My Start Menu – Alternative Start Menu For Windows
As of Windows Vista, Microsoft decided to abandon the classic start menu. Several developers have then created alternative start menus for Windows to enable users to get the classic start menu back in the form of a start menu replacement.
But what makes the classic start menu so desirable that so many users are looking for an alternative and wish the start menu for Windows back? Clear arrangement und the possibility of a very fast access to applications are certainly of great importance. Many of these Windows start menu alternatives try to reconstruct the familiar “Look & Feel” known of the classic start menu. They offer the user the possibility to adjust the design of the start menu according their preferences.
But can the basic concept of the classic start menu be optimized and improved with regard to fast access to applications and documents? The development team of INFONAUTICS GmbH is convinced that this is possible and has developed the Windows start menu replacement My Start Menu.
My Start Menu for Windows is not going to copy and restore the classic start menu. Rather, the start menu replacement allows to start and open applications or documents with as few clicks as possible. No tedious clicking through folder structures anymore! The alternative start menu My Start Menu combines valuable features of a flexible start menu with the familiar interface of Windows Explorer. My Start Menu for Windows enables to organize the daily used applications according to your workflow. Managing, deleting and organizing menu items is much more convenient than it used to be with the classic start menu. Menu objects can easily be managed by drag and drop.
My Start Menu simply creates shortcuts when inserting menu items. When creating, inserting, copying or deleting menu objects no modifications are made to the original Windows start menu.
The Main Features of The Start Menu My Start Menu are:
- Fastest possible acces to applications and documents.
- Easy to administrate, rearrange and delete menu items in folders by drag and drop.
- Automatic creation of correct links to selected applications, documents, web addresses, directories and drives.
- Similar to the previously known “Program Manager” My Start Menu remains permanently open and can therefore easily be enhanced.
- When working with My Start Menu no modifications are made to the original start menu of Windows.
But how can you easily and quickly customize a personal start menu with My Start Menu? Following examples show how you can make optimal use of My Start Menu and download the free trial version.
Create Your Personal Windows Start Menu
The optimal structure is the be-all and end-all of a valuable and efficient start menu. It is therefore all the more important that the structure of menu folders and elements can be created easily and quickly in the start menu. With My Start Menu this is a piece of cake.
1. Creating Menu Folders
The menu folders are displayed in the left part of the program window. With a right mouse click on the left half of the window the context menu of the menu folders opens. Menu folders can easily be created, renamed or deleted. Of course, the once created menu structure can be adapted and enhanced at any time later.
Tip: What terms do you think about when looking for a program? These keywords are vital clues when creating your personal menu structure with menu folders.
Example: “Graphics”, “Design” etc. could be terms for Photoshop or “Microsoft Office”, “Writing” etc. for Word.
2. Add Menu Items By Drag & Drop
After having defined your important menu folders you can assign the menu items to the corresponding folders. The menu items can then be opened or started by a single click in any folder. The assignment of the menu objects is possible via Windows Explorer, shortcut wizard or via the Windows’ own start menu.
Windows Explorer: Assign the desired menu objects by drag and drop to the appropriate folder.
Shortcut wizard: By clicking the right mouse button on the right half of the window the context menu of the menu items opens. Select “New” at the top in order to open the shortcut wizard. Now use the button “Browse” and select the path of the menu item to be inserted.
The most important menu items of your daily work routine can be listed in the already existing main folder “My Menu”. Menu objects can be software applications as well as documents, PDFs, videos, links to web addresses, directories or drives.
Example: You have created the menu folder “Graphics”. This menu folder may include software like Photoshop, Illustrator, Screen Ruler 2D etc. You might also like to access online tools such as Canva, PicMonkey. Thus, your folder will also contain web addresses. You have summarized all the optimal dimensions for social media images in a PDF. You do not want to miss this document in your new menu folder “Graphics” either.
Tip: First, add all your desired and regularly used menu items to “Bookmarked Objects” then distribute them in the menu folders (see below).
3. Pin Applications To Taskbar
Would you like to pin important applications to your taskbar? Open the context menu of the menu items by right mouse click on the right half of the program window and click on the option “Pin to taskbar”.
4. Helpful Feature “Bookmarked Objects“
“Bookmarked Objects” can serve as temporary storage of menu items. Store the numerous menu items of your personal start menu in “Bookmarked Objects”. Just drag the menu items to the of the icon of the “Bookmarked Objects”. Afterwards distribute the items in the desired menu folders.
Tip: Besides serving as temporary storage, the feature “Bookmarked Objects” is also very useful as folder containing frequently used menu items you do not want to assign to a seperate menu folder.
5. Valuable Search Feature
Are you looking for a rarely used menu object and you can’t remember anymore in which folder you stored the item? No problem! Just type the search term into the corresponding search field and click “ENTER”. The search now takes place in all menu folders as well as in the last opened documents. Capital letters are not relevant.
Video Tutorial of The Basic Features Of My Start Menu
Would you like to learn more about My Start Menu? The video below shows the features described above in more detail and provides additional information about the start menu replacement My Start Menu.
Download Now Free Trial Version
My Start Menu can be tested during 30 days for free. There are no administration rights required for the installation of the software. When installing My Start Menu your operating system nor the Windows start menu will be modified.
The alternative start menu My Start Menu is available in the languages English, German and French and can be downloaded free of charge at https://www.infonautics-software.ch/mystartmenu/