Automatically sort the windows "All programs" menu

[Amadawn]

Perhaps this would be a good candidate for a Coding Snack request, but I wonder if someone knows of a program or a way to keep the "All programs" menu on windows XP sorted (alphabetically) automatically. It drives me nuts how every time that a new program is installed it is added to the bottom of the list.

Any ideas?

thanks!

Amadawn

[mouser]

there is a registry key you can erase to do this.
some of the "cleaner" apps have an option to do it.

[Amadawn]

Yes, but I think that you have to erase it all the time, it is not a permanent solution, or so I believe 

[Hirudin]

CCleaner will clear that registry key for you. Then you can have it run at every startup (or access it through the Recycle Bin context menu).

I must say, I love the Recycle Bin menu option, SO convienient!

[Gerome]

Hi,

On the Start menu, you can sort the All Programs menu. Windows XP sometimes adds new shortcuts to the bottom of the All Programs menu when you expect them to appear in alphabetical order. In either case, finding the program you want to run is difficult when the sort order of the Start menu gets out of hand.

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder contains the sort order of the Favorites menu and Start menu. The subkey Favorites contains the sort order of the Favorites menu. The subkey Start Menu contains the sort order of the classic Start menu, and the subkey Start Menu2 contains the sort order of the new Start menu.

Deciphering the contents of these three keys is next to ridiculous, but you can remove any of them to resort the corresponding menu in alphabetical order. For example, to restore the All Programs menu to alphabetical order, remove the subkey Start Menu2. To remove a subkey:
•

In the left pane, right-click the subkey you want to remove, and then click Delete.

To restore the Favorites menu in both Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer, remove the subkey Favorites. I typically remove MenuOrder to resort all of the menus at the same time.

Source :: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/honeycutt_03may05.mspx

Tested onto my Win2k : it works nicely

[Amadawn]

Actually it is possible to fix this program completelly, so that the menu is kept always sorted. Check this out:

http://www.theeldergeek.com/sort_menus_alphabetically.htm

You have to do some registry modification. I did it some days ago and it's work as a charm!

Amadawn

[CGA]

Nice find Amadawn, I've been looking for this for ages. Have it on one of my comps but could not remember where I got it from