Computers & Technology
Computer Tutor: Tips & Tricks

• Tech Bytes:  Nap Time for Napster?

• Computer Tutor:  Spring Cleaning for Your Start Menu

• Links to Computers & Tech On-Line:  Local Broadband Services {cont.}

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Start / Programs ... Labyrinth?
What to do when your Start Menu gets too cluttered?
Spring Cleaning for Your Start Menu ...

Whenever you install programs on Windows 95, 98 or 2000, one of the results is the on-going expansion of your Program shortcuts on the Start / Programs menu.

If you only have a few programs installed, that's not a problem:  You can still  find what you're looking for pretty quickly.      But if you have lots of programs installed, then you may find yourself wasting time looking around for the program you want.

Of course, one solution is to put shortcuts to your often-used programs on your desktop.  But if you use enough different programs, and lots of people do these days, then you have to find another way.

Of course, there are lots of programs available to help you do just that -- organize your programs.  These utilities usually come in the form of 'shortcut bars', like the one that ships with later versions of Microsoft Office.  Such a tool can definitely help.  But if you want to get your programs organized right on the Start Menu, or you simply want to avoid installing yet another utility {Remember:  Every program you run takes some memory, no matter how small or simple it seems to be.}, here are a few tips to help you through.

Taskbar & Start Menu ...
If you need to get organized this way {or simply if you've never looked at it before} ...

Modified Windows 2000 Start / Programs Menu

1. Click on Start, Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu.

2. Click on the Advanced tab.

3. Under the {Customize} Start Menu options, click on the Advanced button.

The result will be a Windows Explorer-like interface with a folder view of your Start Menu.  You'll see the current folder configuration under the main folder of Programs {e.g., Accessories, System Tools, etc.}.  The task now will be to decide on some basic folders, and possibly sub-folders, into which you will drag & drop groups of programs so you don't have to wander through that endless list of options you're currently facing.

To create folders, you use the same basic tasks you'd use in Explorer:

1. Highlight the folder you want to create your new folder under, then ...

2. Choose File, New, Folder ...

3. Type the name for your new folder.

That's it.  From there, you can create add'l folders, or sub-folders.  ...

Some folder options ... 
Around here, we've devised a basic set of primary folders we use to store programs on the Start Menu.

What are they?  Well, the ones you're likely to find most useful, if only to come up with you own organizational scheme, include ...

• Admin Asst ... including sub-folders for Accessibility, Communications, and what we call Desk Drawer, where we keep things like Notepad, WordPad & Calculator ...

• Internet ... where we store shortcuts to Internet Explorer & Netscape, as well as shortcuts to our e-mail , web development, CuteFTP, and other net-related programs, like FrontPage, HotDog, Bookmark Converter, ... etc..

• MS Office ... where we keep the obvious.  {Why Microsoft choose to add Office's program shortcuts as individual programs and not in its own folder is a mystery.}.

• Multimedia ... where we include sub-folders for Audio, A-V, CD-RW, and Photo, as well as a separate sub-folder for all our Adobe programs.  Thus, this is where we store any and all program shortcuts to things like image viewers and editors, a-v file players, audio players & recorders, CD-burning software, etc.

• Reference ... used to be a larger folder before we started storing often-used docs in html, at which point, we simply bookmark them in our browser instead.  But we still use it for general reference software we have loaded, like the dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopaedia.  More specific ref materials usually go in their own sub-folders.

• System Tools ... we exported from the standard MS 'Accessories' folder -- where any and everything seemed to show up.  Now, it houses the System Tools sub-folder that was originally installed with Windows, as well as shortcuts to any utilities or other system tools and programs.

Well ...

There are actually more folders and sub-folders that we use, but we won't bore you with the details.  The main thing is, if any folder or sub-folder starts to grow past a dozen program shortcuts, then we usually try to find a way to break them down into smaller units.  ...  But you get the basic idea.

Of course, if you don't have many programs, or if you can readily find what you're looking for {no matter how confusing your Programs menu might look to someone else}, then there's no need to change.  ...

But, if you find yourself spending time looking up and down those columns of programs more than a couple of times a week, this housecleaning chore might pay for itself in a little time spent now.  And besides, you can always add it to your list of Spring Cleaning chores.

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