I've got a problem with my start menu not showing my commonly used programs. It's just blank. The only way I can get programs to show is if I pin them to start menu. But I really prefer XP to figure out which programs I'm using and place them automatically.

See screenshot below. I had to pin IE and Notepad to startmenu. Everything else is blank, even though I've my programs so many times they should appear.

Edited June 14, 200719 yr by spacesurfer

Right click the taskbar>properties>Start Menu tab>Customize(make sure start menu is selected>advanced tab>check the last check box.

Might be U hav set User Tracking off.

Revert it using Group Policy.

Run gpedit.msc and Navigate to

Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar

an search for User Tracking feature

Right click the taskbar>properties>Start Menu tab>Customize(make sure start menu is selected>advanced tab>check the last check box.

Almost - you stated for recent documents, not recent programs.

In the same dialog, find this:

Number of programs on Start menu:

Set that to however many you want.

My "Number of programs" is set to 5. I've changed this number around hoping it may reset something but still no programs.

I'll try the User tracker setting when I get home.

Edited May 12, 200719 yr by spacesurfer

Solved. This registry key was the culprit:

User Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer]
System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer]
Value Name: NoInstrumentation
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (1 = enable restriction)

Set it to 0 to lift the restriction.