Vista Archives - Page 3 of 3

Windows XP & Vista Tip – Add/Remove Start Menu Items

Pin Programs to the Windows XP & Vista Start Menu

The Start menu for both Windows XP & Vista can be customized for the specific programs you use most frequently. One of the main benefits of having programs on the main Start menu is that it requires only two clicks to launch. While most programs will be located somewhere within the different levels of the Start menu, pinning it directly to the main menu simplifies locating the program.

The left side of the Start menu is divided into two sections. The top section consists of menu items that remain in place or “pinned” to the Start menu. The bottom section consists of shortcuts to other programs you have recently used. These change over time as you launch different programs. All pinned programs appear on the left side of the Start Menu near the top of the list. If you currently search your Desktop for icons/shortcuts to launch programs, pinning programs to the Start menu can simply the launching process for you.

To pin a program to the Start Menu:

Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen and the Start menu will appear.
Then click the All Programs item near the bottom of the Start Menu and a list of programs and submenus will appear.
Locate the program you want to pin to the Start Menu, opening any sub-menus as necessary.
Place your mouse cursor over the program and right-click the program icon. A list of options will now appear.
Click on the “Pin to Start Menu” selection.

The program you selected will now appear near the top of the Start menu along with the other Start menu items. You can move the programs around on the list and change their order by putting your cursor on the program, left-clicking and holding down the left-click button. With the left-click button depressed you can then drag the item to a new location on the list.

Remove Programs from the Windows XP & Vista Start Menu

Programs can also be easily removed from the Start menu. If you find that you have added too many programs to the Start menu or perhaps just want to tidy up the list and remove some of the programs that are no longer use very often, you can do this in a few quick steps.

To remove a program from the Start menu:

Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen
Then locate the program you want to remove from the Menu and put your mouse cursor over the program
Right-click the program icon. The list of options will now appear
Click on “Remove from This List” selection.

The program you selected will no longer appear on the Start Menu.

Other alternatives for quickly accessing the programs you use most often include placing program icons in the Quick Launch toolbar located in the Task Bar at the bottom of the Windows Desktop and placing a shortcut icon for a program on the Windows Desktop.

Vista’s UAC | How To Disable Vista’s User Account Control

By MikeM

One of the more visible differences between Windows XP and Vista is the addition of the User Account Control (UAC) feature in Vista. UAC is a response by Microsoft to the attacks from viruses, spyware and adware that users continue to experience. You can encounter Vista’s UAC pop up screen in a number of different scenarios including when you try to run an installation program, try to view device manager or when you try to accomplish anything else that Vista interprets as an ‘administrator’ level event that could effect other users on the system. Here is how to disable Vista’s user account control if you want.

Some Positives for Vista’s UAC

The positive effect of the UAC is to theoretically make your computer more secure and prevent anything bad occurring on your system without your permission. Nasty items such as viruses and spyware attempting to be installed without your knowledge should now run into the UAC barricade. The UAC pop up can also warn unknowing or novice users about making changes to system settings without realizing it.

The Dark Side of Vista’s User Account Control

The flip side is that the UAC pop ups can be annoying, can break your workflow, are ignore by many people, and the feature can be easily defeated. UAC can be disabled, but this should not be done without some consideration as it does remove a layer of protection against viruses and malware.

Turning Off User Account Control

The easiest way to turn off the UAC feature is through the User Accounts window in the Control Panel. To accomplish this:

Click on Start then Control Panel then select User Account.
In the “Make Changes to your user account” section of the page click on the Turn User Account Control on/off link.
Select ‘continue‘ when the UAC box appears.
Then uncheck the box next to the ‘Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer’ option.

Click ‘ok’. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. This change disables UAC only for the current user.

For users of Ultimate or Business editions of Vista the process is a bit more involved and will be covered in a later Tech Tip.

Using Windows Vista?

By MikeM

There has been plenty written about Windows Vista both pro and con since its release. I’d like to get some feedback on from real PC users on real world experiences with Vista.

Are you using Vista? Why or Why Not?

If you are using it how is it working for you? Which Version are you using?

What do you like best about Vista?

What do you like the least?

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