Creating a 'flyout' menu for directory on the start bar of Win7

[harryray2]

I have several directories on my start menu start bar.
When I clicked it opens the relevant directory.

I would like to create a flyout (cascading) menu for the directory rather than have it open directly.
I know how to create a cascading menu on the context menu, but I can't work uot how to do this with a directory on the start bar.

Assuming it's possible, does anyone know how I go about this or knows of a site that has directions of how to do it?
I've tried Googling but I'm not having any luck so far.

Thanks.

[raccoon]

As far as I am aware, Windows since XP and maybe 95/98/2000 has only been able to show the contents of Special Folders within the Start Menu. Such as My Computer, My Documents, My Pictures, Control Panel, Fonts, Network Neighborhood, etc. Anything that is represented internally by a CLSID, but not for regular drive paths.

I looked for a way to add paths to your Favorites or Libraries, and then represent either of those Special Folders in the Start Menu, but it also seems like a no-go.

Edit: There are two possible solutions you could try.

Click your Start Menu, then Right-Click on All Programs, then click Open.
Create a New Folder, and then rename it to My Computer.{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
This will create a My Computer entry in your Start Menu that will infinitely expand through your file systems.
You will have to click on items to expand them, rather than simply hovering over them like normal submenus.

Your second option, which I'm not interested in experimenting with, is to create Symbolic or Hardlinks of your data folders inside of your Start Menu folder. (Click your Start Menu, then Right-Click on All Programs, then click Open.)

I cannot think of a simple non-hacker program for creating and managing symbolic and hard-links. And linking to real data in your Start Menu could have consequences since Windows will believe that data is Start Menu user data, and might choose to destroy your data when it feels like it.

[harryray2]

Thanks, presumably the my computer solution will list everything on the PC,what I'm looking to do is to create specific shortcuts of various programmes within a folder without opening the folder.

There seem to be a few programmes that do this such as pickpic which places an arrow by the side which opens a list of options or 7zip and Winrar which point to a list of recent files.

Start menu.jpg (20.68 KiB) Viewed 20208 times

But nothing, as far as I have seen, does this with a directory with multiple shortcuts to programmes in.

[raccoon]

My guess is that somebody will have to write a piece of software that creates and registers custom shell folders for your paths/files. I don't know of any such program.

[horst.epp]

I have several directories on my start menu start bar.
When I clicked it opens the relevant directory.

I would like to create a flyout (cascading) menu for the directory rather than have it open directly.
I know how to create a cascading menu on the context menu, but I can't work uot how to do this with a directory on the start bar.

Assuming it's possible, does anyone know how I go about this or knows of a site that has directions of how to do it?
I've tried Googling but I'm not having any luck so far.

Thanks.

For me the changed start menu with StartAllBack does what you want.
It allows you to set directory entries as links or open them as menu.
Also you can add additional dirs to the default list.
Its not free but I only paid about 5$ for it.

StartAllBack is for Windows 11 but Startisback does the same for previous OS versions.
Don't know if Windows 7 is possible but in the long term you have to update anyway.

Screenshot - 28.10.2021 , 20_04_19.png (39.07 KiB) Viewed 20198 times

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Windows 11 Home x64 Version 21H2 (OS Build 22000.282)
Everything 1.5.0.1282a (x64)

[harryray2]

@raccoon, what you said re the start menu got me to thinking.

I've de-cluttered my start menu by moving all the files from C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu to a back up folder (I never use the start menu in Win7 anyway, I preferred XP's)

I've put in a couple of dummy directories with a couple of legit links and one dummy link.
Re-started explorer to clear the list.

I'll monitor the start menu over the next couple of weeks and do a reboot to see if it causes any problems.

It's not a perfect solution for me, I'd rather have had the directories on the start bar, but putting the directories with my shortcuts in there does, more or less, do what I want it to do.

I'm going to look at the registry to try and see how Pickpic, Winrar and 7zip do it, but I don't hold out much hope. In fact, I've somehow, and I have no idea how, put Everything on the start bar and got a fly-out with recent items.

I posted a message querying it.

I just have to hope that Windows doesn't throw a fit...:0)

[raccoon]

Ok, I thought you were taking about the Start Menu.

I have no idea what a "Start Bar" is. It's not any Microsoft product or feature of Windows.

[harryray2]

Sorry, I mean the start menu..the one from the start button...

Actually, I've come up with another(sort of) solution.
I've enabled favourites to show as a menu, cleared the existing folders in Favourites and put my folders and file shortcuts in there.

[harryray2]

I've shifted all the folders on the to the right hand side of the start menu in to "recorded TV"
"recorded TV" enables me to easily import folders and files and gives me a cascading menu.

Btw, I have a context menu handler programme that creates symbolic links easily.