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Add shortcuts to the XP Start Menu
using the Shortcut Maker

Download Now! Free! (1.32MB)

- Works in XP, Vista, and Windows 7

Windows 7 users should first install Classic Shell from Source Forge.
Vista users should first switch to the XP Start menus (instructions at botom)

Navigating to your your favorite files, folders, and programs in Windows often takes longer than you want.  If you have lots of files, folders, or programs, you must wade through them to find the one you are after.  Most people open the same files, folders, and programs over and over again.  But they are hard to find and reach because they are "buried" among all the ones you do not use!  And you must do many, many clicks!

Click to see full size

The Shortcut Maker solves this problem!  Open any file, folder, link, or program with just two clicks!  The Shortcut Maker adds shortcut folders to your XP Start Menu.  And it makes it easy to add shortcuts in these folders to your favorite files, folders, programs, and links (URL's) to these shortcut folders.  The picture on the right illustrates this:

The Shortcut Maker has added the following entries to the Start Menu
  • Favorite Files
  • Favorite Folders
  • Favorite Links
  • Favorite Programs

So, all you have to do after adding your shortcuts is click twice: Once on the Start button, and once on the shortcut, as the folders expand automatically as you mouse over them!

If you want, you can add additional folders to the Start Menu by first right clicking on the Start button and selecting "explore" so that you are viewing the Start Menu folder. Then right click on the white space and select New, Folder.

To add shortcuts to any of the new Start Menu folders, First navigate to the target for the shortcut.   This can be a file, a folder, a URL, or a program.  It can also be a link to any of those.  For example, you can click Start Menu, Programs, and then highlight the link that opens a program.  Once you have navigated to the target, right click on it.  The context menu will popup and it will have a new menu item, Shortcut Maker:

You can even right click in the "white space" of a folder either while viewing the folder normally or when viewing from a File, Open or Save dialog and access the above shortcut to the Shortcut Maker!

Clicking on the Shortcut Maker menu item will display the following dialog, which allows you to create a shortcut in a folder on the Start Menu:

You can edit the default shortcut name to any name you want.  In the dropdown box, you can select the destination of the shortcut.  Or, you can click on the select any folder button and create the shortcut anywhere!

Once you have created shortcuts in the folders added to the Start Menu, you can arrange them by clicking on Start, selecting the shortcut and dragging it to the desired position in the list.  If you want to delete or rename a shortcut, just right click on it.

With the Shortcut Maker, your target (file, folder, link, program) is just two clicks away!  Click on the Start Button, mouse over to the shortcut and click it!  Two Clicks!!!

If you want to add "-------------" as a menu item in a shortcut folder, select it in the ShortCut Maker list and click the GoTo link. This takes you to the folder where you want the "-------------" line.  Right click again and select Shortcut Maker again.  Change the name of the shortcut to "-------------" and select the folder in the list (it should be selected by default) and click Create.  Lastly, click on Start, mouse down to the new link ("-------------") and drag it to the position you want it in the list.

Download Now! Free! (1.32MB) - Current version works in XP only. New version will be available shortly for Windows 7 and Vista

Windows 7 users:

  • If you are using Windows 7 you will need the classic XP Start Menu.  To get it back, then go to http://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/ and download the free Classic Shell.  It also adds back the classic menus in Explorer and file copy/move.  The XP Start Menu is easier to use than the Windows 7 menu.  And, the XP Start Menu allows you to add folders with links to other folders, programs, links, and files via the Shortcut Maker.

Vista users:

  • If you are using Vista, then Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.  Click the Start Menu tab, click Classic Start menu, and then click OK.

 

 

 

 
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