Windows Tips for Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

The following tips all take place within the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window which can be reached by right-clicking on Start and then selecting Properties.

• Display All Programs across Multiple Columns
  If you find your programs keep disappearing at the bottom of your screen when you click Start > All Programs, this tip may make life a little easier.
  1. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window under the Start Menu tab, look for the Customize button in the tabbed menu that appears. In the display that this generates, click on the Advanced tab
  2. Go down the list until you see the item "Scroll Programs". Remove the check mark, and the program list will branch out in a second column when you click on Start > All Programs
  
  
• Notification Area Full?
  You can customize which processes are displayed in the Notification Area of the taskbar to make sure only those applications you are likely to want to know about it are visible, and save yourself a lot of wasted space.
  1. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window on the Taskbar tab, under Notification, check the "Hide inactive icons" box and then click Customize
  2. Under Behavior you can then adjust the current items as desired and click OK
  
  
• Group Similar Taskbar Items
  10 IE Windows open and each one of them taking up valuable space in your taskbar? Group similar taskbar items and reclaim some of that little appreciated real-estate!
  1. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window on the Taskbar tab, under Taskbar appearance, check the "Group similar taskbar items" box and click OK
  
  
• Control "Recently Used" Lists
  The Start menu automatically lists recently used programs above the All Programs button. You can change the size of this list or clear its contents.
  1. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window, click on the Customize button on the Start Menu tab
  2. Click the Clear List button on the General tab or change the number
  3. In the Advanced tab, the Clear list button clears the list of recently opened documents