Tip #4550 - Don't Highlight That!
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Don't
Highlight That!
Have you ever
noticed that Windows XP always highlights the new programs you install
on your computer in the Start menu? I mean, it’s helpful if
you’re new to computers and you’re not sure where to go
after installing a new program, but sometimes Windows will also highlight
multiple aspects of the installed programs that aren't really necessary,
such as the "Read Me" files and so on. Plus, those items
remain highlighted until you actually run them. That can get quite
annoying, especially once you become more experienced with your computer
and know where the items go once they’re installed. Talk about
frustrating!
If you let it
continue, your Start menu will start to look like an orange striped
zebra! That is, unless you go through and run every program you install
at least once (and many times more often than that, because for some
unknown reason, some programs will be rehighlighted after restarting
your computer). Who has time for all that?! So, if you would prefer
not to have to go through all of that, there is a way you can get
back to normal. Here's how you can turn the highlighting feature off
in Windows XP. Let's go!
First, as with
most things, we will begin with the Start menu. It
looks like this:
Next, use your
right mouse button and right click on any blank space on the Start
menu. That will bring up an option to go to the Taskbar and
Start Menu Properties window:
From there, click
on the Properties button when it comes up. Now, you
can also right click on the actual Start button to bring up a menu
where you can select Properties. Either way brings up the same screen.
Once the Taskbar
and Start Menu Properties window is open, about half-way down, you
will see a Customize button on the first screen next to the version
of the Start menu you have selected. (It will be either the Start
Menu, which is the original Windows XP style or the Classic Start
Menu, which gives it the appearance of earlier versions of Windows).
For this tip, we will be dealing with the Customize options under
the first default setting of the regular Windows XP Start menu. So,
click on the Customize button to bring up the next
screen:
Next, you will
see the Customize Start Menu window. At the top of that, there are
two tabs: General and Advanced. Click on the Advanced
tab to proceed.
Under the Advanced
tab, the second option is “Highlight Newly Installed
Programs” with a checkbox next to it to either enable
or disable this feature. To turn it off, just make sure the checkbox
is unchecked. Alternatively, if you are following these instructions
to turn this feature back on, make sure the box is checked.
Now, all that’s
left for us to do is save the settings and close out the windows.
To do that, simply find the OK button at the bottom
of the Customize Start Menu pane:
Then just repeat
this step in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window (you can
either hit the OK button by itself or hit the Apply button, followed
by the OK button. In this case, both of them will do the same thing).
There you have
it! Now, you don’t have to see every newly installed program
highlighted until you run it. It makes for a cleaner looking desktop
and it can always be switched back at a moment's notice. Give it a
try today!
~ Brandon Freund
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