Replace Windows Vista Start Menu with customized version

Posted on February 23, 2008 at 6:42 am

The Windows Start Menu is probably the most used feature in all of Windows! Think about it, you launch most of your programs from there, you can search from there in Vista, you get the command prompt from the Start menu, you can start a search or load up the currently installed printer, and lots more. So if you’re using the Start Menu so much, wouldn’t it be nice to make it as efficient as possible?

If you could increase your productivity when using the Start Menu, you could make yourself a lot more productive. Luckily, there’s a really cool piece of freeware that replaces the current Start Menu in Windows Vista or Windows XP and makes it much more convenient and intuitive to use.

Vista Start Menu has a bunch of great features that make the Windows Start Menu into a real starting point for using your computer. Check out a sample screen shot of a customized Start menu using Vista Start menu:

So you’re probably wondering how safe it is to install this on your system right? I would ask that myself because half the time you hear of any “Windows replacement” utility, you always run the risk of killing your computer. The reason for that is because those programs usually edit the core Windows system files, which can cause all sorts of problems if something goes wrong.

Vista Start Menu is safe because it does not actually modify any system files. You can remove the program and your system will be as it was before you installed it. If you have any firewall software installed, you may get a message saying that a program is trying to add a new “hook” to your system. This is fine because what Vista Start Menu does is detect when you click on the Start Menu and replaces it with the customized version rather than the regular one and this requires a hook.

Here are some of the cool features of the program that make it useful:

Programs in the Start Menu remain in the same place even if other programs are installed or removed, unlike the normal menu where program positions change based on what’s installed or uninstalled.
The entire Start Menu is a resizable window! You want to add more programs, but not enough space? Well simply drag the edge of the menu and you can make it taller or wider!
You can drag the Start Menu to another position on the screen or even onto another monitor if you have more than one. The program will automatically re-size the menu so that it fits optimally on the new monitor.
Create tabs in the Start Menu for storing programs shortcuts in categories of your choosing. You can create as many tabs as you like.
Across the top of the Start Menu, you can quickly click on the shortcuts to Switch Users, Log Off, Restart, go to Standby, Shutdown, or Hibernate.
At the bottom of the Vista Start Menu, you can type in text and press Enter to run a command using the command prompt, press CTRL + Enter to perform a search in Google, or press ALT + Enter to perform a search on your local computer all without having to leave the Start Menu!
Finally, you can setup keyboard shortcuts for many of the functions in the Vista Start Menu, including launching programs via hotkeys, shutting down the computer, etc.

Overall, Vista Start Menu is a great replacement for the Windows Vista or Windows XP Start Menu if you’ve been looking for some way to either customize or enhance the functionality of your Start Menu.

Technorati Tags: replace start menu, windows vista start menu, customize windows start menu, change start menu, how to change start menu

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5 Responses to “Replace Windows Vista Start Menu with customized version”

Madhur Kapoor said on : February 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm

It is great , i really like the search feature.

Nirmal said on : February 25th, 2008 at 8:18 am

Cool looking features, I would love to try this out.

Dominik said on : February 25th, 2008 at 8:25 am

For starting programs I rather like Launchy (launchy.net) and for doc’s Google Desktop. With these programs I will find faster program than this start menu will be veiwed

Riyas said on : April 9th, 2008 at 9:41 pm

i want xp look like vista style. how???? pls reply must - Riyas Dubai.

Best posts on Online Tech Tips from Febuary 2008 Says:

[...] Replace Windows Vista Start Menu with customized version The Windows Start Menu is probably the most used feature in all of Windows! Think about it, you launch most of your programs from there, you can search from there in Vista, you get the command prompt from the Start menu, you can start a search or load up the currently installed printer, and lots more. [...]
March 4th, 2008 at 11:42 am