TotW: Change Hardcoded Start Menu Order

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

TotW: Change Hardcoded Start Menu Order

This tweak is a cool one... I've often thought about writing a UI to save doing this manual registry editing, but for now, this is how it's done ;)

What does it do?

You know how when you spark up your Start Menu a number of items are 'pinned' at the top (Messaging, IE etc)?

This tweak lets you change which items are 'pinned', or indeed change the start menu so everything is sorted alphabetically.

How difficult is it?

This tweak involves Registry editing. So, it's pretty straightforward if you are comfortable editing the Registry, maybe not so easy if not.

Disclaimer: As with all registry changes, you should be very careful when applying this tweak. Edit the wrong thing, and you could break something pretty bad ;)

Of course, don't be too scared, you can always Hard Reset if you REALLY break something :D

What do I need to do it?

To apply this tweak, you need a tool that can edit the Registry on your phone.

I recommend (in this order...)

Mobile Registry Editor - This (free) application lets you edit your phone Registry from your PC - Click Here for details

Resco Explorer - This fantastic little (commercial) utility provides a top notch File Explorer on your phone, plus the all important Registry Editor - Click Here for details

PHM Registry Editor - This (free) utility is a standalone Registry Editor for your device - Click Here for details

How do I do it then?

Right!

Spark up your Registry Editor of choice. I have included screenshots below using 'Resco Registry' on the Smartphone, but you'll see pretty much the same thing whatever you are using.

You will be presented with a screen that looks like the following:

Here you see a list of the 'Hives' in the Registry.

The Registry has a 'tree like' structure, which you can navigate by scrolling and clicking, and go back by hitting, well, back ;)

Navigate yourself to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Shell\StartMenu

Now you will see before you a key named 'Order'. If you view the contents of this key, you'll see the list of items that are pinned on your Start Menu!

Editing is a piece of cake... remove lines for items you don't want pinned, and add either folder names or shortcut (.lnk) names for those you do. The items will be pinned in the exact order you enter them in this list.

I hope this tweak is useful, please let me know! :D

And Finally...

All Done... Check back next Monday for another 'Tweak of the Week'!

:P

P

[Guest dh]

To make life even easier I use Jeyo Personalizer which has an option under Programs to change Program (Start Menu) Order.

You can only change the order of the first seven programs I think, don't know if this is the phone of Jeyo Personalizer.

[Guest Confucious]

To make life even easier I use Jeyo Personalizer which has an option under Programs to change Program (Start Menu) Order.

You can only change the order of the first seven programs I think, don't know if this is the phone of Jeyo Personalizer.

To make life easier still I use Smartione ;)

[Guest Tichy]

After following your great step by step guide I find that anything other than the default order and the whole lot go into alphabetical order. is there a maximum number you can have in the list?

[Guest chucky.egg]

This is a good one. Simple, but oh so useful.

For my money the best Start Menu solution is to go into /Storage/Windows/Start Menu and organise your icons into sub-folders. Not a new idea, I know, but maybe something new folks haven't heard before.

It takes longer to do, and you need to do it from the PC or with the built-in phone File Manager (because of the read-only flag on the Start Menu items) but you end up with a short Start Menu and logical sub-folders for your apps.

ss000.bmp

ss001.bmp

Edited May 16, 2005 by chucky.egg

[Guest ElGato65]

After following your great step by step guide I find that anything other than the default order and the whole lot go into alphabetical order.  is there a maximum number you can have in the list?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you, I hadn't figured "too many" might be an issue. To be honest I kinda got used to the Alphabetical ordering of my start menu after performing such a tweak a number of weeks back. How ever I can confirm that if I reduced the number of entries in the list to 8 items, (default), they do indeed sort as desired.

[Guest ctitanic]

Thank you, I hadn't figured "too many" might be an issue. To be honest I kinda got used to the Alphabetical ordering of my start menu after performing such a tweak a number of weeks back. How ever I can confirm that if I reduced the number of entries in the list to 8 items, (default), they do indeed sort as desired.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the maximum number of shortcuts that you can have listed there is 16. By default you can have 8 short cut if all you want is to reorder the first page.

In my test also I have found that Jeyo Personalizer change that key cutting the number of shortcuts to 7 which is an error taking in consideration that there are 8 shorcuts listed in the first page.

A version of this hack was included in version 1.2 of Tweaks2k2 (current version is 1.4.0.3) and I said a version of this hack because the goal was not to reorder that menu but give users the possibility of replacing the existents short cut listed with other shortcuts located at \\storage\\windows\\start menu.

I hope all this information is in some way usefull.

Edited May 17, 2005 by ctitanic

[Guest Tichy]

Thankyou ctitanic and ElGato65, your answers have been most helpful.

Tichy

[Guest dcarbonetti]

cant seem to find this in the registry on a blue angel? any1 got any ideas where it is?

[Guest energ]

This is a good one. Simple, but oh so useful.

For my money the best Start Menu solution is to go into /Storage/Windows/Start Menu and organise your icons into sub-folders.  Not a new idea, I know, but maybe something new folks haven't heard before.

It takes longer to do, and you need to do it from the PC or with the built-in phone File Manager (because of the read-only flag on the Start Menu items) but you end up with a short Start Menu and logical sub-folders for your apps.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I went into /Storage/Windows/Start Menu as you have said, and it showed me 4 folders (Accessories, Configurations, Games, System Management). Do I just create new sub-folders and move icons into it? But where do I find the icons in the start menu?

[Guest chucky.egg]

Yes, the method I was talking about means you have to make new folders (which then appear under Start Menu). You can then move the current icons into the appropriate folders

You can see my setup (as an example - set it up how you like) in the screenshots I posted

The easiest way to do the folder creation and the moving of icons is through your PC, but if you can't/don't connect with a PC you can use the built-in File Explorer - you can't use things like SmartExplorer because the Start Menu icons are Hidden and System files

[Guest energ]

I got it connected to my PC through usb cable. But I can't find those menu list icons in my smartphone explorer (of my PC). It's hidden somewhere ;)

Edited May 25, 2005 by energ

[Guest chucky.egg]

Through Windows Explorer on your PC you should see "Mobile Device" (or similar) at the same level as your C drive but near the bottom of the list

From there go

My Smartphone / Storage / Windows / Start Menu

[Guest energ]

Yup I've done that. But there isn't icons like Messaging, Contact, Calendar, Internet Explorer etc.. to move it in my sub-folders.

I really want to achieve my menu list as the two images you attached. I think it's much better than my current long list of applications and stuff.

[Guest chucky.egg]

Ah, OK. Try setting your folder view options in Windows to "Show hidden files"

It's different between Windows versions, but in XP from your File Explorer window go: Tools - Folder Options - View

[Guest energ]

Omg I'm so stupid. I forgot about that typical windows settings. Thank's for the reminder! I got it now. I just registerd a coupla days ago and I'm beging to love this forum. Hey thanks again!

[Guest energ]

Oh crap, it says access denied. Won't give me permission to move the shortcut icons to the sub-folders.

[Guest chucky.egg]

Try it on your phone.

My phone is "Application Unlocked" which might have some effect on this (but none that I know of). The built-in icons move fine for me, but maybe look at that later, once your menu is sorted out

[Guest energ]

Oh I see. I got the jist of it. Hey thanks so much!

[Guest extravagant]

To make life even easier I use Jeyo Personalizer which has an option under Programs to change Program (Start Menu) Order.

You can only change the order of the first seven programs I think, don't know if this is the phone of Jeyo Personalizer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I use that also, 2 bad it cant sort more than the first 7

[Guest pmonchet]

May I know how could I placed The Accessories folder ? I tried following the instruction.All menu were arranged as I placed them but the accessories.lnk didn't.

Any correction that I have to make?

Thanks!

[Guest Geeklord]

did you try the complete path: storage\windows\start menu\accessories.lnk?

[Guest Cybertronic]

Does this tweak work for WM5? :)

I've tried it, but it rearranges all the icons alphabetically :D

[Guest h1kar1]

hey guys

this is one of the first things i tryed when i got my phone

was to try to orginize like i do with my home computer

the probelm i ran into is that when i restarted my phone

ie turn off then on the default shortcuts in the menu came back

in there original place my folodors and other shortcuts are still there

but it reput the default icons back in the menu

have i missed somthing here did you find away around this ???

[Guest hoopmaster51890]

I loved this tweak, cuz before the menu was changed, i had to look through all of my apps just to get to my settings!!! boy did that stink...