50 ways to customise Windows Vista (part 3)

For today's guide, we're looking at customising the Start Menu and Taskbar. Enjoy and come back tomorrow for more!

31. Switch to classic Start Menu

If you don’t like the new Start Menu, you can replace it with a stripped-down version instead – right-click the Start button and select Properties. Choose Classic Start Menu and click OK.

The “classic” Start menu is streamlined in both appearance and functionality

32. A new start menu

Vista Start Menu offers an alternative to the two Start Menu options found in Windows Vista

Want to try out a completely different Start menu? Download Vista Start Menu from www.vistastartmenu.com – it’s not as fully featured as Windows Vista’s own Start menu, but has some unique options of its own, including one-click access to all power options, plus the ability to magnify the Start menu for easier reading – perfect if your sight isn’t what it used to be.

33. Fine-tune the Start Menu from this dialog

Right-click the Start button and select Properties, then click Customize. You can pick and choose exactly what gets displayed on the Start menu, and also display system folders such as Control Panel and Computer as fully accessible menus rather than a simple shortcut.

34. Use TweakVI

TweakVI has a section dedicated to the Start menu, giving you even more customisations to choose from – select Startmenu tweaks from the Visual Tweaks section and work your way through the tabs to completely fine-tune the Start menu to your personal requirements.

35. Change Sleep Button to Shut Down

If you want to replace the Sleep button with a Shut Down button on the Start menu, open the Power Options Control Panel (look under System and Maintenance). Click “Change plan settings” under the currently selected power plan followed by “Change advanced power settings”. Expand Power buttons and lid > Start menu power button and click Sleep to change it to Shut down. Click OK.

Add the Shut Down button to the Start menu with this tweak

36. Resize Taskbar

By default, the taskbar is designed to fit everything on a single row, which can quickly become a little cramped. Right-click the taskbar and untick Lock the Taskbar by selecting it. Hover the mouse pointer over the top edge of the taskbar and you’ll notice it changes to a double arrow. Click and drag the mouse up and the taskbar will increase in size to two rows.

37. Rearrange Taskbar Items

Resizing and rearranging the taskbar can be a little fiddly, but the results are worth it

You’ll notice that when the taskbar is unlocked some drag handles appear either side of the Quick Launch icons. These enable you to rearrange your toolbars so they sit either side of each other or – if your taskbar is two or more rows in height – on top of each other. Experiment with clicking and dragging on these to get the Taskbar looking the way you want it to.

38. TweakVI Taskbar Tweaks

Open Visual Tweaks > Startmenu Tweaks and Settings, then switch to the CTRL+ALT+DEL tab. In the Taskbar section you can further customise the Taskbar a number of ways, plus prevent other users from either adding or removing taskbars, or rearranging the current layout.

Once again, TweakVI offers more Taskbar customisations than the Taskbar’s own Properties dialog

39. Shortcut to Flip3D

Fancy accessing the Flip 3D window preview directly from your desktop? If you have TweakVI installed, you can create one simply by clicking the large button on the DWM tweaks and settings tab of the Desktop tweaks and settings section under Visual Tweaks.

If it’s not installed, right-click your desktop and choose New Shortcut. Type the following into the New Shortcut box before clicking Next: C:\Windows\system32\rundll32.exe DwmApi #105 Call your shortcut Flip 3D and click Finish. Double-click it to see it in action.

40. Ditch the Taskbar

Stardock’s ObjectDock gives you a dynamic (and transparent) alternative to the taskbar. Download it from www.stardock.com/products/ObjectDock/ and find out how it works below:

a) Set Up Objectdock

Once installed, double-click the program shortcut on the desktop. You’ll see the dock appear immediately above your taskbar. Roll the mouse over each icon to see what’s set up by default.

b) Add New Shortcuts

You can drag existing shortcuts from your desktop, Start menu or Taskbar on to your dock, or right-click the left-hand edge of the Taskbar and choose Add followed by the type of shortcut you wish to include, including a Start button.

c) Configure dock

Click the Configure Dock icon to customise the dock to your own preferences – concentrate on the Appearance, Effects and Positioning tab to fine-tune your dock’s appearance; use Dock Contents to display open windows on the dock too (perfect if you hide the main Taskbar from the General tab).

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