|
DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
May 10, 2009
Q.
I am able to pin an application or shortcut
to the Start Menu, but I would like to be
able to pin a folder there. Is there a way I
can do this?
A.
Yes, with a little registry edit this
feature can be added but first, let me
explain what is meant by pinning to the
Start Menu.
Note that you cannot pin items to the
"Classic" start menu in XP, Vista or Windows
7 so if you have that choice selected, this
feature is not offered.
When you
click on Start in XP or the start ORB in
Vista, at the top left of the menu there is
a special section above a little line that
will by default have Internet Explorer and
Outlook Express or Windows Mail. You can
place your own files there and that is
called "pinning ' them to the Start Menu.
To pin an
application or shortcut to this section of
the Start Menu, you hold down the shift key
and right click the file. In the menu you
are given the choice to "Pin to Start Menu".
This places it in the top section of the
start menu. To remove items from this
section, you right click on it, and select
"Remove from this list".
This option is available in XP, Vista and
Windows 7 for applications or shortcuts, but
not for folders. So, we have to tweak the
registry a little to make it available. I'll
include the registry modifications for those
of you who are brave and like to manually
edit the registry. I have written a little
application that will make it easier and
safer that you can download and run. Here it
is always wise to include a little warning.
"Modifying the registry incorrectly may
render the computer unusable".
Now that
has been said, here is what to modify or
actually add to the registry to facilitate
the ability to pin a folder to the Start
Menu. Open regedit, and navigate to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContexMenuHandlers.
Here you need to create a new key called
{a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8} with
no value. That is all that is required.
Once this
addition has been made, you can now locate
the folder you want to pin, and while
holding down the Shift key, right click on
it and select Pin to Start Menu. Now, when
you click Start or the Start ORB, it will be
there for easy access.
One good
reason for wanting to pin a folder to the
start menu is that it is readily accessible
even if you have another application open.
Instead of minimizing or closing the
application, you can simply click on Start,
and open the folder. When you are finished
with it, close it and you are right back in
your application.
For those
that would rather not edit the registry
directly, you can download a little applet
called "PinFolderToStartMenu.exe" that will
make this addition for you. It also gives
you the choice to undo it as well. It can be
downloaded from the download section of this
site, or by clicking
HERE.
This can
be a way to quickly start an application, or
open a frequently used folder but pinning
too many files or folders to the Start Menu
could cause it to become so large that the
entire menu will not fit on the screen. How
many items will fit depends on your screen
resolution and other Start Menu settings.
|
