How to Tweak the Start Menu in Vista
- 1). Click the Start menu icon in the lower-left corner of your screen. To pin a frequently used program to the Start menu so that it will always show up on the left side, locate the program name in the Start menu or the program icon on your desktop. Right-click the program and choose "Pin to Start menu."
- 2). Right-click on the name of any program that you would like to remove from the Start menu. Choose "Remove from this list." This will not uninstall the program. It will only remove it from the start menu.
- 3). Right-click on an empty area of the taskbar (the gray bar at the bottom of your screen) to move the Start menu to a different position on your screen. If there is a check next to "Lock the Taskbar" when you right-click, click the check to remove it. Then left-click and drag the taskbar to any of the four corners of your desktop. Lock the taskbar again by right-clicking once it is in the desired location.
- 4). Right-click on the "Recent Items" text and choose "Clear Recent Items List" to clear the list of files that you have recently accessed. This will not delete these files, but will clear them from the start menu.
- 5). Access the "Customize Start Menu" screen to change other aspects of the Start menu, including the number of programs displayed on the left side and certain aspects of the right side. To do this, click on "Start," then "Control Panel," then "Appearance and Personalization," then "Taskbar and Start Menu.
Click the "Start Menu" tab, then "Customize." Select the options that you want from the available list.
