XP start menu bug ?

[The_Vulcan]

In the start menu it lists your recently opened programs.

In the properties menu for the start menu you can select how many programs it will list.

I have always set this list to zero…….. But it always indesrimnatly populates the list anyway.

I can clear it and it sooner or later they come back.
I have formatted and reinstalled XP more times than I can count and it has always been this way.

I have tried to find information on this before… but nothing ever turns up ?

Any comments ?

[SeiferTim]

Er... I would switch to "classic view", unless you really like the style...

[McGiver]

yep.
I tried to change that number on the start menu short ago, but it didn't work (always lists the same number of items there :h: )
well, normally I use the classic start menu too.

[The_Vulcan]

I like the pretty colours and rounded edges....
thats what I paid for right ? :D

[SeiferTim]

hmmm.... I know there is a tool, it's kind of hidden... you type in the start > run... box: it's like something.gdm, or something, and it opens up a super-editor....
which lets you change everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) about Xp...
I changed IE to have my little sprite guy in the top right corner, and it says: "Internet Explorer provided by BahamutSoft.com", which driver my wife nuts ;)
You can change what menus are listed on the start menu, among many, many other things... lemme try and track down the name of the file.... gimme a few seconds...

[McGiver]

you could open the registry, open
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run
add a new character string
give it some name
rightclick change it to
C:\WINDOWS\system32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 120
save that and reboot.

you paid for that too :D

[The_Vulcan]

-s shut down
-f force applications to close
-t timeout for shut down

-t is 30 default…. Why change it to 120 ????

that’s if I am on the right page……….

[SeiferTim]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=afa135c8-8b63-4c03-8986-d7f45a6aa1fa&DisplayLang=en#filelist
Might help.. .still looking for the one that's built in, but hidden...

[McGiver]

well, I wanted to give you enough time to call
C:\WINDOWS\system32\shutdown.exe -a
,or open regedit and remove it again :)
if you prefer
C:\WINDOWS\system32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 1
you can use that too :P

[The_Vulcan]

I never tried it..... I looked into it first....

Athough runing shutdown.exe -s -f -t 1 in the Run menu sounds like a good idea.
As long as I don't clear history it will be there when I need it.

I hate hitting the power button, coming back later..... And its just sitting there with the greyed out screen cause some dam program wouldn't close or wanted to save something. :D

[McGiver]

you can also make a link on the desktop and give it a shortcut.
(useful if you experiment with the remote desktop and one of your friends found out the password and is trying to take over your computer)

[kirupa]

Vulcan - have you considered taking a trip down the wild side and downloading visual styles for XP?

There are a ton here: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showforum=36

You will have to update your uxtheme.dll file, and this file can do it for you: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=140707

:ub:

[The_Vulcan]

Yeah I had styleXP on a couple of days ago.....

The style I had on was black and orange.... my g/f didn't like it so she turned it off.

I put on a OS X stye...... She turned it off cause she works on one at work and didn't need a fake one at home.

I can never win :(

[ScriptFlipper]

SeiferTim:
Is it gpedit.msc you're thinking about?

[SeiferTim]

hmmm... I don't remember now, and I can't find the site anymore... That looks like part of it... I thought there was much more...

[Game™]

Vulcan - have you considered taking a trip down the wild side and downloading visual styles for XP?

There are a ton here: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showforum=36

You will have to update your uxtheme.dll file, and this file can do it for you: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=140707

:ub:

There the newest in thing, they don't resource hog like StyleXP and other programs use, it's awesome, and deviantART has a section devoted to Visual Styles, there awesome.

[kirupa]

Yeah, and StyleXP is a limited trial version. The UXTheme.dll file can easily be replaced, and all of your styles work without having install any 3rd party programs ;)

[The_Vulcan]

I ran the patch.... but the themes 2 themes I downloaded didn't seem to work....

obviously I haven't put the styles in the right place..... I will have another look...

I like the styles where they have changed the operation of the desktop, but all the styles for StyleXP that do that force you to install other crap along with the style...

And thats never gonna happen !

[Game™]

You have to go into your Windows folder, then Resources, then Themes, and then you place your folder in there. Then it should appear in your Appearence area where the styles are(. Windows Classic, Windows XP..etc.)

:)

[The_Vulcan]

Yeah I have done that.... I have like 20 styles in there already I was trying with Style XP.

When I click on a style file it opens the Display properties but ================
When I click on one of the styles, the background is displayed in the window, but the little window that shows you what the style will look like is just a bare shell..
When I hit apply, it changes the wallpaper and recylce bin icon... and sets the task bar to classic....

hmmmm..... time to patch the .dll back.... make sure there is nothing left of StyleXP and try again.

[kirupa]

If that does not seem to work for you, simply download the uxtheme.dll file manually from any tech site and replace it yourself in the Windows/System32 folder. You can rename the old uxtheme.dll to something new, paste the new uxtheme.dll file in its place.

Windows' File Protection will prompt you to insert your XP CD, but simply click Cancel or Ignore.

:ub:

[Game™]

Yeah I have done that.... I have like 20 styles in there already I was trying with Style XP.

When I click on a style file it opens the Display properties but ================
When I click on one of the styles, the background is displayed in the window, but the little window that shows you what the style will look like is just a bare shell..
When I hit apply, it changes the wallpaper and recylce bin icon... and sets the task bar to classic....

hmmmm..... time to patch the .dll back.... make sure there is nothing left of StyleXP and try again.


The_Vulcan do you have SP1 installed? If you don't you need to download this (http://epix.themes.tucows.com/adnload/310804_119517.html) .

Hope that helps. :cool:

[The_Vulcan]

Thanks but she is right now........

I don't know why........ But after I went through the registry any removed all traces of StyleXp, then re-applied the patch it worked.....