If you have been using an older version of Windows, you will notice that a few changes have been made in Windows Vista. The first four changes you will notice are the Welcome Center, Windows Sidebar with its gadgets, the Recycle Bin and the Start button. A change you won't notice until you get around to clicking the Start button is the Start Menu. If you are new to the world of computers, then it is all new to you and the Start Menu is a good place to begin.
At first glance, there doesn't appear to be that much difference in the Start Menu. It still has two columns. The left hand column being white and populated with program selections appears unchanged. It is still divided into three sections, the top section for "pinned" menu items, the larger middle section containing recently used programs and the bottom section with the "All Programs" link. The right hand column, although no longer blue, still has system function selections. Notice, however, the word "My" has been removed from the titles. The Windows XP Start Menu had a title bar at the top in which user name and icon/picture were placed. The user name and picture are now at the top of the right column and the title bar is gone. Similarly, there was a bar at the bottom of the Windows XP Start Menu that held the "Log Off" and "Turn Off" buttons. This is also gone.
The middle section of the left column is populated with program titles according to their usage. The more a program is used the higher it gets in this portion with programs that are used less dropping toward the bottom until finally disappearing. To "Pin" a program to the Start Menu from this middle section, right click the program selection and on the context menu left click "Pin to Start Menu". The program entry you select in this manner is then placed in the upper portion of the column and will be available on the Start Menu without regard to the amount of use it gets.
The upper portion of the left column contains programs that have been "pinned" to the menu. A pinned program will appear on the Start Menu every time no matter how much or how little it is used. If there is a program here you want to remove, simply right click the program title then on the context menu left click "Remove from this list".
Like previous Start Menus, menu items change color as the mouse pointer passes over them. The information balloons are still here but with a change of color. To see a major change in the Start Menu, place your mouse pointer on the All Programs entry and wait a moment.
The selection "All Programs" turns into the selection "Back". The upper sections of the left hand column are replaced by a scrollable list of program files and folders. Folders open when clicked to reveal their contents. Cascading menus are gone. No longer does one have to play "catch the disappearing pop up menu" which was aggravating at best. To use the mouse hover to change the menu view one must move the mouse pointer off the bottom selection then bring it back. Clicking Back or All Programs will change the view whether or not you have moved the mouse pointer.
That brings us to the area at the bottom of the Start Menu that in Windows XP was occupied by a bar that contained the Log Off button and the Turn Computer Off button. Located at the bottom of the right column are these three buttons. From left to right they are the Sleep button, the Lock Computer button and the Off menu button. Pressing the Sleep button saves your work and places your computer in a low power usage state. The lock button, when clicked, brings up the log on screen hiding your desktop and whatever windows you had opened. Typing in your password brings the screen back to the state it was in when the Lock computer button was pressed.
The right hand bottom button doesn't actually have to be clicked for the menu to appear. Hovering the mouse pointer on this button is enough to activate the pop up menu pictured here. This menu gives access to shut down, restart, log off and switch user functions as well as the functions provided by the other two buttons.
The final area of the new Start Menu to be discussed is the search box on the bottom left column. Type in your search subject and search results are displayed in the left column. Search results are displayed starting with the first letter typed. Because of this you will probably find what you are looking for before you type in the whole word or phrase. As you can see, results are categorized according to where the results are found. Even e-mail is searched and classed as Communications.
We are well aware of the fact that some people don't like change. The next few paragraphs will show how to use the "classic" style Start Menu. First, on an empty spot of the Task Bar place your mouse pointer and single right click to access the Task Bar context menu. As indicated, single left click the Properties item on the menu. This will bring up the Task Bar and Start Menu Properties dialog.
Directly below the title bar of the Task Bar and Start Menu Properties screen are four tabs. Those interested in customizing their Start Menu or Taskbar will want to explore this property box fully. Those wishing to change to the classic Start Menu need to click the Start Menu tab.
On this screen simply single left click the radio button indicated by the arrow thus selecting the Classic Start Menu and automatically de-selecting the new Vista Menu. Changes made in the properties box will enable the "Apply" button at the bottom of this window. For the changes to take affect, left click the Apply button. Left clicking the OK button will close the properties box.
Now you will have the Classic Start Menu when you click the Start button. Not visible in this picture are a bunch of desktop shortcuts and the catch me if you can cascading menus. To each his/her own.
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