Windows XP - on the "start" panel, who do I get the left side to populate with programs I use?

Question

Probably not explaining well at all. I have three different user profiles on XP - two on the same laptop, one on a third PC. Of these three, two of them have applications available for quick access via the "start" panel (i.e. I can click "start", box comes up with two columns; colums on left contain applications I use frequently).

My question is, how do applications get onto that panel (I never put them there) - and why on just one of my profiles are some of the spaces blank?

You guys are all awesome! Did the right-click thing on the blank portion, got Properties, saw that number of programs was set to 3, increased it to 5, and now all is good. Easy - once I ask, right! Thanks all. (I'll do best answer after Y!A allows me to.)

Answer 1

left click on where you want to add the programs. click properties, then a box will pop up that has a list of programs. add the ones you want.

oops.....I mean right click.

Answer 2

Those applications are your most recently used programs. If you don't like that style you can go back to the WIndows Classic Start Menu by right clicking the start button and go to properties and then click on Classic Start Menu. On some profiles if there is blank slots it is just because they haven't opened enough programs to populate that area. If you want to get rid of an app just right click and go to remove.

Answer 3

Windows XP puts the programs most commonly selected via the start menu or desktop there. I don't think it puts programs there if they are run through Windows Explorer (I could be wrong about that though).

How exactly Windows determines what is more commonly used seems very mysterious, and I believe that it tends to have a bias towards other Microsoft Applications.

The reason one of your profiles may be blank is because Windows did not notice enough commonly used programs to fill the space there.

Answer 4

its user preference thats why some profiles have them and some don't. As for how they got in there in the first place, i don't know how to answer that one... but you can take them out by just right clicking on the start button, going to properties and in taskbar appearance check the show Quick Launch to either take it out or put it in. If you want to add a shortcut all you have to do is drag it to the spot and it'll automatically be there, and if you want to delete them right click and delete, very simple. Hope that answers your questions.

Answer 5

just right click on programs you use, click on pin to start menu.
However, if you want them in the area with the clock (time) then when download program look for box that says put a "quick launch icon in " tray" sorry forget the stupid technical name. This is how icons get in the time tray. Or put cursor (mouse) over taskbar (time tray) in right and right click, then go to properties,then click on start menu tab, then customize to hearts content. Also on taskbar tab click on customize in notification area, then click the programs you use and then click on drop down arrow and make choice of what you want (show, hide, or always)

Hope this helps

Answer 6

Right click the scroll arrow next to the clock, then customize notifications. Close the top window and click the start menu tab. Choose a start menu and customize.

Answer 7

if you go to the customize button under the start menu properties... you can choose how many programst to display ;) also make sure you arn't on the classic start menu but on the xp start menu

Answer 8

I think the left column is ones you look at the most,maybe not , but at the bottom of that column it should say," All Programs" if it's not there I don't know. )O(

Answer 9

i think right click on tastbar->properties->startmenu->cuztimize.