Start Menu Toolbar - Create on Windows 8 Taskbar

IownAmoneyPit · Sep 17, 2011

How to Create a Start Menu Toolbar on Taskbar in Windows 8 and 8.1

Information

This tutorial will show you how to create a handy Start Menu toolbar on the Taskbar in Windows 8 that will open your installed programs directly on the desktop to avoid constantly switching to the new Modern UI Start Screen to open a program.

Note

Some programs and apps will only work when using the default Start Screen (Example: Store shortcut).

1. Create a New Folder, and rename it with Start Menu.

2. Save the new Start Menu folder to where you want to keep it stored at.

3. Open the new Start Menu folder, create another New Folder and rename it with the name below.

Programs.{7BE9D83C-A729-4D97-B5A7-1B7313C39E0A}

Note

This is a combination of the two folders below.

(All users)
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

AND

(Current user)
%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

4. Right Click the taskbar and select Toolbars > New Toolbar and then:

5. Navigate to and select the Start Menu folder, and click/tap on the Select Folder button.

6. The Start Menu toolbar is now pinned to your Taskbar.

All Credit goes to Brink for the updated tutorial.

Related Tutorials

Dave76 · Sep 18, 2011

Nice tut IAP, this will make a lot of people happy.

Bill2 · Sep 18, 2011

I'm sure I'm missing something here but how does this toolbar show up in metro start screen?

IownAmoneyPit · Sep 18, 2011

Bill2 said:

It was never intended to show up in the metro start menu but is meant to be added to the Windows Explorer taskbar (see snip in step #5 and information dialogue).

Also the information and Note dialogue has been edited and clarified by the Admins/Mods for esthetics and grammar.

Bill2 · Sep 18, 2011

Oh, I see. This'll be handy when one is flipping between the 2 UIs.

vrosa · Sep 20, 2011

That was one of the first customizations I had to do... I still cant imagine how to live without the old start menu

Urthboundmisfit · Sep 21, 2011

Clicking "Control Panel" in "new" start menu is unresponsive, no folder icon... :sad:

Brink · Sep 21, 2011

Urthboundmisfit said:

Hello,

You might see if adding one of the shortcuts that you like from below into the hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu folder to add it into this Start Menu toolbar may work instead. They will work in Windows 8 as well.

Control Panel All Tasks List Shortcut - Windows 7 Forums

Control Panel Category View Shortcut - Create - Windows 7 Forums

Control Panel Icons View Shortcut - Create - Windows 7 Forums

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Urthboundmisfit · Sep 21, 2011

Brink said:

Urthboundmisfit said:

Hello,

You might see if adding one of the shortcuts that you like from below into the hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu folder to add it into this Start Menu toolbar may work instead. They will work in Windows 8 as well.

Control Panel All Tasks List Shortcut - Windows 7 Forums

Control Panel Category View Shortcut - Create - Windows 7 Forums

Control Panel Icons View Shortcut - Create - Windows 7 Forums

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Worked like a charm Shawn, thanks! Additionally, I was able to rt click the Control Panel Category View Shortcut and pin it to the Taskbar.

Brink · Sep 21, 2011

You're most welcome Urthboundmisfit.

vrosa · Sep 21, 2011

Same here. I also had to create a new control panel icon.

Icemannpr · Nov 16, 2011

i found a way to do the metro and the microsoft confidencial dont pop up anymore and work great great now i use the menu star all the time without the message Microsoft confidencial

z3r010 · Feb 29, 2012

Thanks, that has worked quite well.

vrosa · Feb 29, 2012

Urthboundmisfit said:

PC Settings on WCP from the "created" start menu also doesnt work

Kat · Mar 4, 2012

Here's mine (CP 32-bit) with both a Start menu and the Quick-Launch toolbar.

Not the most elegant solution, but it'll do......

I like to keep the progs I use all the time in Quick-Launch, and those I use less
frequently in the Start menu, although I haven't actually installed much as yet.

I don't like a desktop full of icons, or a taskbar crammed with pinned stuff.

chev65 · Mar 20, 2012

Works even better when you add the Control Panel expanded view to the start menu short cut. I also added the Control Panel Icon using Shawn's method. It's too bad the picture I uploaded won't show up. :think:

robinb9 · Mar 22, 2012

WHY can't micrososft just include this like in the "desktop" app. this way it is there and you do not have to keep changing when you add new applications? wouldn't that be a lot smarter? This way you have either choice to use
robin

robinb9 · Mar 22, 2012

also the average user is not going to know how to do this (unless they become a member here

) but seriously, windows 8 can be real frustrating.
It took my clients a heck of a time to figure out Windows 7, i cannot wait till they see windows 8!
robin

M1GU31 · Mar 26, 2012

robinb9 said:

totally agree, Microsoft is just driving away geeks like this and most will prefer windows 7 due to being much easier to use. In my opinion windows 8 should have been a windows phone and tablet OS only in the first place. Don't understand why it's so hard for Microsoft to add the option to use the aero interface with a start button by defualt instead of the metro interface. Like when you first install it ask if you metro or the old aero on windows 7 style and you can change back and forth without having to mess with the system to just get a start button :huh:

AuntieParticle · Nov 9, 2012

That was a great tutorial!

I did something similar but I decided to roll my own menu since I have never found the whole start menu to be very useful. But I still don't like a lot of icon clutter on my desktop. First I created a folder called "More Programs". And attached it to the taskbar as explained in the original post. Then I went to the all apps screen from the Start Screen and right clicked one of the icons in a group I wanted included in my menu and I chose "Open file location".

Then I copied all the shortcuts in that folder:

And pasted them into my "More Programs" folder. I made subfolders for each group of shortcuts.

This is how it looks on the desktop.

Start Menu Toolbar - Create on Windows 8 Taskbar

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