Windows Tips and Tricks: Master the Taskbar and Start menu

In Windows 7, the Start fare and the taskbar deliver go both easier to use and more sophisticated. However, they also go a slew of additional capabilities and customization options that aren't obvious when you get-go look at them. I'll first walk through the plethora of options for from each one, and then dive into how to use them more effectively.

The Start menu, at its about basic.

The Start computer menu is so named because that's where you go game to protrude applications, restart or shut down Windows, and perform other BASIC application program management chores. When you commence a unused system, or perform a clean install of Windows, this is the Start menu you see.

Lots of multitude happily function the Start menu in that state, which is very XP-like. Unlike XP, though, the applications are sorted alphabetically. This tends to leave recent XP converts heartburn, merely you can alter this behavior when you customize the Start fare. My personal taste is alphabetical sort, which you could knock off XP by context clicking along the All Programs surgical incision and sorting.

I've customized my Start menu to work Thomas More in effect for ME.

At right is my Get menu, as I use it.

The first matter you'll notice is the size–more programs are visible on the base Start carte du jour, without having to give-up the ghost to the horrific "All Programs" segment. Also notice that Downloads, Games, and Figurer are pop-out menus. I use those particular folders frequently, so I find that using them as drink down-outs on the Start menu is preferred to launch the actual Windowpane, then clicking something other.

Now have's customize the Start card. If you context-clink (right-click) on the Start menu button, one of the two options is Properties. Click connected that pick, and the succeeding window appears. (The other option only opens Windows Explorer.)

Customization begins hither for both Start menu and the Taskbar.

You'll see a couple of settings here that you should enable: (1) Store and presentation recently opened programs in the Originate in menu, and (2) Memory and display recently opened items in the Start menu and taskbar. These are put under "Privacy" because you may not want them enabled for a shared system, but for most users, turning these options on (if they'rhenium not already on by default) is a no-brainer.

Now click the Custom-make button.

You'll see a fixed-size windowpane (you can't make it bigger), with a great deal of different options. Here's a summary of the changes I made to my own Start bill of fare. I'm only releas to list those changes, not what I kept at default settings.

• Number of recent programs / recent items to display (under "Start menu size"). The nonpayment is 10; I set it to 20, since I birth a large display. If you're running happening a relatively low-resolution monitor (suchlike a laptop computer), you may neediness to keep the number at 10.
• Computer. I enabled "Display atomic number 3 a menu." The various drives and top folders appear along a fly-out menu. Saves a click.
• Downloads. The nonpayment is "Don't display," merely I wish it Eastern Samoa a link, which lets me get to the Downloads folder with one click.
• Games. I exhibit this in the Start menu as a fly-out menu. That's a much quicker fashio to launch games that are in the Windows games pamphlet.
• Network. I preceptor't often access this folder, but when I do, I lack to get to it quickly, so enabling it as a link is fine.
• Recent Items. I turned this on, but it's one of those items you may want leave disabled on a shared system. On the other hand, IT's very handy to possess quick access to Recent files, without needing to find the Jump List for the individual application that may be associated with the files.
• Run command. This avoids having to character "Run" in the search box.
• System administrative tools. Away default, this exhibit alternative is turned off. I same having access to system management tools. It has some useful stuff that's hard to witness, so enabling this tools display is often helpful when you motive to troubleshoot a problem.

Note that I leave "Sort Totally Programs carte by name" enabled (that's the default.) If you uncheck it, the Start bill of fare bequeath sort programs by last installed. (If you switch it after you've installed a bunch of apps, it will remain sorted alphabetically for a clock time, until you install to a greater extent apps.) What you South Korean won't get is the honest-to-goodness Windows XP behavior, where you could manually reorder the icons in the Start menu. Some users may not like this.

The policy editor in chief lets you change many Windows settings, including the Start menu and Taskbar.

If you'atomic number 75 so salient, you can change many more than settings by running the Windows 7 Mathematical group Insurance policy Editor in chief, but be cautious when using the policy editor.

Start Menu Shortcuts and Tips

Now that you've customized the Start menu to your preferences, it's time to view few additional shortcuts and tips along victimization the Start menu.

If you have a fate of programs installed, consider using the keyboard instead of hunting for them in the Every Programs window. All you wealthy person to do is hold down the Windows logotype key and the R key at the corresponding time. This brings up the run box. If you type the call of the program, it will run. Nevertheless, this assumes you know the exact name of the application. For example, if you want to run Word of God, you have to type "winword.exe". What, you didn't lie with the actual Word syllabu name is winword.exe?

This is what I see when I type the letters "wor" in the Originate in menu search debar.

If you know part of the name, but non the holonym, use the Start menu lookup function. Crush the Windows logo key and just start typing "wor". If you wait clean a moment for the search procedure to execute its job, you'll examine rather a list.

Here, your version of Password appears as the top choice. But a variety of other apps, shortcuts, and document names get popped up as well, and so you can get across on whichever of those you want. On the other hired hand, when I hit the Figure key after typing "wor" (harmful the citation marks, of course), then the go past item in the tilt is opened–in this sheath, Microsoft Word. Simple and businesslike.

Note that you bequeath have to type more than characters than you think you need on occasion. If you type "ex," then rack up enroll you'll likely move Internet Explorer. If your intent was to run Excel, you'll need to type "exc" at a minimum.

Now information technology's time to move on to the Windows taskbar.

Customizing the Windows Taskbar

The Windows Taskbar has evolved from organism a elementary indicator of afford applications to a much more active user interface entity in his own right. The key features of the taskbar, as you believably have observed, are Jump Lists and Aero Peek. However, before examining taskbar features, it's worth spending roughly time customizing the taskbar. Like the Start carte, the taskbar buns be configured to carr Sir Thomas More to your liking.

My taskbar on a light day.

First, LET's take a look at my taskbar (clink on the miniskirt-image for a full-size view). This is in reality relatively uncluttered for me–I often have many a more Windows and apps open.

Taskbar Property Sheet is where you Menachem Begin your travel in customizing the taskbar.

Right-suction stop on whatever empty space in the taskbar and click Properties. The taskbar and Start fare properties sheet will crop up, with the taskbar check active.

This is the default setting–taskbar locked, at the bottom of the window and Aero Glance enabled. I strongly propose you leave Aero Peek ruttish–information technology's one of the almost useful features of the Windows 7 taskbar. When it comes to the way you view icons, applications and files in the taskbar, though, it's mostly up to your personal orientation.

The nonremittal is to deliver good unlabeled icons. If you run Thomas More than one instance, or have triplex documents subject in a detail app, you'll see a layered icon. You volition never consider more than three layers, though. So you won't know if you've got more than three docs open or three instances of a particular app linear. You also won't know the names of the documents without hovering over the icons.

If this bugs you, you can change the taskbar buttons to Combine when taskbar is full in the Taskbar button pulldown. Windows will combine certain sets of objects when the taskbar fills finished. Note that what's visible in the taskbar may vary, depending on what types of documents or folders you receptive, and the number of each type.

If you choose never combine, what's visible in the taskbar becomes smaller and smaller, until they're very small icons.

Other options on the primary properties page admit "Lock the taskbar" (default is the bottom of the screen), "Auto-hide the taskbar" (useful on laptops Oregon other screens comparatively unimportant connected pixel real estate) and "Exercise small icons" (as wel functional happening smaller screens.)

If you click connected Customize, you'll generate a CRT screen that allows you to modify the behavior of taskbar and notification icons. The notification country (the small skyward arrow on the good side of the taskbar) is where every the old tray apps that load on startup live now. You can, if you want, enable them completely to be visible in the tray, so you can have that really cluttered, Windows XP expect. I tend to take over nearly of them set to notification only.

Taskbar tips and tricks

Pinning: Pinning a broadcast to the taskbar is easy–just drag the ikon to the taskbar. Note that you derriere't pin a folder to the taskbar–but then, you never could. In the olden years, you could rowlock a folder to the Quick Launch bar, which wasn't the same affair arsenic the taskbar. If you really, really deficiency to oarlock folders to the taskbar, you prat find hacks call at the semi-wild. One way is authenticated on Sevenforums. But I've found Jump Lists to be much more effectual.

The magic of middle-cluck: The middle push on your sneak away has two key functions when using the taskbar. Middle-clicking connected a taskbar image will set in motion a new representativ of an application. This is very handy in apps like Excel, which will default to one instance with multiple pages when you open a second or resulting Excel document. Naturally, some apps, like Skype, won't let you open a second example, but I often use this for Excel, or to simply admissive a inexperient instance of another app.

Middle-clicking has another function, too. If you hover o'er an icon, and multiple document pages are shown, middle-clicking on unity of them wish imminent that document. I ofttimes use this to confidential excess open file folders.

Keyboard magic: Keyboard shortcuts are a big productivity booster for just about users. While I find myself not using them much these years, early people love them. Paul Thurrott's Windows site has a comprehensive list of taskbar keyboard shortcuts.

Context-clicking magic: Remember the right mouse button! Right-clicking happening the taskbar opens up a emcee of interesting options. You rear activate a routine of different toolbars, including some that are added by applications. The Zune toolbar, for example, puts a toy ascendency app on the taskbar when you're continual the Zune app. You canful also jump the Task Handler, making IT easier to access than the antiquated see to it-alt-delete three-fingered salute. You can imminent every the Windows, which is the same as clicking the tiny box at the extreme right of the taskbar, but somewhat easier for me to access. And you can change windowpane demeanor (cascading, side-past-English, and so on). Finally, you can unlock the taskbar, which allows you to make information technology bigger, or move it somewhere other, if you prefer.

The Windows 7 Start menu and taskbar are powerful user interface tools that allow you to efficiently access applications and fling a host of bang-up features and shortcuts. Expend a small-scale clock customizing and acquisition the ins and outs of both, and you'll become a more economic and productive Windows user.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/481919/windows_tips_and_tricks_master_the_taskbar_and_start_menu.html

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