Get Windows XP Styled Classic All Programs List in Windows Vista and 7

IMPORTANT: This method will replace "Favorites" list in Internet Explorer with "All Programs" list.

Many people complain about Windows Vista start menu. They want Windows XP styled "All Programs" list in Vista. Windows Vista shows the Programs list within startmenu on the other hand XP shows it in a new expanded column outside the startmenu.

Recently we received an email from "James Phillips":

Dear Vishal, I am contacting you as a last resort (I have already stated my problem in various forums and blogs with no success whatsoever).

My problem is with Vista's start menu, specifically the way it displays the All Programs list. Instead of showing the list within the start menu itself, i would like it to expand out into a new column, just like in XP.

I know this function is available using the classic menu, but i actually like all of the other features in the normal menu (search etc...) so I would prefer not to use classic.

thanks for any suggestions you may have.

Actually there is a way to enable XP styled All Programs list in Vista which will also work in Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7.

Long time back, we posted a tutorial to customize Windows XP start menu:

Change Look-n-Feel of Windows XP Start Menu

We'll use the Step 5 mentioned in above tutorial to implement XP styled Programs list in Vista. We'll replace "Favorites" menu with "All Programs" menu.

1. Open regedit and go to following keys one by one:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

2. Now you'll need to change the value of Favorites string value in right-side pane to:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Change C: to your system drive, where windows is installed in your system.

3. That's it. Log off or restart your system and now "Favorites" link in start menu will change to "Programs" and will show all program shortcuts installed in your system just like XP start menu does.

NOTE: If you can't see the new menu in startmenu, you'll need to enable "Favorites Menu" from Taskbar Properties -> Start Menu -> Customize.

4. You can also disable the All Programs button in start menu. Open regedit and goto:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

In right-side pane, create a new DWORD value NoStartMenuMorePrograms and set its value to 1

Now log off or restart your system and the final output will look as following:

As you can see, the new Programs menu shows the program shortcuts very similar to XP and "All Programs" button is no longer there.

PS: If you want a ready-made registry script to do the task automatically, then download following ZIP file, extract it and run the extracted REG file. It'll ask for confirmation, accept it. Restart your system to take affects:

Download Registry Script

NOTE: If you want to restore the default settings, Open regedit and go to following keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

In right-side pane, change value of "Favorites" to:

%USERPROFILE%\Favorites

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This article was posted in Windows 7, Windows Vista.

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57 Comments

VG

^^ Here:

http://www.askvg.com/media-player-classic-a-modified-version-of-windows-default-media-player-64/
Dizzee

no solution for freeing the bookmarks yet??
VG

^^ You can reset the value of "Favorites" mentioned in point 1 to as following:

%USERPROFILE%\Favorites
Jan-E

In my Win 7 (RC1 - 7100) there was no key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

The lowest level was
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

That one only had 1 default entry. I first had to add 'Explorer' as a key under 'Policies' before I could use NoStartMenuMorePrograms.

BTW: if you do not want to start with your cursor in the search box, there is also a trick to do that: disable 'Windows search' in the Windows features. You will loose the ability to search anywhere, but I never used this under XP anyway. To put it on again you will have to know the path: Control Panel, Programs, Programs & features, Turn Windows features on or off.
boe

Hello,

I support many people who prefer not to use the new way of doing things although they want Windows 7. Is there a way to -

1- Have the classic - all programs immediately after you click start (not start, then click all programs)
2 - move the show desktop from the right corner to the left just next to the start.
VG

^^ Check following topics:

http://www.askvg.com/how-to-get-good-old-classic-start-menu-back-in-windows-7/
http://www.askvg.com/how-to-get-the-good-old-show-desktop-feature-back-in-windows-7/
boe

Thanks for the info!!
MArtin

NoStartMenuMorePrograms = 0 or 1, is the answer to GOLDI, I think. google it.

edit the REG file.
Jade

Thank you so much! We moved to Vista at work and there is a lot of documentation we reference in the start menus (but it doesn't make it into the recent programs list). This makes navigation much easier
Aaron

Hi Vishal, could you remove the border and the space below it?