[Solved] Start Menu not Showing Commonly Used Programs

[spacesurfer]

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, 2007 by spacesurfer

[CptMurphy]

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

[neo]

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

[Zxian]

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.

[spacesurfer]

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, 2007 by spacesurfer

[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.