XP Start/Programs (Win XP HE, SP2)

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Hi all…
Win XP Home, SP2;

I’m banjaxed! Can someone help me?

I am the only user, with full Administrator privileges.
I want to organise and manage the list that appears in, Start… Programs. But…

The contents of: c:Documents and SettingsAll UsersStart MenuPrograms ,

– is different from the contents of:

c:Documents and SettingsUser(me)Start MenuPrograms,

– both of which are different from the contents presented via:

StartSettingsTaskbar and Start MenuStart menuCustomizeAdvanced …

– and all of the above seem to be different from the contents of Start… Programs…
(Which is where I started…)

How can I make them be the same – and stay the same?

Regards

kb-r

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The Start | (All) Programs menu is the result of merging the Programs folders for All Users and your login user. Some programs are installed to be available to all users, others to be used by you only (and some give you a choice when installing). Since you are the only real user, you could move all subfolders and shortcuts into one of the two Programs folders.

The list in StartSettingsTaskbar and Start MenuStart menuCustomizeAdvanced has nothing to do with the (All) Programs menu.

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Hello, Hans.

Thank you for your response.

” The Start | (All) Programs menu is the result of merging the Programs folders for All Users and your login user… ” pretty well solved my conundrum.

I cut and pasted the Start Menu folder from my user account to the All Users folder, thereby merging them (I’ll deal with any inconsistencies which might arise, as they arise…).

So now I only have one Start Menu/Programs folder, under All Users, which was easy to organise, and I’ll make sure that future installations will be for “All users” (should the option be offered).

In any case, I now know how to tidy things up.

Thanks again for your interest and help.

Regards,
kb-r

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I cut and pasted the Start Menu folder from my user account to the All Users folder, thereby merging them

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You might want to change the process you use to move things like this. Using the cut function is fine, but if you have a problem during the paste part of the action, you could lose your data. I find it’s safer to use copy and paste to move data. Then verify that all the data was moved and then go back and delete the original folder or file. A bit more time, but safer.

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Hi, Doc.
A good point.
In fact I had copied both folders (All Users, and my specific user one) to a cd before I started playing around.
(35 years as a scientist and engineer in aviation safety makes for an automatic belt and braces approach.)

But thanks for your interest and concern.
Regards,
kb-r

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