How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

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Executioner
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How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

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I don't see an option to add programs to this real estate that is circled in red in Open Shell. The only options I can see when I right click on a program is to pin it to the taskbar or to the start menu where I currently have 3 already. I can delete them but don't see an option to add any.

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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Right click on any shortcut and there should be an option to "Pin to Start Menu (Open Shell)".

Screenshot from my PC:

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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

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bunch of old farts....Windows 10 has an actual start menu. A little different, but a compromise between the classic menu with some of the new features.

1. All Programs is just listed, not an additional click (All Programs) to click on

2. The user, documents, pictures, control panel, settings is a small icon list on the left that expands automatically when you hover. Improvement by not wasting all the useful space to the right.
On top of that, the programs are sorted alphabetically with the letter separating them. If you click on a letter, it collapses showing you A-Z and when you click on a letter, it takes you to the top of the list that starts with that letter.

3. And the shortcuts that you would pin on the start menu, are on the right using larger icons taking advantage of the userful space

Trust me, I hated the changes they made when they got rid of any sort of classic start menu. But they really did learn from that mess and created an actual improvement, but still keeping a sort of classic menu.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Can't stand the new menu. I tried. You'll have to tear my copy of open shell from my cold, dead hands. :)
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by Executioner »

FlyingPenguin wrote:Right click on any shortcut and there should be an option to "Pin to Start Menu (Open Shell)".

Screenshot from my PC:
I tried that but it places the shortcut on the top below my "Start Menu (Windows)". I want it BELOW that where "Settings" shortcut is.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

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FlyingPenguin wrote:Can't stand the new menu. I tried. You'll have to tear my copy of open shell from my cold, dead hands. :)
What exactly don't you like? Because, again, what I see is that it's pretty much the same, but moved around a bit with additional features.

Are the menu items that were on the right not there now? Classic Control Panel isn't, but you can pin that to start.

Does it not have a full list of All Programs? Is it not easier to jump to a program using the letter index?

Does it now allow you to pin shortcuts to the start menu? Sure, icons are bigger, but even better, we're getting old so easier to see and arrange what we use the most.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Exec: You can't. It's the same as the original menu in WinXP and Win7. Things below the line are just your recently used shortcuts. Things above the line are shortcuts you add.

Now you could add the Settings shortcut above the line, and then add something below it. You can then delete settings from below the line.

Also, open shell let's you set the number of items in the recently used list. I THINK you can disable the recent list entirely if you don't want it, or set it to zero items.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Psypher. I find some of the functionality annoying. You can't (unless they fixed it) easily drag items from the start menu program list to the desktop. The tiles take up too much space, and the smaller tiles have no text.

The old menu worked fine for me, and I'm used to it's functionality. I tried the new one for a month and kept getting frustrated.

I know plenty of people that like the new one. Good for you guys. Windows is customizable, and I choose to use Open Shell, Rocket Dock. And a Windows taskbar toolbar pointing to a folder with all my network drive shortcuts. It's same layout I've used for 20 years. Why should I change?

I also still use Office 2003 because I DESPISE the ribbon, it loads and runs like greased lighting unlike the bloated mess Office has become, and it does everything I need in Word and Excel.

Now get off my lawn, sonny! :D

BTW: I do use the new start menu on my Surface tablet. In tablet mode, the tiles do work very well. As it should since the new start menu was originally introduced in Win8 to deal with touch screens. I just don't think it's as functionally elegant as the classic menu when used with a mouse.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

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FlyingPenguin wrote:You can't (unless they fixed it) easily drag items from the start menu program list to the desktop.
Ok, I can see that being an issue. But I hate messy/cluttered desktops so I guess that's why it's less of an issue for me. I hate application shortcuts on the desktop. If I need something more accessible, I pin it to the Start Menu (tiles)
FlyingPenguin wrote:The tiles take up too much space, and the smaller tiles have no text.
I guess because I work on 34" widescreens and multiple monitors having them bigger is actually good, especially as I get older. Again, the tiles takes the place of what would be above the All Programs link in the classic menu. That had a limit on the number of applications and even if it didn't you couldn't end up with a long vertical list. Sort of defeats the purpose of having an area that you can customize with your top/regularly used applications. I also pin several apps to the taskbar.
FlyingPenguin wrote:The old menu worked fine for me, and I'm used to it's functionality. I tried the new one for a month and kept getting frustrated.
I would say that scrolling through a list to get to something near the bottom has its disadvantages vs having a quick letter index that lets you jump closer to the area in the list that an application is.
FlyingPenguin wrote:I know plenty of people that like the new one. Good for you guys. Windows is customizable, and I choose to use Open Shell, Rocket Dock. And a Windows taskbar toolbar pointing to a folder with all my network drive shortcuts. It's same layout I've used for 20 years. Why should I change?
No one said you should change. I just want to make sure you've actually seen the latest changes. Because most of the changes are less drastic and more inline with the Classic Menu. I know plenty of people that think the menu is still that gawdawful menu that that was all tiles. FYI, I used to use Start8 for a long time and Classic Shell.
FlyingPenguin wrote:I also still use Office 2003 because I DESPISE the ribbon, it loads and runs like greased lighting unlike the bloated mess Office has become, and it does everything I need in Word and Excel.
I agree, but some of us don't have a choice unfortunately. A lot of the newer features that I use outweigh the ribbon and bloat, so had to learn to deal with it. Computers are fast enough that it isn't as noticeable.
FlyingPenguin wrote:BTW: I do use the new start menu on my Surface tablet. In tablet mode, the tiles do work very well. As it should since the new start menu was originally introduced in Win8 to deal with touch screens. I just don't think it's as functionally elegant as the classic menu when used with a mouse.

I think the resolution and screen size factor on whether their size is too big or too small.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Am I correct in assuming that the new start menu changes were rolled out in 20H2? Because I haven't seen them. Still running 1909 on everything. I read about the changes but haven't seen them.

I will need to check it out in a VM sometime.

BTW I never have to search deep into the menus. I use the search bar to find shortcuts usually.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

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FlyingPenguin wrote:Am I correct in assuming that the new start menu changes were rolled out in 20H2? Because I haven't seen them. Still running 1909 on everything. I read about the changes but haven't seen them.
I'm not sure, I run a few versions behind due to my testing. I first upgrade a VM, then my sons, then my computer and then I start with office computers starting with the least critical desktops. I'm currently running 2004. I'm the system architect, but it's a small team in the corporate office, so me and the other developers perform some IT duties with remote help.
FlyingPenguin wrote:BTW I never have to search deep into the menus. I use the search bar to find shortcuts usually.
Then what does the start menu matter? :)


This is what comes up when you click start to give you an idea of how I have mine set up. Depending on the application and what icons the developer included, each tile will have several options that you configure in terms of the size. Small, Medium, Large, Wide, etc...

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This is where some of the items that used to be on the right are located now. You hover over the left side and it expands.

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This is what happens when you click any letter index/separator. Then you click on the letter that the application starts with and it jumps to that part of the list.

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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Then what does the start menu matter?
Mainly for a quick list of commonly used apps that stay on it, that I need access to on multiple monitors.

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I also like to organize my program list subfolders (Video apps, Audio Apps, Utilities, Etc). The modern start menu makes that annoyingly difficult (you can't just right click on a group and open it for editing like you can in classic).

For example:
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I also use Rocket Dock, which emulates the MacOS "start menu" which I keep at the top of the screen. That's my primary every day stuff.

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And finally a taskbar toolbar folder with shortcuts to all my commonly used folders and network drives:

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Desktop shortcuts are usually temporary and I mostly use the desktop as a place to keep programs I'm using only for a short term project, or shortcuts to interesting web pages I want to look at later like game tutorials, news articles, instructional videos, etc. They get filed away if I want to keep them, but they're like post it notes on my desk.

Yeah, it's a hodge podge, but it fits my work rhythm. I can find anything I need quickly this way.
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Re: How to add shortcuts to this area of Open Shell

Post by psypher »

Yea, with the new application list you lose control of organizing that and I think that's just in order to implement the letter index.

The area where you create the tiles, you can organize and set groups (name them) and configure the tiles. You can also create folders, like on android where you drop a tile on top of another to create a group.

I used to use rocket dock as well. But now between the start menu with organized tiles and the pin to taskbar it's a bit pointless. More eye candy than anything.
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