In Windows Vista, however, cascading menus were replaced by a sliding window in the left pane of the Start menu. Prior to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, the Start menu consisted of a group of menus and sub-menus that cascaded and expanded, obscuring the initially visible portions of the screen beneath them. Windows Vista and its successors added minor changes to the menu. When this menu item is selected, a scrolling list of Start menu programs replaces the user/recent list. A sub-menu item at the bottom of this column grants access to all items of Start menu. Users may opt to "pin" programs to this side of the Start menu so that they are always accessible. Commonly used programs are automatically displayed in the left-hand menu. The contents of this column can be customized. This column also includes shortcuts for Computer and Network ( Network Neighborhood in Windows 95 and 98), which were placed on the Desktop in prior versions of Windows. The Start menu was expanded to two columns: the left-hand column focuses on installed programs, while the right-hand column provides access to My Documents, My Pictures, My Music and other special folders. The first major overhaul to the Start menu was introduced in Windows XP and was later included in Windows Server 2003. However, it is absent in Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and other later Windows releases. This version of the Start menu is also available in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Items could also be simply added to the Start menu by dragging and dropping them.Īlthough Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 introduced a new version of Start menu, they offered the ability to switch back to this version of Start menu. Later developments in Internet Explorer and subsequent Windows releases make it possible to customize the Start menu and to access and expand Internet Explorer Favorites, My Documents and Administrative Tools ( Windows 2000 and later) from the Start menu. The menu also offered the ability to shut down and log off from their computer. The latter was comparable in some respects with the Apple menu in Mac OS operating systems and did not have the mentioned limitations of Program Manager: Being a menu, it allowed nested grouping while keeping only one group open at the time. Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 replaced Program Manager with desktop and Start menu. It lacked the ability to nest groups within other groups. Program Manager consisted of a simple multiple document interface (MDI) which allowed users to open separate "program groups" and then execute the shortcuts to programs contained within. It was made to overcome the shortcomings of Program Manager in previous operating systems. The Start menu was introduced in Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, but had been worked on at Microsoft since 1992, originally being labelled as "System" to testers of the time. Until Windows Vista, the Start menu was constantly expanded across the screen as the user navigated through its cascading sub-menus. Windows XP's Start menu was expanded to encompass various My Documents folders (including My Music and My Pictures), and transplanted other items like My Computer and My Network Places from the Windows desktop. Later enhancements via Windows Desktop Update included access to special folders such as "My Documents" and "Favorites" (browser bookmarks). Traditionally, the Start menu provided a customizable nested list of programs for the user to launch, as well as a list of most recently opened documents, a way to find files and obtain assistance, and access to the system settings. It has different names in different operating systems and window managers, such as Kickoff Application Launcher in KDE, Dash in GNOME and Unity, and Start screen in Windows 8. It provides a central launching point for computer programs and performing other tasks. The Start menu is a graphical user interface element used in Microsoft Windows since Windows 95 and in some other operating systems.
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