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General discussion

Creating a "New" folder in All Programs

Apr 27, 2005 4:21AM PDT

Hey Folks, I was wondering if anyone knows how to create a New Folder in the Start-All Programs listings? I have installed several imaging programs and have also several Microsoft programs that I would like to combine into one folder for each type of program. ie; MS Word,Outlook,Power Point, Front Page has installed and list separately in the listings. Can I create a folder that I can drop all of these into and title "Microsoft Programs"?
The Imaging programs are many also, most are trial programs that I am trying and will keep the ones that I prefer but would like to have one folder to put them into rather that spread them out over several. I've run out of room on the screen and the new programs that I install are OFF the side of the screen and not visable...
Please n Thanx to all.

Discussion is locked

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Yes, its a very good way
Apr 27, 2005 4:28AM PDT

to keep the All Programs list manageable.

Try this;

Right click Start and select "Explore all users". A Windows Explorer window will open with, on the left, a list of folders with "Start Menu" highlighted. If there is a plus sign by that, click it to reveal "Programs" underneath. Highlight that.

In the right pane will be all the shortcuts listed under Programs. This is your All Programs list for all users of your computer.

With Programs higlighted, goto File > New and select New Folder. A new folder will be created. Change it's name to your choice.

Highlight Programs again and in the right pane highlight those shortcuts you want to transfer to the new folder. Drag them across to the left to the new folder.

Presto, you have started to organise your Start Menu All Programs list.

Good luck

Mark

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Well Done
Apr 27, 2005 10:39AM PDT

Wow, Done already. That was great, I've already remedied my problem Thanx to your help. All the new programs I was loading onto the pute seemed to be going nowhere. The balloon was telling me that the "New" program was installed but I could not locate the link. I'm now down to two columns and organized... Thank You Alot. and in record time.

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(NT) (NT) Thanks for the tip!
Apr 27, 2005 11:30AM PDT
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You are both welcome
Apr 27, 2005 7:54PM PDT

Glad I could help.

Just a couple of caveats.

Bulldozer, to be clear, what you have in the Start > All Programs menu are "Shortcuts", not the actual programs themselves. Whenever you install a new program the install process will ask you where you want the program to be installed to. It will default to C\Program Files, a folder on your C drive, but you could, if you wished, install them anywhere. That's just a matter of personal choice.

But the files in Start > All Programs are just shortcut files that "point" towards where the program was installed. I just wanted to make sure you understood that.

Secondly, there is a small downside to this, (very small).

If ever you want to uninstall a program, either by using the program's own uninstall utility or using Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, they will search for the shortcut in the Start Menu but will not find it, because you moved it. But that's OK. All you have to do is find the shortcuts yourself, right click, and delete.

Good luck.

Mark

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Awesome!
Oct 19, 2009 12:41PM PDT

Thanks for this great tip. Much appreciated.

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Mine didn't work
Dec 10, 2012 8:51AM PST

When I right click start it says open windows explorer and properties .
When I click on the open windows explorer it does not have what you have specified that it is supposed to have . Granted this post is like 7 years old , I have windows 7 .


Please help?(:

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Windows 7 Is Different
Dec 10, 2012 10:55AM PST

Try the path below for creating new specialized folders in the "All Programs" section. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the paths below, then create a new folder in that location, then drag your favorite program shortcuts into the newly created folder.

Start Menu Changes
For All Users:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

For your user only:
C:\Users\Yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

You may need to set the Folder Options (Control Panel-Folder Options icon-View tab) to "Show all Hidden, Files, folders, and drives" and "Show Protected Operating System files" to be able to see all the directories in the paths I've described above.

Hope this helps.

Grif