Personalize your Windows Vista

Change The Start Menu to personalize Windows Vista
Also by changing the Start menu you can personalize Windows Vista a bit more.
The Start menu of Windows Vista is divided in two columns. In the left column you see icons for programs, in the right column you see icons for folders and other parts.
The left column is divided in two groups. The parts above the divider line are 'sticked' to the Start menu and will always be displayed.
Below the devider line are the icons for programs which are used often. These icons will be added and removed automatically. By right clicking in the Start menu you can get the properties of this menu. Here you can configure the Start menu and the taskbar.

Click on the 'Start Menu' tab to customize this menu.

If you want your recently opened programs being displayed in the Start menu you should enable 'Store and display a list of recently opened programs'.

Here you can also choose for the classic Start menu like in previous windows versions.

Enlarge and move the taskbar
The taskbar doesn't have to be displayed at the bottom of your screen if you don't want that.
You can also change the size of it very easy.
If the taskbar isn't locked then you can simply move it or enlarge it.

To move the taskbar to a different location you do the following:

• Place your mouse pointer on an empty place on the taskbar.
• Press the left mouse button and drag the taskbar to the top of the screen for example and release the mouse button.

To enlarge the taskbar do the following:

• Place your mouse pointer on the upper edge of the taskbar. Now your mouse pointer gets a different pointer icon (taskbar should not be locked).
• Press the mouse button and drag the taskbar to enlarge it.

Add toolbars to the taskbar and personalize Windows Vista
You can add several toolbars to the taskbar or you can put these on another location on the desktop. To show or hide a toolbar you right click on the clock in the taskbar and you choose 'Toolbars' from the menu which appears.

Address: This toolbar you can compare with the address bar in your browser. You can type a URL to surf the internet in it.




Windows Media Player: A small Media Player toolbar will be showed in the taskbar when Media Player is opened and minimized. Here you can easy use the controls from it in your taskbar.

Links: Here are the links which are stored in the 'Links' folder of Internet Explorer . So you can navigate very easy to your links sites.

Tablet PC Input Panel: Using this toolbar you can open the panel for handwriting recognition for a tablet pc. This will not be showed in the taskbar but on the left side of the screen.