Can I modify/customise, add to the "Most Used list?

yxalitis said:

Not sure what Microsoft is thinking, but the "most used" list...isn't functioning as you would expect.
I want programs I launch often to go there, with the recent file list fly out, that's the most user-friendly feature brought over from Windows 7....
However, I've no idea what Windows uses to identify "most used"
I use one program every single day, it never appears.
A program I used a few times over a month ago is still in the list, when I chose to remove it, no other programs replaced it...why wouldn't the next most used program appear?
How do I set the number of programs to list...the number grows and reduces all on it's own...it's quite bizarre.
This would all be fine if I could CHOOSE to add programs to the start menu (The "real" one, NOT the "modern" one, with it's useless huge icons)..but...you can't!!!
Anyone found a registry key or something that will allow for some of these annoyances to be changed?

yes

I wanted to use the jump menus in Excel as I had a couple of spreadsheets I update frequently, one being a check register (not many checks but debit needs tracked). Anyway, I had Excel pinned to the start on the right side, but no jump menus are there. I had settled for pinning it to the taskbar, which I loathed, but it was better than nothing. Dragging and dropping on the start menu was useless, the "All Apps" shortcut didn't offer the jump menu, and a search of appdata and the registry yielded nothing. Finally, I removed Excel from the "tile side" and low and behold, it magically appeared in my "Most Used" section complete with functioning jump menus. FINALLY!!!



Now to rejigger my Start Menu with other needed items. I have been enjoying Win 10. Now I can relax with the mystery solved.

DalGoda said:

Finally, I removed Excel from the "tile side" and low and behold, it magically appeared in my "Most Used" section complete with functioning jump menus. FINALLY!!!

Yes, but something went wrong for me. I ended up with two entries for Microsoft Word in the 'Most Used' listed, so I removed one - and they both went! Now, I can no longer get it back into the list. Where are the settings to re-instate it?
I don't like the new menu system but it is gradually growing on me - like a fungus.

Mike Austin said:

Yes, but something went wrong for me. I ended up with two entries for Microsoft Word in the 'Most Used' listed, so I removed one - and they both went! Now, I can no longer get it back into the list. Where are the settings to re-instate it?
I don't like the new menu system but it is gradually growing on me - like a fungus.

I hunted through the registry looking for any trace. I was worried that if I did a "do not show in this list" it would be gone forever. You are stuck with alphabetical order too. If I could just pin to the top of the menu and order the icons as I pleased, I would be pretty content.

DalGoda said:

I hunted through the registry looking for any trace. I was worried that if I did a "do not show in this list" it would be gone forever. You are stuck with alphabetical order too. If I could just pin to the top of the menu and order the icons as I pleased, I would be pretty content.

I have also hunted high and low, through the directory and through folders, but I just cannot find out how the menu is created. It seems to be done 'on-the-fly' in some way. Even still, there must be some basic information that it stores somewhere to do this. In Windows versions up to 7, it was possible to tailor the menus just as one wanted. I could group program folders into category folders, simplifying things enormously. It is a retrograde step not to include that in Windows 10.

Mike Austin said:

I have also hunted high and low, through the directory and through folders, but I just cannot find out how the menu is created. It seems to be done 'on-the-fly' in some way. Even still, there must be some basic information that it stores somewhere to do this. In Windows versions up to 7, it was possible to tailor the menus just as one wanted. I could group program folders into category folders, simplifying things enormously. It is a retrograde step not to include that in Windows 10.

I wonder what would happen if one were to try to install "Classic Shell"? The wonder app that let me keep a Win8 machine up and running until Win10 arrived. Hmmmm.

In the newest build of Windows 10 (10565) you can now right click on an app or programme pinned to the start menu and a jumplist appears with all recent files! Microsoft are listening... these things just take a while.