Windows 10: Can I modify/customise, add to the "Most Used list?

Not sure what Microsoft is thinking, but the "most used" list...isn't functioning as you would expect.
I want programs I launch often to go there, with the recent file list fly out, that's the most user-friendly feature brought over from Windows 7....
However, I've no idea what Windows uses to identify "most used"
I use one program every single day, it never appears.
A program I used a few times over a month ago is still in the list, when I chose to remove it, no other programs replaced it...why wouldn't the next most used program appear?
How do I set the number of programs to list...the number grows and reduces all on it's own...it's quite bizarre.
This would all be fine if I could CHOOSE to add programs to the start menu (The "real" one, NOT the "modern" one, with it's useless huge icons)..but...you can't!!!
Anyone found a registry key or something that will allow for some of these annoyances to be changed?

:)

 

How to add apps to the most used apps list on the startup menu in Windows 10?

There are 6 apps listed as most used. How do I add more? I'd like to have about 10 or 12.

 

How to add apps to the most used apps list on the startup menu in Windows 10?

Hi Jessie,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I understand that you would like to increase the number of apps listed under Most used app in the start menu in Windows 10. I will be glad to assist you.

I would like to inform you that you cannot increase the number of apps situated under the Most used apps. The maximum number of apps which it can show at a time is 6. The number of apps you go on using recently, it will be shown
rotation by rotation in the most used apps but at a time it can show you only 6 most recent apps that you have used.

Hope the above information was helpful. If you need further assistance, please do let us know and we would be happy to help you.

Thank you.

 

That word, "useless". It works fine for me to pin items to the start menu.... I think we have very different ideas of what "useless" means.





Regardless, I've found that if you have an item pinned somewhere else, like to your taskbar, or in the start menu, it won't appear on the most used list. Also, only items you start from the start menu will be listed there. If you start apps from a desktop shortcut, it won't be listed, for instance.

 

Pin Word to the Modern start menu, what do you get?
An icon with a "W" image on it.
Find Word in your "Most Used list" Ohh, neat, a little triangle pops put all my most recent Word documents.
Same with Excel, etc etc.
Now the fastest way to open a SPECIFIC document is Click-Click->Click.

I ONLY have this program in the "All Apps" area, which is where I launch it every single time.

 

That's not useless. Maybe you find that less useful, but it's obviously not useless, unless you can't open the app from the icon.

Has it ever been pinned somewhere else? It sounds like you might have pinned it to your start menu to discover that you can't use the jump lists, then unpinned it, and now expect it to be in Most used...

 

1. Let's stop worrying about pendantics, I don't like the Modern start menu, prefer not to use it, end of story.
2. No, never, I already knew about the limitations of the Modern Start Menu...
However, why would that act stop the program being "Most used"? Note I'm not referring to the "Newly Added" area...

 

Modern screen like or dislikes apart, I find this the easiest compromise.
I don't like to see a row of icons on my taskbar or desktop, so I have:
1, Eliminated , through settings...Personalisation.. .Start, all those functions. Show recent Apps..etc).

2. My frequently used programs I have pinned to start.
Clickety click and they are open.

 

I apologize, but I feel that words have meanings, and using a word to mean something else just makes it that much harder to communicate. It's fine that you don't like it, but don't say it's "useless". "useless to me", or "not useful to me" would be much better.

I don't know why, but that's the way it is. You can see this by right clicking on anything in the "Most Used" and choosing "Pin to start" or "pin to taskbar" and it disappears from the most used menu.

 

I don't know the criteria MS uses for the MFU list, but I share your pain. I have a different complaint - I don't like the small list, but that's not germane.

The jumplist in the small start list is a nice feature - you might consider pinning your most used applications to the Taskbar as an alternative and access the jumplists from there.

You could also create a Taskbar toolbar that has shortcuts to your most used applications. I drag an alternate Start menu toolbar all the way to the left (tricky - it might take a few 'drag' ops to get it all the way left).
Create a folder, create shortcuts in the folder, create a new toolbar thta points to the folder you created for your MFU applications.

There are options - that's always been the nice thing about Windows.

 

That doesn't sound like a good way to implement MRU queues. But as you said I don't know why, but that's the way it is.. Perhaps that will change between now and RTM, if it falls in the high priority category (doubtful).

I do know that the disappearance from new items list is a new change. I fed MS a report that basically said "Why do I have to pin-to-XYZ and then remove the item from the list". Sure , it's a different list, but there might be common code.

 

Another option, which requires an extra click, is to rename your start-menu links to start with a number, like 0-Whatever.. then they will appear at the top of the "All Apps" list, complete with jumplists.

 

yes

 

I wanted to use the jump menus in Excel as I had a couple of spreadsheets I update frequently, one being a check register (not many checks but debit needs tracked). Anyway, I had Excel pinned to the start on the right side, but no jump menus are there. I had settled for pinning it to the taskbar, which I loathed, but it was better than nothing. Dragging and dropping on the start menu was useless, the "All Apps" shortcut didn't offer the jump menu, and a search of appdata and the registry yielded nothing. Finally, I removed Excel from the "tile side" and low and behold, it magically appeared in my "Most Used" section complete with functioning jump menus. FINALLY!!!





Now to rejigger my Start Menu with other needed items. I have been enjoying Win 10. Now I can relax with the mystery solved. *Biggrin

 

Yes, but something went wrong for me. I ended up with two entries for Microsoft Word in the 'Most Used' listed, so I removed one - and they both went! Now, I can no longer get it back into the list. Where are the settings to re-instate it?
I don't like the new menu system but it is gradually growing on me - like a fungus.