Frequently-used program does not move up on list of programs

If you're talking about the taskbar.. then that is actually the quick launch shortcuts, those will never move unless you drag them around, add/remove them..

If you're talking about in your start menu then you are right, they do behave the way you're describing, they are listed chronologically, not by order of how much you use them. So the one you used Longest ago will show at top.. I believe, it seems to be this way for me..

Anyway After some testing.. I removed one from the list, then opened the program up.. it put it in the middle of that list, so that's weird and i'm not sure..

There should be a line tho in the start menu, the ones above that line are programs that are "pinned" to the startmenu for whatever reason, you can do this to programs you'd like to see there, and you can remove the ones you don't want by right clicking and doing "Unpin from Startmenu"

Also try right clicking the start menu itself... not one of the icons, if you can't find a good spot to do that, just right click your task bar

After rightclicking go to PROPERTIES (make sure you're on the START MENU TAB) You'll see the privacy section says "keep list of recently opened programs" and an option for documents

That is the list below the line.. try clicking customize, and see if you get anything you want.. I know you can change like how many programs are displayed in start menu as an example.

Good luck man!

I can't believe that Lisa Support Engineer marked this as an answer.

THe Start Menu Overview help on Windows 7 says:

"You might notice that over time, the lists of programs in your Start menu change. This happens for two reasons. First, when you install new programs, they get added to the All Programs list. Second, theStart menu detects which programs you use the most, and places them in the left pane for quick access ."

Since this is *not* happening, I don't think the above is an answer. So I don't know why Lisa Support Engineer would mark it as such.

I just sis not reply initially, since I am so dispirited by the low quality of answers provided on these forums that I just could not bring myself to respond.

As far as i know about the question that you put up i have noticed one thing that if you use one program of your choice frequently it comes up in the quick access list but if you used microsoft utility once like system restore, system info, silverlight etc they have more priority than your frequently used programs. They just come in the list if you mistakenly clicked it once. But as you use up your programs the programs that comes into the list first have higher priority than the later and even if you use later program more often you have to use it more number of times to make it come to the top. I hope this explains you how frequently used items in start menu are build up. Thank you for you patience.

As far as i know about the question that you put up i have noticed one thing that if you use one program of your choice frequently it comes up in the quick access list but if you used microsoft utility once like system restore, system info, silverlight etc they have more priority than your frequently used programs. They just come in the list if you mistakenly clicked it once. But as you use up your programs the programs that comes into the list first have higher priority than the later and even if you use later program more often you have to use it more number of times to make it come to the top. I hope this explains you how frequently used items in start menu are build up. Thank you for you patience

Well dude, I can tell you my patience is wearing thin.

Yes, what you say is how it should work, and how it has worked in almost all other releases of Windows.  However, on this laptop, with this version of Windows 7, it does not. The program I use multiple times every day is still at position 15, way under a bunch of programs I have never even used, not even accidentally.

And all I get is this non-help. Frankly, I wonder what happened to the old-style MVPs that used to answer the MS Internet forums/newsgroups.

I can understand about your patience, but still want to ask one question that these programs comes preloaded with your laptop from your laptop manufacturer. And are they pinned to start menu if so then unpinned them. That's my last opinion. Good Luck and really appreciate your patience.

Here is a screen image of my start bar. Perhaps that can answer some of your questions. You may be able to notice the difference between the pinned and unpinned programs. I have manually removed a large number of weird programs that was in the start list, but the programs in there does not move up/down according to usage frequency.

http://i38.tinypic.com/11jyruv.jpg

Here is a screen image of my start bar. Perhaps that can answer some of your questions. You may be able to notice the difference between the pinned and unpinned programs. I have manually removed a large number of weird programs that was in the start list, but the programs in there does not move up/down according to usage frequency.

 http://i38.tinypic.com/11jyruv.jpg

Hi Mike

Your description sounds like the designed behavior for Recent Items on the Start Menu. It does not work by most used/top position. This is why they have the Pin To function.

If this is a program that you use very often, which it sounds like it is, then why not simply pin it to the Start Menu?

You mentioned the Taskbar, not the Start Menu in your initial post. Items that are pinned to the Taskbar have their own Recent and Pinned sections. The items pinned to the Start Menu also have their own Recent and Pinned list.

Lisa waited the appropriate amount of time for you to respond (7 days) before marking the best answer. As you have found, the thread starter has complete control over marking or unmarking a reply and this action is always respected.

We can help, but you need to at least meet us halfway.

Regards,

Thank You for using Windows 7

A few posts back I quoted directly from the help on the Start Menu. It said, amongst other things:

"You might notice that over time, the lists of programs in your Start menu change. This happens for two reasons. First, when you install new programs, they get added to the All Programs list. Second, theStart menu detects which programs you use the most, and places them in the left pane for quick access ."

See that bold part? That is a direct quote from the Help for the Start menu. Now you say it is not designed to work that way?  What way exactly is it supposed to work? Please point me to documentation so that I can figure out what programs will be on the unpinned part of my Start menu.

I don't want to go through the hassle of pinning and unpinning programs from the start menu as my work pattern evolves over time, what I work with often this week may not be what I work with often 2 months from now. And I don't want to pin them, I would really like it to work the way that MS is saying it should work in the Help, whicj is the nearest thing I can find to documentation.

According to the MSDN behavior guide, programs will not move positions once they end up in the MRU (Most Recently Used) list, because customers may not be able to find the program if it jumps around to different places (based on quality testing with customers).

Once a program is used frequently enough to be in the MRU list, it will keep its position without jumping around.  You are of course still free to move it as you see fit, as this behavior keeps the customer in control.

In other words, using a program more often will not make it "move up the chain" to a better promoted position.

According to the MSDN behavior guide, programs will not move positions once they end up in the MRU (Most Recently Used) list, because customers may not be able to find the program if it jumps around to different places (based on quality testing with customers).

Once a program is used frequently enough to be in the MRU list, it will keep its position without jumping around.  You are of course still free to move it as you see fit, as this behavior keeps the customer in control.

In other words, using a program more often will not make it "move up the chain" to a better promoted position.

 

 

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Interesting, in what position does a program appear, and is it related to the length of the list?

Assume I have a list of length 5 (this is a customizable option) in the Start Menu options.

So I have Programs A (100 uses)

Program B (40 uses)

Program C (30 uses)

Program D (600 uses)

Program E (90 uses)

Now I start using Program F.

At what time, and where, will Program F be placed in the list?

And what does it take, apart from an act of &deity or Congress to make the Help reflect what the MSDN behavior guide says?