There's so many icons in the start menu that it's almost impossible to find things quickly, is there any way to delete icons or reorder them? I went through a file explorer to look at the start menu folder and everything is organized nicely into folders, but when I go to the start menu on my phone everything is just thrown together.
I completely agree. The new start menu's in 6.5 are terrible. Everything is all over the place at least Windows 6.1 sorted it into alphabetical order. Can't believe you can't customise it apart from moving things from the top to the bottom and vise-versa. I'm thinking over going back to 6.1 just for this reason alone. Unless I'm missing something
yeh I just got spb mobile shell 3.5 running on 6.1 and it's great that you can override the start menu... a few have it running on 6.5.
rpimps said:
There's so many icons in the start menu that it's almost impossible to find things quickly, is there any way to delete icons or reorder them? I went through a file explorer to look at the start menu folder and everything is organized nicely into folders, but when I go to the start menu on my phone everything is just thrown together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately only method is to press and hold on each icon and move it to top or bottom of start menu which is a major oversite by Microsoft and a pain in the a**e!
I do however believe there was a thread or solution to this by modifying a certain path in the registry. I'll see if I can re-find it and post it later
This is a bit long-winded, but it really does help.
Open file explorer and go to...
\\My Device\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
In there, create category folders, like "Internet", "Utilities", "Media" etc..
Then, cut and paste the shortcuts into those folders.
It ain't perfect, and it takes a while, but once it's done, it really does make a big difference to that pile of poo they call a start menu.
Because of the fluster cuck of a menu, I decided to just go with wisbar's cascading and expanding start menu...What I really like about it as well is that it gives me a battery bar at the top, so I never have to guess what % I'm at...
I know that Energy ROM organize the StartMenu very well.
Related
Heres how you can organise your programs view (Start->Programs)...
1. Use your normal file explorer and move all your shortcuts into separate folders (stuff like Media, Utils, Connectivity, Office etc.)
2. You can assign an icon for each folder by creating a shortcut in each folder and naming the shortcut as "icon.lnk"
You can do this easily by choosing any one of the available shortcuts and duplicating it...and then renaming the file to icon.lnk
3. I've used VJDialerSms to create a folder called speed dials with sub folders having all my important speed dial shortcuts in separate categories!
silly tips, but i just took some time out and did it....now i have a cleaner and less cluttered Programs menu which makes seaching for my apps so much easier!
Well worth the time spent imo
Cheers,
San
Please note that an extensive start menu will slow the machine down. This is because the operating system will have to search for the icons in each of the linked executables.
For example if you have Skype in your start menu (directly or as a shortcut) you will notice a long delay before the start menu opens. This is because the icon is at the end of the executable, and the Skype executable is over 5 MB big.
So the answer is to prune your start menu from all programs you don't ever need, rather than to fill it with nice to have stuff.
I personally use SmallMenu. What I did is leave everything as it is on my device and copied the shortcuts on my SD card and sort them all out there in different folders. I then use SmallMenu's function to launch them there. By doing it this way, I have the functionality of the Start Menu plus the flexibility of SmallMenu. No delays in lauching either. I was hesitant to disarranged anything in my Start Menu because some applications pops up a warning that it is needed to stay in that folder, although you can still move it and it seems to work anyway, but it still makes me paranoid that it may cause any dead shortcuts or functionality.
Why not give GSPocketMagic++ a try?
(use the english cab from the download)
Still the best around. Also works on WM2005.
Then in Option > Setting... > Program Menu point folder to \Windows\Start Menu\Programs and organize your menu structure in there. Also select "Break menu items"
Also the Control Panel applets are directly selectable from GSPocketMagic++. You can still use the original "start menu" if you tap slightly right from the GSPocketMagic++ menu button.
Cheers
Hi There,
Im fairly new here and just getting to grips with WM5.
Ive been playing around with various programs, one of which was wisbar which allthough nice i decided to go without as it did slow the phone down a little bit. However when i uninstalled it it left a folder in the programs menu which i cant get rid of.
Which brings me to my question, can i customise this folder? put programs i want in folders etc and change icons too?
Any help would be great.
I did search but didnt find quite what im looking for.
Thanks
use file explorer, go to: "\Windows\Start menu"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=288461
for folder's icon
Hi,
I just installed the official 6.5 update but I think the WM 6.5 "Honeycomb" start menu is that damn slow when you got a lot of programs there. You have to scroll a lot and scrolling doesn't look very fluid.
Is there a way or a registry hack to get back the old HTC start menu that was delivered when the Diamond2 originally came out? The best would be if there where 4 icons in a row.
I've added a snapshot to show what I mean. Yes, as you can see on the snapshot I'm back to 6.1
My startmenu is very fluid to be honest, I got my programs and stuff sorted in folders. Like games, media (coreplayer etc), network (commanager etc), personal (phone, sms, email etc), GPS, system (total commander, resco explorer, reg edit etc). I will install SPB Screenshot and show you how it looks.
Here you go.
metacortexx said:
Hi,
I just installed the official 6.5 update but I think the WM 6.5 "Honeycomb" start menu is that damn slow when you got a lot of programs there. You have to scroll a lot and scrolling doesn't look very fluid.
Is there a way or a registry hack to get back the old HTC start menu that was delivered when the Diamond2 originally came out? The best would be if there where 4 icons in a row.
I've added a snapshot to show what I mean. Yes, as you can see on the snapshot I'm back to 6.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its still there under the programs tab... ? or at least it is on mine...
sorry if this is a noob question, but how do i add folders to the start menu like you've done? and change icons?
I have done the same thing that you have done, Created folders in the start menu, to do this you just go to windows/startmenu and create folders in there.
However every time I soft reset my device, extra icons appear on the main start page screen. Is there any way to remove these?
I would love to go back to the HTC Start Menu as it was so much better, I know it is on a Tab on Touch Flow 3D but it defeats the point in having a hardware button to launch programs!
colin_85 said:
I have done the same thing that you have done, Created folders in the start menu, to do this you just go to windows/startmenu and create folders in there.
However every time I soft reset my device, extra icons appear on the main start page screen. Is there any way to remove these?
I would love to go back to the HTC Start Menu as it was so much better, I know it is on a Tab on Touch Flow 3D but it defeats the point in having a hardware button to launch programs!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree. The current Startmenu lack the support for hiding items en ordering them. Love to find a solution.
I do not have any issues restructuring my start menu.
The only icons I keep on the main page are Phone and Reset, everything else is in a sub-folder and does not add icons to the main page.
Bruce Inman said:
I do not have any issues restructuring my start menu.
The only icons I keep on the main page are Phone and Reset, everything else is in a sub-folder and does not add icons to the main page.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, but the TouchFlo "Programs" was much easier.
So am I the only one who's missing the drop-down menu when you tap the Start button - you know, the one that lists seven favourites and your four or five most recent programs?
Why should I navigate the Honeycomb every time I want to go to a program I use about 30 times a day?
Any fixes/hacks to bring this back? Or am I being really stupid and there's a simple option that I haven't found yet?
colin_85 said:
I would love to go back to the HTC Start Menu as it was so much better, I know it is on a Tab on Touch Flow 3D but it defeats the point in having a hardware button to launch programs!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do this with Topaz Keyboard Controller: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=555821
Map the Start button to run the program "\Windows\manila.exe" with arguments "--switchtopage programs.page", and it should work perfectly - does for me.
After loading a number of apps I have tried to tidy up and reduce the number of icons on the Start Menu by making a few more category folders. This I can do but when I switch the apps into folders the icon also remain on the same page as well as in the new folder - which rather negates the point of the exercise. Oddly moving apps out of folders works fine.
Any suggestions out there? And I not sure whether this is a particular quirk with Dutty's ROM (Holy Grail) or just WM 6.5.
RaymondScrott said:
After loading a number of apps I have tried to tidy up and reduce the number of icons on the Start Menu by making a few more category folders. This I can do but when I switch the apps into folders the icon also remain on the same page as well as in the new folder - which rather negates the point of the exercise. Oddly moving apps out of folders works fine.
Any suggestions out there? And I not sure whether this is a particular quirk with Dutty's ROM (Holy Grail) or just WM 6.5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Create your new folder in /Windows/Start Menu/Programs for example a new folder called 'Tools' would be /Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Tools. Copy or create your shortcuts into this folder. Once in this folder check you have no duplicates in /Windows/Start Menu/Programs.....if you do, delete these
Fallen Spartan. Thanks for the quick response.
I think that is what I am doing but I end up with icons in both the main Start Menu plus in the new folder. Looking in file explorers the moved apps are only in the new folder not still on the main menu. I was hoping a soft reset might clear any "ghost" icons but they are still both there. Any further suggestions? Thanks
RaymondScrott said:
Fallen Spartan. Thanks for the quick response.
I think that is what I am doing but I end up with icons in both the main Start Menu plus in the new folder. Looking in file explorers the moved apps are only in the new folder not still on the main menu. I was hoping a soft reset might clear any "ghost" icons but they are still both there. Any further suggestions? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont copy them, make your new folder then cut and paste the shorcut you want from the root of the start menu folder to the new one
Raymond try this app sk shortcut manager, you get a free 14 day trial, if you still want to use it after that time you will have to buy a licence from here
http://s-k-tools.com/
That's fine now. The originial icons are disappearing from time to time - and not coming back. Bit odd really. (have realised that the phantom icons disappar from the mainstart screen when you you try to move them up or down ewith the context menu)
Second question if I am allowed that in one thread? No I have new folders anyway of customising the look of the icon?
Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere the forum is so big it is hard to follow current posts let alone hunt for old ones.
Thanks again
RE-start is a good app to customise ur start menu icons/folders... check this thread for more info
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=481379
Ok i know a few of you would like to do this, and i think its been asked before but nothing turns up on search.
What the hell is it with the windows home screen, icons all over the place, no real easy way to move them, or order them.
I have tried a few programs but they mainly just seem to mess things up, i have also tried organizing all my icons into folders in windows, while it does sort of work there are still things you cant move, or it just does not go to plan, i know in 6.5.1 there is an option to re-organise icons how you like, but surely there is a way for 6.5?, its driving me nuts, there is crap all over the place with no organization to it.
Example i do things like this, create folder for the following...
TOOLS
MUSIC
VIDEO
ONLINE
NAVIGATION
ECT...
And place corresponding progs into it, so you have some idea as to where a certain program is, its just neater.
Any ideas anybody?, i came across a site where some chap had written a program and had done everything i want to, but it didnt work for me, just kept crashing.
Jesus i could even do this on my nokia.....
Go to \Windows\Start Menu. There you can create folders that will then show up in the start menu and you can reorganize your shortcuts to those folders.
Use JWMD Icon Changer, it works on the HD2.
I'm obsessive about my Start menu order as well, so I definitely can tell you that program works. You can even change the icons since some programs have tiny jagged icons.
Use JWMD Icon Changer
Thats what i tried, but it does not seem to work and its cumbersome.
What am i doing worng?
What problem are you having exactly? It's not really cumbersome, it's a lot nicer than the other alternative which is Showaco's reStart (that one doesn't seem to work on the HD2, anyway).
If you have used the Windows feature to move icons up/down your Start menu list it will confuse this program, so you need to tap any icon you moved in that way and reset it to where it was before.
Then go to JWMD, browse to the folder you want to organize, click on tools and select arrange list. In the next window you can do organize your icons alphabetically or however you like. Then click save and restart your device and it should all work.
How am i supposed to remember what icons i moved in windows, i moved loads, maybe would explain why its not working.
So back to my original point, it does not really work....
Unless i can do a reset of the icons somehow?
If you tap on an icon and it gives you an option to move it to the bottom, it means you moved it to the top using the built-in method at some point.
The program works, it's not its fault you don't remember which icons you moved. If you don't believe me I can post for you a screenshot of my properly alphabetized Start Menu.
Yes i understand that the program is not meant to know and its not its fault, but bear in mind i have been fiddling with this phone for 4 weeks, theres no way in hell i can remember whats been moved where?.
Is there anyway to reset them all in one go, or it makes the prog pretty useless.
I told you, if you tap and hold on an icon and instead of giving you the option to 'move to the top' it gives you the option to 'move to the bottom' it means you used Windows' built-in way to rearrange those icons.
You can go through your list and move all the ones that let you to the bottom and leave the others where they are. Then try Icon Changer and see if it works.
Alternatively you can just hard reset your phone... or wait until a new ROM comes out... it shouldn't be too long away now and that will erase all your data anyway.
ah ill wait for new rom, to much hassle
Well, you're welcome anyway.