Win 7 Secret :

Start menu is the user interface tool used in Windows 7. Many user overlook the Start Menu, rarely using it except as a jumping off point to run an application or get to the Control Panel, but there’s actually plenty secrets tips. Through Start menu various applications and programs can be launched at quick rate. The opening of programs through Start menu is faster than through Explorer. By using those secret tips, the menu is customized; You can add or remove options in them.

Windows Secret 1 : Change the Start menu to Classic view

The Classic view of the Start menu might be familiar if you’ve used earlier versions of Windows.

You can make the default Start menu resemble earlier versions of Windows

1. Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.
2. Click the Start Menu tab, chose Classic Start menu, and then OK.

Windows Secret 2 : Search the Internet from the Start Menu

The Start Menu’s search box is a convenient way to search through your PC but you can also have it do double-duty and perform Internet searches as well. To enable this feature use this secret trick :

1. In the Start Menu search box, type GPEDIT.MSC and press Enter to run the Group Policy Editor.
2. Go to User Configuration –> Administrative Templates –> Start Menu and Taskbar.
3. Double-click “Add Search Internet link to Start Menu,” and from the screen that appears, select Enabled. Then click OK and close the Group Policy Editor.

From now on, when you type a search term in the Search box on the Start Menu, a “Search the Internet” link will appear. Click the link to launch the search in your default browser with your default search engine.

Note: This secret tip relies on the Group Policy Editor, which isn’t available in some versions of Windows 7.  This secret tip will not work if you have the Home Premium, Starter, or Home Basic editions of Windows 7.

Windows Secret 3 : Customize the Shut Down Button

The default action of the Start Menu’s Shut down button is to turn off your PC. If you want to use the button for another action, such as restarting your PC, use this secret tip: click the arrow to the right of the Shut down button and select an action from the drop-down menu.

What if you rarely shut your PC down completely but frequently restart it? You can change the Shut down button’s default action to be Restart — or Switch user, Log off, Lock, Sleep or Hibernate.

Windows Secret 4 : Pin application to Start menu:

When you click the Start button, the first component gives you direct access to your mail and your web browser. Below these links, by using this secret you can easily add permanent shortcuts to programs you use the most. Contrary to the list of popular software, these shortcuts will not budge.

1. Whether in the Start menu on your desktop or in Explorer, click the right mouse button on the shortcut in the Start menu pin.
2. In the menu that appears, select the Add to Start menu.
3. The new menu is placed under the Messaging and Internet shortcuts.
4. You can easily change the order of these shortcuts by simply dragging and dropping.
5. As for the list of popular software, you can remove a shortcut from this list by clicking the right mouse button and select Delete from the list.

Windows Secret 5 : Add a Videos Link to the Start Menu

The Windows 7 Start Menu includes links to your Pictures and Music folders, but not to your Videos folder. That particular folder is hidden by default for some reason, so if you watch a lot of videos and want a link to them on your Start Menu, here’s the secret what you can do:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Properties.
2. On the screen that appears, go to the Start Menu tab and click Customize.
3. In the dialog box that appears, scroll to the bottom, look for the Videos section, select “Display as a link,” and click OK and then OK again.

If you’d prefer that Videos display as a menu, with links to files and submenus, instead select “Display as a menu.”

Windows Secret 6 : Displayed Local Network

If your computer is part of a local group in your local network, you can display a shortcut to it in the Start menu. Just follow these steps for apply the next secret tip :

1. Click the right mouse button on the Start menu and click Properties.
2. In the menu that appears, open the Start Menu tab.
3. Click Customize.
4. Then check the box Residential Group twice and confirm by OK.
5. The icon Residential Group is present in the Start menu. And you are done

Windows Secret 7 : Back to default Start Menu

You easily restore it to default. To restore the default Start menu:

1. Open the Properties of the Taskbar and Start Menu–>the Start button –>Control Panel,
2. Clicking Appearance and Personalization then chose Properties Taskbar and Start Menu.
3. Click on the Start Menu tab–>Customize.
4. In the Customize dialog box on the Start menu, click Use default settings,
5. OK.

Even those windows secret are valuable for most user, but it is really very annoying when another user changes the content or appearance of the Start menu.

Can I lock Windows 7 Start Menu? Fortunately, there is a way to block it by modifying the Windows registry. Here is what you need to do:

1. Click the Start button.
2. In the search field, type the command regedit and press Enter.
3. Now locate the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, Policies.

1. Click the Edit menu, click New then click Key.
2. Name the new value Explorer.
3. Then click on the Edit menu, click New then DWORD Value 32-bit.
4. Name the new value and press NoChangeStartMenu.
5. Double click the new value, enter 1 into the Value data and click OK.
6. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Thats is the last secret. Now it will be impossible to add, remove or move icons in the Start menu.

Enjoy Windows 7 Secret

Related External Links

• Hard Drive Always Running | Hard Drives Experts
• How To Back Up Email » TechLogon