Submission details
Start Menu: Links to Videos, Downloads and Contacts are missing. No way to add custom links.
The links in the right-column of the menu should be more customizable:
- In the Customize Start Menu dialog, there is no option to show Videos, Downloads, or Contacts, even though they are default folders, just like ex. Music.
- There is no way to add custom links to a folders chosen by the user.
Why custom links are needed:
My home folder contains a folder named "Projects", which in my mental model is a "first-class" folder, just like the default folders; they provide a entry point for a specific type of content, in this case all my projects.
The current limitations prevent me from exposing this folder in the start menu, effectively making this a "second-class" folder, even though this is not how I think about it. It also complicates the process of accessing my project-related files, since I have to go through my home folder to get to those files.
- Allow the user to add links to Videos, Downloads, Contacts, etc.
- Allow the user to add links to any folder.
Consider limiting the this to folders directly within the home folder, in order to preserve some kind of folder hierarchy. Also consider making the link to the home directory stand out from the rest.
High
High
Not fixed
Discussion (25 comments)
Oh; but more useful to me would be flexibility to add Downlaods!!!! Drives me INSANE! Now that Firefox and IE default to there.. I never click for Music via there (why would you?) but Downloads - far more frequently when downloading documents. The entire thing should be flexible with which ones you choose - like Windows XP was!
I really want Video's to be there, its so annoying that I can't put it there myself.
and did anyone notice the unused space below Control Panel!? they could have easily added Videos to the list.
It should be possible to add at least four user chosen folders to the right hand of the start menu, also Contacts, Downloads and Videos should be there by default. I'm nostalgic about the library concept in early Longhorn development phase...
Search also should be brought back and made get off the menu automatically when the user chooses an alternative desktop search solution.
I found a way to add search in the pinned list area and I'm also always adding the Downloads and Videos folder there too by drag and drop, but that's not the way I want it ! I think start menu pin should be available for any kind of document, shortcut or program, web links included, but the idea of keeping the folders in the right side is cool and things shoul be consistent
I N C O N S I S T E N T W O R K , M I C R O S O F T !
Must be a Vista problem. I can pick and choose which links are in mine, maybe not the order, but that doesn't bug me any.
I have: Documents, Recent Documents (expandable), My Computer (expandable), Control Panel (expandable), Search and Run.
I think I know what Cosmin is talking about with his task bar, the recent programs list on the left (the icons)? If so, then you can have them always there too. Don't know how you'd get this if you removed everything, but in XP they default IE to a locked section, and I put up MS Paint there for when I take a screen shot, saves going through the submenus. There's a dividing line that shows you which are locked (above the other programs) and then the rest that change frequently.
Hmm, I should probably have been a little clearer when I described this issue...
Actually, it is possible to choose which of the folders should be visible. The problem is that some of the default folders, like Videos and Downloads, are not included in the list of available folders - there is just no way to add those folders to the right-panel of the start menu.
Also, there is no way to add custom folders to this part of the start menu, which is a big problem, as I have already explained.
Basically, this should be much more customizable.
Right now, Microsoft dictates how we, the users, should organize our files, and that is in my opinion one of the biggest problems in Windows.
Changed title from [Start Menu: Links are not customizable and "Videos" is missing] to [Start Menu: Links to Videos, Downloads and Contacts are missing. No way to add custom links.].
Changed problem description.
Changed solution description.
Changed severity from [Low] to [High].
Changed impact from [Medium] to [High].
Added new image attachment.
Changed problem description.
Changed problem description.
Since the previous title and description might have been a bit misleading, I have now updated this so that the issues are a bit clearer... I hope :-)
Changed problem description.
Changed problem description.
I have mentioned this on a lot of forum. I found it funny MS did not include the download folder there since it have to be the number most accessed folder for home users.
Very much agreed. I've taken to just hitting the user name to get the full directory, and don't even use the ones they have on the menu.
@cosmin2007
To tell you the truth, I hadn't noticed the lack of a search button. I have always used the WindowsKey+F (for "find") shortcut. Easier to me than two single-clicks.
There is no reason to add a dedicated search button...
They should just make the icon in the search textbox launch the advanced search window when clicked while no text is entered. Currently, this is just a icon - nothing happens if you click it.
Custom Links+++++
I really want to see custom links here!!
Get a copy of X-Setup Pro (its payware but I think there's a fully functional trial), see if it can do what you want.
A lot of this sort of stuff it can be done if you know which registry items need setting to what values.
X-Setup Pro is the a registry tweaker, because of its plugin architecture it is easily extended. I've not used it much on Vista yet, but I use on XP systems all the time. The great thing about it is that I have it installed on a bootable CD so I can use on any computer without installing it - that facility is built into the product
This doesn't completely solve the problem, but you can go to the Start Menu properties, choose Customize, and where it says Personal Folder click on Display as a menu and apply it. Now you can mouse-over your name to get your folders to branch out.
In Windows 7, the Videos folder can be added.
However, this functionality is largely superceded by the Jump Lists in the new taskbar.
People i found a way to do it. But you can only change one file with another. For example change Music to Downloads:
Step 1:
Open Run (Ctrl + R) then type
%USERPROFILE%\downloads\desktop.ini and
%USERPROFILE%\music\desktop.ini
(If these files aren't moved to another location)
then change their IconResource last digits with each other: Downloads to 108, Music to 184. Then Log off and Log on again. You'll see their icons changed in User Folder and Start Menu.
Step 2:
Change their files: Music's files to Download and Download's files to Music's.
Step 3:
Then right click Music -> Properties -> Customize. Change the Folder type of Music to Documents and Download to Music Icons.
Step 4:
Click Start Menu Rename Music with Downloads
Step 5:
Have Fun! :)
The only Not Fixed Thing here is The Title in Start Menu. Example: I created a folder Books changed it with Pictures and when i "mouse over" that Books it shows me "Store Pictures and..."
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/9366/screenlt6.jpg
About Adding i'll think what I can do.
This is fixed in Windows 7...
Fixed in Windows 7, except for the Contacts folder.
If you use Classic Shell's Start Menu, you can add *any* item to the menu and as a link or as an expanding folder.
thda wrote on June 4, 2008, 1:13am
Actually, drag&drop might not be the best way to add links, if those links are limited to directories in the home directory.
In this case, it would be better to add some UI in the "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" dialog...