Start --> All Programs (Menu Order Problem)

I searched many other previous threads regarding the particular problem
in question, but I never did see that anyone really gave a clear or
final solution to this particular problem.

In short, I am addressing whether or not Vista x64 supports custom
sorting of the folders and shortcuts in the Start --> All Programs menu.
With Windows XP, it use to be I could drag and drop folders and
shortcuts in the Programs menu in any order I wanted, and that custom
sorting would be saved and maintained every time I shut down or booted
up Windows without it being sorted in the default alphabetical order.
But with Vista as I have come to notice, did Microsoft drop support for
custom sorting or something?

I did, however, manage to search the registry and isolate the specific
section of the registry that is suppose to save the order information of
the programs menu, at...
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder"

Now, at my work place we have some computers that run standard Vista
32-bit and looked at the structure of the registry, relative to the
specific registry address that I just pointed out, and noticed a
significant difference. On the Vista PCs at work, within the MenuOrder
directory in question, I saw two other directories within labeled
"Favorites" and "Start Menu". And within "Start Menu", the directory
structure within mirrored the appearance of the start menu programs
items in Windows. However, on my Vista x64 machine, all I see is the
"Favorites" directory within the MenuOrder directory. And within the
"Favorites" directory, is a single item labeled "Order", the contents of
which details the order of the programs menu. Now, what I can do is drag
and drop the shortcuts and folders that appear immediately after
clicking "All Programs" in any order I want, and that custom sorting
will be saved during the current Windows session, and sometimes even
after about four or five sessions of Windows where I've restarted the PC
over and over again. However, for whatever reason, it will always
eventually go default and sort alphabetically again and my custom
sorting is lost. Also, if I also attempt to custom sort folders and
shortcuts with folders of the All Programs menu, and then restart
Windows and log back in, the whole order of the All Programs menu will
go default and all custom sorting will be lost.

Hopefully, this is enough information for others to attempt to
understand the problem at hand. I must admit, this is the single most
annoying and aggravating glitch of Vista of which is ticking me off that
I would very much like resolved. I am unable to investigate first hand
for myself, but specifically, I want feedback from other Vista x64 users
to look at their MenuOrder directory in their registry that I pointed
out, and describe to me what entries and information you see. More
importantly, with anyone running Vista x64, do you see a "Start Menu"
directory within MenuOrder, or only a single directory labeled
"Favorites"?


--
jmine83

jmine83 <> wrote:

>
>I searched many other previous threads regarding the particular problem
>in question, but I never did see that anyone really gave a clear or
>final solution to this particular problem.
>
>In short, I am addressing whether or not Vista x64 supports custom
>sorting of the folders and shortcuts in the Start --> All Programs menu.
>With Windows XP, it use to be I could drag and drop folders and
>shortcuts in the Programs menu in any order I wanted, and that custom
>sorting would be saved and maintained every time I shut down or booted
>up Windows without it being sorted in the default alphabetical order.
>But with Vista as I have come to notice, did Microsoft drop support for
>custom sorting or something?
>
>I did, however, manage to search the registry and isolate the specific
>section of the registry that is suppose to save the order information of
>the programs menu, at...
>"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Cur rentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder"
>
>Now, at my work place we have some computers that run standard Vista
>32-bit and looked at the structure of the registry, relative...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............. .

Respectively, I do not see why it is relevant to inquire "why" I want a
specific order or sorting of menu items. I will, however, answer
regardless by saying, simply because it is my preference to order things
in a logical order that makes sense to me. Which is, by sorting programs
according to their similar and dissimilar functions. It is very
difficult to describe without going into excessive detail the rules and
mechanics of how I sort things.


--
jmine83

Well, I compared at work today different PC stations that were runnin
XP and others running Vista, as far as the specific registry section i
MenuOrder goes. What I discovered seems pretty significant. That is, al
the XP stations I observed had both a "Favorites" and "Start Menu
directory listed in MenuOrder. All the Vista stations only ha
"Favorites". Could this officially mean that Microsoft dropped suppor
for custom sorting of shortcuts and folders in the All Programs menu? O
maybe Vista just does sorting differently? And I am now wondering if
could somehow modify my Vista registry to mimick XP's MenuOrder sectio
and make it work

--
jmine83

Hi jmine83, and welcome to the vista forums arty

a simple method I use ( I like to have my icons follow my work-flow fo
image processing), was to add a number to the start of each shortcu
name 01 Prog1, 02 Prog2 etc and let vistas affinity to alphabetic sor
work for me

maybe an in-elegant solution but it works :

--
barman5

Regards,
*Nigel*
the beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do no
understand.,- frank herbert