Windows 10: AllApps menu alternative

Dave,

Create a new folder and drop a copy of this in it

Applications.{4234d49b-0245-4df3-b780-3893943456e1} ..........then just click on it...

Let us know what you get

Here's more of them............. simple registry junctions points

Desktop.{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921}
Network.{7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}
Programs.{7b81be6a-ce2b-4676-a29e-eb907a5126c5}
Sharing.{8E908FC9-BECC-40f6-915B-F4CA0E70D03D}
Taskbar.{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}

Another edit, in case you missed the GodMode entry released by Ed Bott several years ago........

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

I use all of them in all versions of Windows. Win7,Win8.1 and Win10
YMMV *Cool

 

Good morning Edwin(it's morning my time). I tried your suggestion by opening Bill's shortcut and then chose "select all" >right clicked file explore and chose "create shortcut", which created all the shortcuts and placed them in the Desktop folder. I then created a folder in documents called "Quick AllApps" and moved them there. created a shortcut for it & customized it(gave it the "A" icon see my taskbar next to IE).

I then right clicked the new shortcut, but couldn't pin it directly to the taskbar, but to Start Menu. once it was in the Start Menu I then right clicked it again and had the option to pin to taskbar.

Now I can customize the icon view(large, small, tiles---etc.). The only thing is the Navigation Pane settings(on/off) can't be set individually for specific "pages" in File Explorer. For me this is no big deal because I usually have it off except when I move files & Folders.


So this is what I have now and it always opens like this:

Attachment 18999

 

Slartybart, what was the feedback you gave MS? So we can find and "me too" it.

 

Additional note: you can get rid of the word shortcut by clicking rename and deleting it. Also Grouping & Sort by also stick if you decide to tweak the view.

 

See my last post, Wynona. I started over from scratch and sorted it. Since then, I decided it didn't suit me so I have deleted again.

 

I was asked, so I answered:
Attachment 19000

 

I decided in the end, to have a better try at customising the existing Start screen. Still working with it, but, so far:

Attachment 19003

Much the same as the old Windows 8 start window and still only a click away.

 

Yeah, I saw that. My thought was that maybe if you right click and "Open File Location" was available, you could pin from there.

 

I am glad to see many members helping others (and me too!) try to resolve what MS should offer (a choice of or customizable Start menu).

The special character (tilde ~ ) is not on the MS "do not use" list. It's always hairy to use characters outside of the norm.
So, it is a good idea to use only alpha-numeric chars in the folder and file names, even though the 'special' chars should not present a problem - who knows if some rookie coder missed the memo *Wink

Fraker: I have fed MS many times on the start menu, but I can't seem to find my feedback (another feedback I gave - "How about listing our own feedbacks?") You can see a count (mine hasn't moved since they began showing it), but you can't say "Find my feedback"
--> It's probably best to enter new feedback, even though it does seem that feedback is a popularity contest. In some ways. that makes sense, but in other ways, it is too easily manipulated. I think MS is doing a really good job processing all the feedback.

I've spent a few hours (days?) trying to find a suitable workaround to a few issues. This is my 7th install of 10_074 (man can I break a system or what *Smile )

Thanks Roger - that might be an easy solution to the presentation I'm trying to get nailed down.

A few other simple solutions would be
add a toolbar to the taskbar that points directly to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
make a link to that folder and pin the link anywhere you wish
export Start and make it the way you want, then live with a static Start (I did finally get an export to work - no idea why previous attempts failed)
I think I had 2 or 3 other options, but can't recall them now ... oh well .. I'm on the hunt for launching immersive shell instead of Windows shell. Funny thing, there's a workaround on askVG that describes a differnt option, but the reference to EdgeUi got my attention (this was written back in 2013, sooo Edge has been around)

The more input and more members trying different things helps everyone. Maybe if MS catches wind and peeks, they might be motivated to 'fix' this in some way that is manageable for them AND end users. I can't believe it is that difficult to offer a choice - they have many variants.

ok, I'm off to try Roger's suggestion in a folder that has a layout I want - will it stick or will the UI force the layout?

I'll post what I find out.

Bill
.

 

Roger,

Either I misread your instructions or screwed something up.
I couldn't drop the string in the folder, so I put it in the name of the folder. That worked, but if you rename the folder, it stops working. I also couldn't get the layout the way I wanted (list view, sorted by name)

so I switched back to control panel.

I was building one from scratch when a member said "Hey Bill .. Brink wrote a tut". Of course he did *Wink
Control Panel All Tasks Shortcut - Create in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forumsand in a funny response to Edwin's query about a uniVersal version, Shawn pointed to:
Settings - Open in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
Roger also posted about Godmode in that thread. I'll have to try that as well (although I'm not sure I did the Applications folder he suggested correctly - oh well, this is fun stuff!)

So, I was in my 'workshop' folder and saw the Control Panel (CPL) .. thought hey, let's see if the same thing I used for Applications works for CPL.

What was that thing, you ask?
Right click the address bar in File Explorer (breadcrumbs view, not the path)
select copy address
navigate to a new folder
right click
paste shortcut

That does all of the heavy lifting.

Here are both versions in one zip (cPanelShawn & cPanelBill)
cPanels.zip
Don't forget to wash behind your ears and unblock.

Bill
.

 

It is a great lead in the direction of reviving the modern start screen. Is there a chance that the icons could be grouped? For clarity, that is the way I use it in Windows 8.1
No offence, but I would find it a hindrance to work with such a "busy" menu as is shown in posts #4 or, particularly, #30
No kidding, I follow and admire the effort and intention, but, for the moment, I am finding the closest thing to the old modern screen is a customised start menu, which can, of course, be grouped.

 

Thanks Dave,

That IS the dilemma with this workaround then isn't it? The layout ... the layout ... the layout *Wink

Everyone has they're preferences, so no offence should be taken.

If I could bring back the Win8.1 Start screen that would be my preference.
If MS offered the full Screen, full All Apps as a choice that would be my real preference (that's where we started with this 8.2 (versioning numerically 8+2=10). Then it got terrible, but it is getting better. Cosmetic changes are always reserved for last ... after all of the hard work is completed. This usually means things slip through the cracks.

I have no problem keeping up with technology, but I haven't seen any improvement over the Win8.1 Screen and All Apps.
I do wish they'd stop calling it Start though .. it's a menu and a list. Start hasn't been on the button since XP, and now they bring it back ... Why? The 'neat' floating and transparency does nothing for me, absolutely nothing. I don't see why the Screen has to be docked to the top and right though - I think it should be 'windowed' just like everything else. Of course some folks probably like it there, so add a dock option.

So, I'll keep plugging away on this and a few other issues. My followup list is fairly short at this point, now I'm having fun.
I posted or have to post about 30 new feeds, so far, for 10_074. That's not including the ones that are carrying over from previous builds.

All in all, it's a good build, I wouldn't pay for it though *Wink

 

@Slartybart have you seen what I sent Microsoft in post #34.

 

Agreed also on your last.

I am not recommending to anyone of my acquaintance that, at this time, they pay for it. This is whether they are happy with 8.1 or Windows 7. There is no real advantage. This particular for large organisations who are having to watch their budgets more closely these days.