What does my desktop need and what now?

[Rahwgwar]

You tell me...............The real purpose of this thread is to let me know how to make shortcuts to my fav programs other than using the desktop. I use Quick Launch and I notice how everyone else has a nice, clean desktop with no more than 10 icons on it. What other ways are there to access your fav programs quickly? I have about 30 and I still have to install quite a bit of programs. What the hell do you guys do with those? Do you just access them through the Start Menu? I like quick access to a lot of the programs that I use and the ones I have on my desktop are the ones I use most frequently. Stupid thread at first glance, I know, but this will help me quite a bit. Any suggestions are appreciated regarding this and anything else.

[cpugeniusmv]

i personally have no desktop icons, i only do when i'm working on stuff (like an ACTUAL desktop!) i keep all my icons in the quick launch folder in subdirectories, and i resize it so that they show up as menus...as pictured.

[isus]

i do that too, except without the folders, and i do keep 10 icons, which are the things i use most on a day to day basis... other than that, i keep things clean, bc i usually run milkdrop on the desktop, and i hate icons covering that up.

[phalkon30]

XP has this cool little feature, just set the # of shortcuts MS makes to 0, and add your own, it works for me

I dont use the quick launch at all

See the icons on my desktop, thats ALL of them

I have my menus come out instantly, and its all tweaked, so they actually come out in real time (overclocked my gfx card), so if I need something, it takes me very little time to start the program

I also rarely see my desktop, I'm allways multi tasking, so its a pain to minimize all my windows and get it off the desktop, when the start menu goes on top...

[chipperrox]

Man my desktop has icons accross the screen! it has about 30-40 of em, who the hell cares, its not like they are killing my computer. They jus sit there all harmless...

[phalkon30]

Here is a better shot (the last one is fuzzy because my screen res is 1280x1024, which is WAY above what ZP accepts)

btw, for the few times I actually see my desktop, its nice to have it clean, I think it looks better, and I dont have to sort through a ton of items

I also tend to use my desktop as a temp folder, I unpack stuff to it all the time, and I dont want a ton of icons being confused with program files

[Rahwgwar]

Holy crap, Phalkon. How big of a monitor do you have? lol. And is that bar on the right side Trillian? Is it just me or does classic Windows style run faster? Anyway I see what you mean and that was actually pretty helpful. I'm aiming for the same kinda thing. Also, how do you get your My Computer tab in the Start Menu to open up like that? Thanks dude.

I'm gonna do a combo of quick launch, toolbar and start menu.

Errr...Is their another way to add programs in the Start Menu other than dragging and dropping? Gracias a todos para la ayuda. Later, I will post a new pic of my desktop and hopefully it will be "approved" so to speak by all you computer inspectors, lol.

[phalkon30]

http://acm.jhu.edu/~jerrick2/MdXP2/mdxp.htm for the Trillian skin I use

19" monitor, or I can send it with my wireless X10 kit to my 25" tv for the ultimate in gaming :) (I skimped out on the rest of my computer parts just to get this thing, $150 at Sams club, its the most expensive part on my comp, and IMO the best investment I've made in this thing)

Windows clasic helped my fgx card a lot, and I saved a ton of ram, what also helped, is to remove the shadow under menu's, they went from near a second in lag time, to virtually instant when I turned that off

(see screenshot to make My Computer a menu, not a link)

I can't find the folder for the extended start menu, I can find how to place them at the top of the real start menu though. I just right click>drag, it seems to work pretty well, and its not hard to do, just remember to set the option to 0, so that MS doesnt automaticly replace the shortcuts on your next boot
Gracias a todos para la ayuda
De nada senior!

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by phalkon30


I can't find the folder for the extended start menu, I can find how to place them at the top of the real start menu though. I just right click>drag, it seems to work pretty well, and its not hard to do, just remember to set the option to 0, so that MS doesnt automaticly replace the shortcuts on your next boot


Sorry to throw you off guard being that I'm still a damn n00b, but what in the blue hell are you talkin about? I know how to set my own programs and not let the recently used programs display. Is that what you mean?

[Mr. Sleazy]

The only icon on my desktop is the recycle bin, and I'd get rid of that one if I know how. I access everything through the start menu and quick launch. It might take a couple extra seconds to open a program, but that's no big deal to me. I just don't like icons covering up a background I like.

[phalkon30]

Originally posted by Rahwgwar
Errr...Is their another way to add programs in the Start Menu other than dragging and dropping?
I was looking for the folder to drop shortcuts to, I thought thats what you were looking for

The only icon on my desktop is the recycle bin, and I'd get rid of that one if I know how. I access everything through the start menu and quick launch. It might take a couple extra seconds to open a program, but that's no big deal to me. I just don't like icons covering up a background I like.

Right click on the desktop, then go to properties >Desktop tab> Customize Desktop button > then uncheck what you don't want to appear

[Rahwgwar]

What does the option set to 0 mean? Under Start Menu Properties>Start Menu Tab>Customize>Advanced Tab, I have 'list my most recently opened docs' unchecked. Will that suffice?

[phalkon30]

On that same window, go to the general tab, and under programs, change that to 0, that way windows won't list any of your most recently opened programs

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by phalkon30
On that same window, go to the general tab, and under programs, change that to 0, that way windows won't list any of your most recently opened programs

Thanks Phalkon. Sorry for the inconvenience. Problem solved and it was right under my nose, lol. I feel so dumb now.

[d-koolest]

The dock in OS X takes care of that. You can set up more than one and switch between them too.It even adds drives and network stuff to the dock for you.:wings

[phalkon30]

Stardock does the same thing, but I'd prefer not to run 3rd party software if I can do basicly the same thing with windows

Glad to help Rahwgwar, nice to know that wasting my life on this computer can actually benefit somebody...

[collideous]

I use custom toolbars for History, Favorites, My Music, My Documents, and Programs in my taskbar. Just right-click your taskbar, select Toolbars -> New Toolbar. See it in action here (http://www.collideous.com/screenshots/screen-021603.jpg).

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by collideous
I use custom toolbars for History, Favorites, My Music, My Documents, and Programs in my taskbar. Just right-click your taskbar, select Toolbars -> New Toolbar. See it in action here (http://www.collideous.com/screenshots/screen-021603.jpg).

Damn, collideous. That's hella nice. Where did you get that shell?

[collideous]

Originally posted by Rahwgwar
Damn, collideous. That's hella nice. Where did you get that shell?

It's a StyleXP Theme called Darkbar, the bottom toolbar is the Object Dock (http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/), the information shown on the desktop is a custom configuration I wrote for Samurize (http://www.samurize.com/). Icons are a combination of FauxS-XP (Universal) and MMX. So in other words it's a bunch of things taken here and there to form a desktop that pleases (me) and is easy to use.

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by collideous
It's a StyleXP Theme called Darkbar, the bottom toolbar is the Object Dock (http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/), the information shown on the desktop is a custom configuration I wrote for Samurize (http://www.samurize.com/). Icons are a combination of FauxS-XP (Universal) and MMX. So in other words it's a bunch of things taken here and there to form a desktop that pleases (me) and is easy to use.

Interesting.....when I have time I'll give somea that a go. Thanks for those helpful links.

Hopefully, by tomorrow, I can get a pic up of my desktop, with just the base changes. NOTHING final at all and many more subcategories to go. It needs a lot more organizing, but everyone has helped me a lot in accomplishing this.

.

[Krell]

Originally posted by Mr. Sleazy
The only icon on my desktop is the recycle bin, and I'd get rid of that one if I know how. I access everything through the start menu and quick launch. It might take a couple extra seconds to open a program, but that's no big deal to me. I just don't like icons covering up a background I like.

In XP, right click the Desktop, expand the menu for Arrange Icons By > scroll down to Show Desktop Icons, deselect.

This way, you can "have them" and, not see them either.

.

[Rahwgwar]

EDIT: Screw it, I'm gonna post it and go to bed. Once again, I reiterate the fact that this IS NOT final, but just shows some progress. After all this, I will not post any more shots on this topic as it would be to no one's avail. 2 more shots to come......Time to wait for those fun desktop threads, lol

[Mr. Sleazy]

Thanks for the tip. Now the recycle bin is off my desktop. Hell,
I may put a few shortcut icons on knowing I can clear my desktop. Once again, thanks.

[nasrules]

Originally posted by collideous
It's a StyleXP Theme called Darkbar, the bottom toolbar is the Object Dock (http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/), the information shown on the desktop is a custom configuration I wrote for Samurize (http://www.samurize.com/). Icons are a combination of FauxS-XP (Universal) and MMX. So in other words it's a bunch of things taken here and there to form a desktop that pleases (me) and is easy to use.

thanks C i was gonna ask with dock everyone uses

[overdo]

collideous that is one sweet desktop:hole puts my puny efforts to shame. i'd sell my grandmother to have a desktop like that!

oh yeah if u want more icons on the main start menu bit, go to the properties bit then customize, then select small icons and change the number of programs on the start menu. u can make it full screen if u add enough.

[ThePillarOfAutumn]

http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/preview/sh/shilito34/screenpic.jpg

[Rahwgwar]

@ThePillarOfAutumn: Nice desktop! I agree that Halo is the "Shiat"

[Rahwgwar]

This will be the last pic. Here it is displaying the Start Menu.

[ThePillarOfAutumn]

TOOOO MANY PROGRAMS FOR WINDOWS MAN

I WILL BE MAKING THE MOVE TO XP SOON :shy

[cpugeniusmv]

Originally posted by ThePillarOfAutumn
I WILL BE MAKING THE MOVE TO XP SOON :shy
you'll love it ;-)

[ThePillarOfAutumn]

:shy