Classic Start Menu Issue

[okto]

Hi

I'm trying to achieve a Small Icons Classic Start Menu look using nLite v. 1.4.9.1 and get unsatisfactory results.

Here is the line that deal with a Start menu from the "Last session.ini" file

Start Menu-Use small icons in Start Panel
Visual Effects-Menu style-Flat

I also [check] Classic Start Menu under Unattended>Desktop themes

What I get as an end result is this

If "Use small icons in Start Panel" is selected what makes the Start menu remain using large icons? In addition to that a black side banner appear. As far as my knowledge goes there should be "Windows XP Professional" image on the side.

Other reports have been made on that matter.

http://www.msfn.org/board/black-classic-st...bar-t54835.html

Its not due to XPize... Its due to the fact that your classic start menu probably has minimum menu entries in it...

I think you need about 5-6 entries in your start menu for the side bitmap to appear.

Hope you get what I mean.

But that's to do with XPize, which isn't the application of my inquiry.

The Side banner issue can be resolved manually by selecting "Small Icons in start menu" from Taskbar settings, but then it defeats the purpose of using the same tweak inside nLite.

I've also found a thread that explains how to runOnce registry entries which would force windows Classic Style Start Menu

http://www.msfn.org/board/change-start-men...ry-t123053.html

No mentioning of small icons inside the menu however.

Am I missing something?

Could, The fact that the "Start Menu-Use small icons in Start Panel" is ignored, be a bug with nLite?

Any response is appreciated

[johnhc]

okto, my suspicion is that you have run nLite more than once against the same source. Are you using a virtual system (VirtualPC, VirtualBox and VMware Server are all free) to test your ISOs? If not, please consider doing so - very helpful in this type of situation for testing several variations. So, please attach (not paste) your Last Session.ini. Make sure to always start with a fresh copy of your CD files/folders, do all your work in one nLite session and integrate only one SP. Please report when you have a solution, so others can benefit. Enjoy, John.

[strel]

1. You're not using the start panel, this is the start menu because you check "Classic Start Menu", what disables start panel. So no start panel tweak will take effect. Look for the regkey to do that outside nLite.

2. The windows banner will replace black banner if enough items appear in the start menu while big icons setting is checked, for small icons there's no banner if I recall it correctly.

3. If you insert registry settings by your own means (not the way windows/nlite do) through windows setup, you have to consider that not all regkeys inserted during GUI setup remains at first logon. It's convenient you insert all regkeys at this time, or to do it twice for all regkeys if you're not sure which are the non-persistent regkeys, and you still need them at GUI setup.

4. You may be wondering too about the light purple color of selected menu items, I had this issue before too and I found it was somewhat related with the Visual Tweak - Menu Style "Flat". In my last nLited sources it reverts automatically to a normal state after rebooting. But I'm not sure if it is the only setting causing this behavior or there are others, and if it reverts always automatically.

Edited December 13, 2009 by strel

[okto]

johnhc, strel. thank you for your prompt response.

I've started a new build using:

Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 v. 5.1.2600.5512

nLite v. 1.4.9.1

VMware Workstation v. 6.5.1 build-126130

Preset

Last_Session.ini

Result

Start Panel

Classic Start Panel under Unattended>Desktop themes [unchecked]

Start Menu

Classic Start Menu under Unattended>Desktop themes [checked]

@strel note that the pink highlight issue is gone using

Visual Effects-Menu style-Normal

I'm trying to achieve this effect.

Which I haven't so far. And I still don't know what's ignoring the

Start Menu-Use small icons in Start Panel

[strel]

The light purple highlight is gone but flat style menu too.

Setting is ignored because it's "Use small icons in Start Panel"

[johnhc]

okto, I don't have a definitive answer for you, only some things to consider. I see you have not specified a screen resolution in the Unattended section. Have you tried setting your screen resolution after you install to the maximum and seeing what the Start Menu looks like? Some suggestions, but I don't think they are part of your Start Menu problem. Set Computer Type to Automatic and remove the Tweak "Explorer-Launch folder windows in a separate process". The tweak exposes a Windows bug but causes no real harm. My only other suggestion at this time is to try removing some of the Tweaks (perhaps Visual Effects first - but not the one(s) you want) and see if one is interfering with your needed ones. Some of these may be somewhat exclusive. If you mouse over the items some or most have help text that appears at the bottom. Please see my attached image. Perhaps this explains it all and negates my first statement. Enjoy, John.

[Guest]

For the small icons in start menu under classic menu you need to export the following key and import it during GUIRunOnce or by some other means.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects2]

and maybe this one too. Been a while so forget if "TaskbarWinXP"= is needed for start menu.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams\Desktop]

"TaskbarWinXP"=

Every machine will be different so you need to set your menu, export the key on the exact same machine you want to apply it later on.

[Kiki Burgh]

hi! to achieve the effect that you like, try to set these 3:

in the Unattended section:

Desktop themes -> Options -> Default theme: -> Windows Classic (this 1 the log shows as Default)

in the Tweaks -> General section:

Start Menu -> Use small icons in Start Panel (you already have this set based on a quick look at your log)

Visual Effects -> Menu style -> Normal

cheers!

Edited December 14, 2009 by Kiki Burgh

[okto]

I had to resort to a batch file which is executed at first boot

Assuming reg.exe is present inside system32 folder

REG ADD HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects2 /v Settings /t REG_BINARY /d 28000000FFFFFFFF06000000030000007A0000001E000000FEFFFFFFE40300000205000002040000 /f

...06.. is the "Small" icons setting.

Thank's to everyone who've spent their time resolving current issue.