable Start Menu Ties Together Your USB Workspace
11:00PM Kevin Purdy | Windows only: Free thumb drive utility Portable Start Menu is a handy, multi-function tool for anyone who uses a USB drive to launch portable applications. The program can search out and find any self-running .exe file on a thumb drive and add it to a start menu that sits in the Windows system tray while the USB drive is plugged in. The app also has a “Quick Start” function that you can access with a shortcut to launch any program, and Portable Start Menu can create its own AutoRun file to have it launch once it’s plugged in. Portable Start Menu is a free download for Windows systems only. Portable Start Menu [via The Red Ferret Journal] More »
Fix
Start Killer Hides the Start Button, Adds Space to Task Bar
8:00AM Adam Pash | Windows only: Freeware application Start Killer hides the Start menu button, freeing up extra space on your Windows taskbar. You can still access the Start menu by hitting the Windows key, but Start Killer frees up a good chunk of taskbar real estate. You can optionally disable the Start menu altogether if you wanted to deny users access to it. Start Killer only does one thing, but there’s nothing we like better than a simple tool that does exactly what it says. No Vista option as yet. More »
Open “I’m Feeling Lucky” Sites from Vista’s Start Menu
12:00AM Kevin Purdy | Amit at the Digital Inspiration blog has written up a how-to on launching web sites directly from Windows Vista’s Start Search box (and therefore at the tap of a “Windows” key), using Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” function to quickly bring up the first result of a search using your entry. The hack involves using the Group Policy editor (gpedit.msc), which is unfortunately available only in the Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions—unless, of course, one of our intrepid readers can point us toward enabling or unlocking that feature in the Home and Basic versions. Hit the link below for yet another way to make your Windows key into a full-fledged quick-launcher. Open Your Favourite Website Directly from Windows Vista Start Menu [Digital Inspiration] More »
Get More from the Recent Document Menu with ActualDoc
12:40AM Kevin Purdy | Windows only: Ever wish your Recent Documents/Items menu was a bit more, well, organised? ActualDoc Standard, a free system tray utility for Windows, separates your recently-opened items into common sense categories like “Drawings and Images,” “Multimedia,” “Applications,” and actual “Documents”—into a right-click item in your system tray. If the “Recent” menu raises privacy concerns for you, ActualDoc can also keep Windows’ built-in menu cleared and give you password-protected access. The tray icon also includes a number of folder and app-launching links to handy locations, such as Windows’ application data folder and your user account documents. For those who work every day with a series of new but oft-opened documents, ActualDoc can serve as a time-saving gateway. ActualDoc Standard is a free download for Windows systems only. ActualDoc Standard [via Download Squad] More »
Keep Programs Close at Hand with Vista Start Menu
2:00AM Kevin Purdy | Windows only: Vista Start Menu offers an expanded, feature-rich Start menu for Windows 2000/XP or Vista, one in which program menus, power-off options, and a number of control panel items are available right from the first click, instead of requiring menu mouse-overs to unfold. Vista Start Menu runs as a system tray app and doesn’t touch a thing on your system—shut it down, and you’re back to your plain vanilla Start layout. It used a little over 7 MB of memory on my Vista Home Professional setup, which might be a steep price for the convenience for some, but for those who can’t get down with an alternative program-finder like Launchy, it definitely saves a little time. Vista Start Menu (basic) is a free download for Windows 2000/XP and Vista only. Vista Start Menu [via MakeUseOf.com] More »
