Take advantage of the Windows XP Start menu's pinned items list

by Greg Shultz | Jan 17, 2007 8:00:00 AM

Tags: Greg Shultz, Start Menu, pinned item, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows, Windows XP Tips Newsletter

Takeaway: You're probably familiar with Start's left side menu—but do you know why the program list is divided in two? Here's what you need to know about the pinned items list found in Windows XP, and how you can customize it to easily access your favorite programs.

The left panel of the Start menu consists entirely of a divided list of programs that Windows XP thinks will come in handy for you: the pinned items list above the separator line, and the most frequently used programs list, displayed below the line.

By default, Windows XP places links to your Internet browser and your e-mail application in the pinned items list and will place as many as 30 shortcuts to the programs that you've recently used in the most frequently used programs list. (The most frequently used programs list is, by default, six shortcuts long.)

In order to really take advantage of the Start menu as a launching area for all the programs you use most often, you can configure the entire left panel as a pinned items list. Here's how:

1. Right-click the Start button and select the Properties command to display the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.
2. Click the Customize button adjacent to the Start Menu radio button to display the Customize Start Menu dialog box.
3. In the Programs panel, use the Spin button to set the Number Of Programs On The Start Menu setting to 0. Click the Clear List button.
4. In the Show On Start Menu panel, you can clear the Internet check box because the Internet Explorer icon already appears in the Quick Launch menu by default, and maybe even the e-mail check box, depending on how you launch your e-mail application.
5. Click OK twice—once to close the Customize Start Menu dialog box and once to close the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog boxes.
6. Click the Start button and access the All Programs submenu.
7. Locate and right-click on a shortcut to a program you use most often and select the Pin To Start Menu command.

You can pin as many as 30 of your most often used programs to the Start menu, depending on your screen resolution setting. With your actual favorite programs on the pinned items list, you can now really take advantage of the Start menu.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

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Print/View all Posts Comments on this article

Thanks, but how do I...No name specified  | 01/18/07

START MENU WITH IE7??lbhall40@...  | 01/18/07

Much easierpkrdk  | 01/18/07

Location of Start MenuTheChas  | 01/18/07

How to backup pinned items...No name specified  | 05/25/07

great: it reduces the number of quick launch iconstom@...  | 01/18/07

Folders on Start MenuCussy  | 01/18/07

Why do I always try to complicate things...?tom@...  | 01/18/07

even easier than thatmartin.costa@...  | 01/18/07

Folder to FileBrowser dialog left side??chsmith@...  | 01/18/07

modify the list in the left pane of Save As dialog???chsmith@...  | 02/23/07

Quick Launch Programslimodriver17@...  | 01/18/07

Not enough spacerwcarruthers  | 01/18/07

are you referring to Balloon Tips?tom@...  | 01/18/07

not exactly my pointrwcarruthers  | 01/18/07

Popup is because of your settingsMindtickler  | 01/18/07

Resolution set too low?tom@...  | 01/18/07

how to train the user?rwcarruthers  | 01/18/07

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS - TRY THISwilliam@...  | 01/18/07

Exactly, just drag & dropdavid.rowland@...  | 01/18/07

Cannot pin everything - a few of questionshash1024@...  | 01/18/07

One question answeredhash1024@...  | 01/18/07

Seems you can shortcut to anything in pinned listdavid.rowland@...  | 01/18/07

Seems you can shortcut to anything in pinned listhash1024@...  | 01/18/07

Seems you can shortcut to anything in pinned listdavid.rowland@...  | 01/18/07

Two different thingsMindtickler  | 01/18/07

Can you sort the list?whd  | 01/18/07

drag ittom@...  | 01/18/07

Inconsistenciesfof9l  | 01/18/07

Can only pin shortcutswhd  | 01/18/07

Yes you can pin files to the pinned listMindtickler  | 01/18/07

Can't pin files on network drivekeith.bibbee@...  | 01/23/07

How to Pin network itemsdougcollins@...  | 05/22/07

Save As left list: add my short cuts?chsmith@...  | 05/22/07

Obviousgbentley@...  | 01/18/07

How do you back off?seyi_olufiade@...  | 01/18/07

Its really useful to save time in loads of work Thnxsoni_jaiprakash@...  | 01/19/07

Why does Post to Root show as being by "No name specified?"deepsand  | 01/20/07

Does NOT work with "Classic" style, but only with XP style.deepsand  | 01/20/07