How to hide windows start menu/button?

[sri]

Like most of you, I don't use the Start menu any more in my Windows XP (Thanks to Launchy and Direct Access).

Now I want to just get rid of the start menu and reclaim the space it takes up on the task bar. However I still want the win key to bring it up.

A google search took me to a program whose download link doesn't work (http://www.programurl.com/hide-start-button.htm).

Does anyone have ideas?

[PhilB66]

You could achieve this with NirCmd

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[PhilB66]

Just remembered another post about WinLock. You could hide the Start Button with this one as well.

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[tinjaw]

I use Start Killer from the makers of True LanuchBar.

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[Nighted]

LClock let's you hide the start button also. Unlike some other methods, with LClock, you don't get that empty space where the button was. Also, you can set it so you can click on the clock for the start menu.

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[sri]

Thanks tinny. Start Killer is exactly what I want.

Phil, Nighted: Thanks for your recommendations. I haven't tried them out since Start Killer does it.

[XP_holdup]

I'm going crazy.  I use the old-style desktop on XP (looks like Win-95 - I'm a dinosaur), with an Auto-hide Start bar on the left.
My problem is that it keeps popping out for about 30 secs at a time - then it goes away by itself.  There is no entry in the Events log.  How can I find out what causes it to pop out, and put a stop to it?

[XP_holdup]

Sorry - that was my first post - I see it went in the wrong place.