[Yellow Snow]

Is the XP Start menu too "busy" for you? Don't use Outlook Express and want to remove it from its top left "pinned" position on the Start menu, or even better, replace it with the email program you do use? Want to get rid of the links to My Documents and/or other folders on the right side? Want a permanent link to the Administrative Tools on the Start menu? Luckily, you can easily customize it to fit your own needs and preferences. Here's how:

1. Click an empty space on the Start menu and click Properties.
   
2. Click the General tab.
   
3. Here you can select whether to include your Web browser and/or e-mail client on the Start menu, and even better, which program to use for each.
   
4. Click the Advanced tab.
   
5. Under Start Menu Items, you can select which items to display on the right side of the Start menu, and you can also control how each is displayed. For instance, you can choose to display Control Panel as a menu instead of just a link.
   
6. On this tab, you can also select whether you want newly installed programs to be highlighted, whether submenus should be opened when you pause on them with your mouse (a feature that can be very annoying), and whether to list your most recently opened documents.