Hack your Start Menu: Customize the programs and folders

It's really quite simple. I mean, how simple can it get? I will show you more than two ways to mess around with your start menu, and it will most likely improve your production speed.


The first way is just to drag and drop into the start menu. For example, if you want to add a folder that you use often into the start menu, just drag it over the start icon until it opens, hover over All Programs, and place it in an empty slot. You can also right-click one of the folders and select Sort By Name to sort all the files by name. This saves me a lot of time because it's easier to look in alphabetic order than to look in "Most Recent" order. Warning: I don't think there's a way to reverse this action. If you don't like this setting, then don't try it.

Another way to add folders is to right-click the Start Menu and select Explore. Then, open the Programs folder. In this folder, add whatever folders or files you want, and they should appear in the Start Menu.

If you don't want a certain program on your start menu, just right-click it and select Remove From This List.
NOTE: It will come back once you use it enough. Scroll down for a way to make it stay off the Start Menu permanently.

To keep a application off the frequently run programs list is a little harder, but worth it. First, open the Run dialog box by either Pressing Windows Key + R or clicking the Start Menu and then the Run option. Type regedit and press enter.

WARNING: The Registry, (regedit), is a very dangerous place. Be careful, and do only what I tell you to do. If you mess up your computer, it's not my fault, it's just because you got side-tracked. And trust me, it's easy to get side-tracked.

That said, let's get to business. To demonstrate, I will use Solitaire as an example. Open My Computer, then HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications. (You'll have to do some serious scrolling to get to Applications). Once in here, select the name of the application you want. The thing is, these are the root EXE file names, so if you don't know the root EXE or process name of the application you want off the start menu frequently run list, you will need some investigation skills. (By the way, Solitaire's process is sol.exe. Let's just pretend we don't know that.) Just open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Escape, trust me, it works, then run the application, Solitaire in this case, and see it's listing in the Applications tab of Task Manager. To find out it's process, just right-click it in Task Manager and select "Go To Process". The process name will be highlighted. That, (sol.exe), is what you need to keep it off the Start Menu. Go back to the registry and find sol.exe in the list. If it's not there, which I doubt it is, right-click on the Applications folder icon and select New > Key. Call it the process name, (sol.exe for the example), and wala, it's there. Now, select the process name and go to the right pane. Right-click here and select New > String value. Call it NoStartPage. You will never see Solitaire, or the application you're trying to keep away on the Start Menu Frequently Run Programs list anymore. (You need to log off your computer for it to work.) To undo this, just delete NoStartPage. Yay! I suggest you try it with Solitaire to get the hang of it, and then try it with any other application. Comment if you're having trouble.

You can also add an application to the list by right-clicking it and selecting Pin To Start Menu.

This concludes this Start Menu bonanza.

Hack your Taskbar: Customize and add Toolbars

Have you ever wanted to customize your taskbar to it's full extent? Easy. In fact, I don't even think you realize how much it can be changed! To get started, I'll show you how to add a folder tool bar!

First, unlock your task bar by right-clicking it and selecting Lock the Taskbar. (If it's checked.) Now, right-click it again and select Toolbars > New Toolbar...

Now, browse for a folder that you want, for example, a removable drive would be really good and convenient. Now, your folder will appear on the task bar. Most likely, though, you don't want it there. No problem. Just drag it out onto the desktop, or, if you don't want it there, drag it to the edge of the screen somewhere to attach it to the edge.

Have you ever used the Quick Launch toolbar? I use it all the time to launch my favorite applications. You can move that around, too.

Also, at the bottom right corner is the beloved "thing that has all those icons." If you want to keep some icons behind the little arrow, just right-click the taskbar, select properties, then click Customize... Change the ones you want to always hide or always show. The ones that are always hidden will always stay behind the arrow. This saves a bit of space!

Hack your Context Menus: Modify the Send To Menu

This is really fast, and useful. Have you ever wanted to Send a shortcut to a file somewhere in your computer but it's not in the send to list? (When you right-click the file and go to send to.) Well, now you can add whatever you want to it. It's easy. Skip to Step 1 if you're using XP, Skip to Step 2 if you're using Vista or Windows 7.

Step 1. XP

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR-USER-NAME. Then, if hidden files are not shown, you need to show them by clicking Tools > Folder Options, then clicking the view tab and clicking Show Hidden files and folders. Now, in the folder you're in, there should be a half transparent file called SendTo. All you have to do is open this:

If you want to add My Videos, for example, create a SHORTCUT, not a copy, a shortcut to it, and put it in this folder. Then, when you right-click something, it will allow you to send it here! 

Hack your TaskBar: ALWAYS Group similar items

Have you ever noticed that when you have a lot of windows open, Windows starts grouping similar windows? Well, if you like that, you can make it happen more often! Heres how:

Open the registry by clicking start > Run, and typing regedit, follow by enter.

Then navigate to: HKEY_CURRRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced.


Then you’ll need to create a new DWORD (32-bit) value called TaskbarGroupSize there. A value of  "0" will disable the feature, while a larger numerical setting (2 or higher) will initiate the grouping when that number of similar windows is open. You can also use this if you want it to stop grouping them, just put a higher number, like 10 or 20. 

Hack your desktop: Hide Recycle Bin

Well, there are a few ways to hide the Recycle bin, but the safest can only be used in Windows XP Professional. If you don't know whether you have it or not, go to the start menu, then right-click My Computer and click properties. A multi-tabbed dialog box will show up. Stay on the current tab, and look for something that says
System:
             Microsoft Windows XP
             Something Something Something

In place of Something Something Something should either say Home Edition or Professional edition. If it says Professional Edition, go to Step 1. If it says Home Edition, skip step one and go to step 2. (If you have Professional Edition, don't use step 2.

Step 1. Professional Edition

This is easy. Click Start > Run, or press Windows Key + R, and type gpedit.msc, and hit enter.

• On the Left Column Expand Administrative Templates, click on Desktop
• On the Right Column Find Remove Recycle Bin Icon from Desktop
• Double click on it, A Property Window will Appear
• Select Enable option, Press OK.

To make it work, right-click the desktop and select refresh. Your Recycle Bin should disappear. If you have trouble, just post a comment. For another tip, go to Step 3.

Step 2. Home Edition

For Home Edition, it's not that easy. You need to get your hands dirty and jump into the registry. 

NOTE: The registry is a dangerous place. If you do one thing wrong, you could end up with a not-so-happy computer. I am not liable if you destroy it, I gave the right steps, so it's not my fault. It's a good idea to back up the registry before starting. To back it up:

Scroll to the top and click "My Computer". Then, click File > Export, and put it somewhere in your computer. This may take a while, though.

Now to get down to business. To hide the Recycle bin, expand My Computer, then each of these keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel.

right click on {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}, then set it to 1 to hide the recycle bin. Then Refresh the desktop by right-clicking on it, then selecting Refresh.

Step 3. Making it easier for yourself.

Open notepad and paste, DONT TYPE, the following code into it.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Advanced\Folder\RecycleBinOnDesktop]
"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\
HideDesktopIcons\\NewStartPanel"
"Text"="Show Recycle-Bin Icon on the Desktop"
"Type"="checkbox"
"ValueName"="{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}"
"CheckedValue"=dword:00000000
"UncheckedValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000000
"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001

Save it as recycle.reg, then double-click on it, click yes, then okay. This code adds an option to "Folder Options" to hide or "unhide" the recycle bin. To get to Folder Options, just open any file or folder, or My Computer, and click Tools > Folder Options, then, on the view tab, check the option Show Recycle-Bin Icon on the Desktop to hide it, or uncheck it to show it.

Hack your text: how to install your own fonts

Just in case you bought one of those font cd's or downloaded a font, I decided to tell how to install fonts and where to get them.

1. How to install a font

Installing a font is so easy, you'll be rolling on the floor laughing. Well, maybe not.

Just open My Computer, or in Windows 7 and Vista, "Computer", and navigate to C drive, or whatever drive letter your computer is installed on, (usually it's C), and open WINDOWS, and find the folder called "Fonts". Double click on this, and you will get a folder that is not quite normal. All you have to do is drag your new font file into this folder, and a box will pop up saying "Installing font", and should be done quite quickly. What a cinch!!

2. Where to get fonts

Well, getting fonts is quite easy. A font website that I like is www.dafont.com. Of course, there's also a www.fonts.com, which has even more fonts. It claims to have 167,307 fonts! If you don't find the right font, which you probably will, just google "Font websites", and you will get amazing results.




Also, there are TONS of font programs out there that have a lot of fonts packed in. Another something that you should look at are font making programs. Of all the ones I've found, I don't think they're free, but if you create symbol codes, this could be a break-through for you! 

NOTE: If you send someone an email with fonts that you downloaded from a website, and they haven't downloaded it, they will not see it the way you see it. Their computer will try to find the closest match to it, which, in the case of very weird fonts, will not look at all like it. So, if you want another person to see it, you can either send the link for the font, or you can attach the file.

If you do not want to get a font program, you might consider Window's built-in "not-as-good-as-the-others" font creator. It doesn't create actual fonts, but let's you create "unicode" characters of your own, that are then stored in a font called    all fonts (private characters). To use this editor, click the start button, select Run, and type eudcedit, then press enter. Don't be confused by the scary window, just click the first empty slot, then click okay. Next, paint what you want on the board, then click Edit > Save Character. Then, to use your new character, just click start>Run, and type charmap, then press enter. At the font selector, select all fonts (private characters), then you should see your character. Click select, then click copy, and paste it anywhere you want.

NOTE: You can not send this to someone else's computer, either. It will not be recognized.

NOTE: To create another character, go back to the Private Character Editor, then click Edit > Select Code, and click the next empty slot, then okay, and do the same.

NOTE: For more about the charmap program and what it can do, view the blog post named Unicode Characters.

Eudcedit is not at all advanced compared to the font programs out there, so if you're looking for advanced capabilities, this is not for you.