Can I sort Start>Programs my way?

General Questions
#1

In Windows Vista and 7, programs are listed under Start>All Programs in two groups: at the top, the individual program files, and beneath them, the programs that have been placed in folders, both separately alphabetically. As far as I know, I have no choice as to which group the programs are placed in. I find it a (minor) inconvenience having to go through two groups to find a particular program.

Can I decide whether a program is placed in a folder, and can I sort the entire list so that is one alphabetical list?

#2

Google is your friend.

#3

I did try Googling and sadly, I fear it isn’t my friend.

Your first link is all about customizing the *Start *button, not the programs. Your second link, is how to get back the old classic start menu, which isn’t what I want, and the third link addresses a different problem.

So, thank you, but I’m not there yet.

#4

c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\

#5

Thank you - I would never have thought of that. Create a folder for the folderless program and cut it into that folder. I presume that is what you were pointing me to?

#6

I just downloaded and installed Vista Start Menu on my W7 installation, and it does exactly what you want via drag-and-drop (and quite a bit more too).

#7

So it does. Many thanks.

#8

For decades Microsoft tried to create a database-center file system to do all sort of whiz-bangery that I don’t think even it understood.

But to date, you still can’t organize the Start Menu without the uninstallers losing track of what’s where.

Sigh.

#9

There was the new file system they were going to use in Vista, and then didn’t.

The method of accessing programs has been the same for a long time. I feel that Microsoft has been refining Windows rather than innovating. That’s what lack of competition does to innovation.

#10

cant tell you how to sort but you might not need to sort. Click on the round start icon and type the name of the program and hit enter. EG: type word and hit enter, word opens. works with all my programs that i have installed