OT: XP's ugly Start button
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OT: XP's ugly Start button
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Terry Pinnell
Guest
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:20 pm    Post subject: OT: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

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Tam/WB2TT
Guest
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 10:02 pm    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
Quote:
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Right click on START. Choose OPTIONS, Then pick CLASSIC interface.


Tam
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Terry Pinnell
Guest
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:24 pm    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote:

Quote:

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Right click on START. Choose OPTIONS, Then pick CLASSIC interface.

Tam


"....I'm trying the XP style."

--
Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK

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martin griffith
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:43 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 17:24:17 +0000, in sci.electronics.design Terry
Pinnell <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote:

Quote:
"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote:


"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Right click on START. Choose OPTIONS, Then pick CLASSIC interface.

Tam


"....I'm trying the XP style."

OK, you've tried it, now go back to Classic!
Honestly, I gave up on XP, the icons are too big, I need a bigger
monitor


martin

Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
Back to top
Anders F
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:17 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
"martin griffith" <martingriffith@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:sfg701t7kbb1ut99i3dkl9fijc1mgfj4br@4ax.com...
Quote:
"....I'm trying the XP style."

OK, you've tried it, now go back to Classic!
Honestly, I gave up on XP, the icons are too big, I need a bigger
monitor

Seems OK in 1600*1200@20" imho.... But since you can set their size on pixel
basis (at least it seems so on Display Properties\Appearance\Advanced\Item
dropdown=Icon) the icon size shouldn't be the reason for disliking XP ;-)

Have a nice weekend!
/Anders


Quote:

martin

Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
Back to top
Active8
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:02 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 17:24:17 +0000, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Quote:
"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote:


"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Right click on START. Choose OPTIONS, Then pick CLASSIC interface.

Tam


"....I'm trying the XP style."

I've been through the settings before and I think you're stuck. If
you can divert your attention from the start button, you'll see the
XP style is gay and switch back.

You could do a registry search on "start" and F3 your way through it
in your spare time.
--
Best Regards,
Mike
Back to top
Martin Riddle
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:32 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
Check the www.pcmag.com web site.
I think there is a way to fill your own bmp's in the start menu.

Cheers

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
Quote:
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Back to top
Terry Pinnell
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:41 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
"Anders F" <af-spam@hi5.dk> wrote:

Quote:
"martin griffith" <martingriffith@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:sfg701t7kbb1ut99i3dkl9fijc1mgfj4br@4ax.com...
"....I'm trying the XP style."

OK, you've tried it, now go back to Classic!
Honestly, I gave up on XP, the icons are too big, I need a bigger
monitor

Seems OK in 1600*1200@20" imho.... But since you can set their size on pixel
basis (at least it seems so on Display Properties\Appearance\Advanced\Item
dropdown=Icon) the icon size shouldn't be the reason for disliking XP ;-)

Have a nice weekend!
/Anders

1600*1200?! You must be at least a couple of decades younger than me -
I'm using 1024 x 768!

Here's what Start looks like back in Classic.
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XPStartClassic.gif

As you saw from my earlier screen shot,
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif
the XP version is not only garishly coloured but also has a *relative*
size grossly disproportionate to other icons.

--
Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
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Terry Pinnell
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:51 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
Active8 <reply2group@ndbbm.net> wrote:

Quote:
On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 17:24:17 +0000, Terry Pinnell wrote:

"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote:


"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Right click on START. Choose OPTIONS, Then pick CLASSIC interface.

Tam


"....I'm trying the XP style."

I've been through the settings before and I think you're stuck. If
you can divert your attention from the start button, you'll see the
XP style is gay and switch back.

Yeah, I'm back in Classic at the moment, after I suppose an hour at
most in XP (Luna) style this afternoon, and sort of missing it!

Quote:
You could do a registry search on "start" and F3 your way through it
in your spare time.

Struck me as a worthy longshot, but...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CREATIVE TECH\Audio HQ\CTAUTOEA\Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GoldWave\GoldWave\Auto Cue
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Jasc\Paint Shop Pro
8\JascToolText\Text\Segments\0000
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TFI Technology Ltd\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Kookaburra\CookiePal\Reg
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TFI Technology Ltd\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\GlobalLogger
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Abiosdsk
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\abp480n5
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ACPI

....after the first 10 tediously-derived hits proved irrelevant, I've
given up!

--
Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
Fri 4 February 2005, 23:50 UK time
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Guy Macon
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:52 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
....is just one more reason to switch to Linux.

Here is a much better reason to switch to Linux:

http://www.google.com/search?q=gates+focus+interview
Back to top
keith
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:18 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 23:41:32 +0000, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Quote:
"Anders F" <af-spam@hi5.dk> wrote:

"martin griffith" <martingriffith@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:sfg701t7kbb1ut99i3dkl9fijc1mgfj4br@4ax.com...
"....I'm trying the XP style."

OK, you've tried it, now go back to Classic!
Honestly, I gave up on XP, the icons are too big, I need a bigger
monitor

Seems OK in 1600*1200@20" imho.... But since you can set their size on pixel
basis (at least it seems so on Display Properties\Appearance\Advanced\Item
dropdown=Icon) the icon size shouldn't be the reason for disliking XP ;-)

Have a nice weekend!
/Anders

1600*1200?! You must be at least a couple of decades younger than me -
I'm using 1024 x 768!

I doubt that I'm a couple of decades younger than you (perhaps Fields,
but...) and I use 1600x1200 on my 15" laptop screen. I have the smallest
icons Win2K will do and use 9pt fonts at times. ...and don't wear
glasses, yet.

If you need to run 1024x768 on a 20" display, you are *blind*. ;-)

--
Keith
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Active8
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:33 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 23:51:50 +0000, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Quote:
Active8 <reply2group@ndbbm.net> wrote:

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 17:24:17 +0000, Terry Pinnell wrote:

"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote:


"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Right click on START. Choose OPTIONS, Then pick CLASSIC interface.

Tam


"....I'm trying the XP style."

I've been through the settings before and I think you're stuck. If
you can divert your attention from the start button, you'll see the
XP style is gay and switch back.

Yeah, I'm back in Classic at the moment, after I suppose an hour at
most in XP (Luna) style this afternoon, and sort of missing it!

You could do a registry search on "start" and F3 your way through it
in your spare time.

Struck me as a worthy longshot, but...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CREATIVE TECH\Audio HQ\CTAUTOEA\Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GoldWave\GoldWave\Auto Cue
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Jasc\Paint Shop Pro
8\JascToolText\Text\Segments\0000
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TFI Technology Ltd\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Kookaburra\CookiePal\Reg
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TFI Technology Ltd\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\GlobalLogger
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Abiosdsk
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\abp480n5
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ACPI

...after the first 10 tediously-derived hits proved irrelevant, I've
given up!

That's why I said, "... spare time." I've had to delete hundreds of
entries left behind from crap. I wouldn't be surprised if
StartButton made a better term. I suspect MS writes it like that -
no space.

But since you can switch back and forth, maybe a filter on MS keys
that change in a registry monitor when you do that would turn it up.
--
Best Regards,
Mike
Back to top
Jim Thompson
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:48 am    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 22:33:45 -0500, Active8 <reply2group@ndbbm.net>
wrote:

Quote:
On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 23:51:50 +0000, Terry Pinnell wrote:

Active8 <reply2group@ndbbm.net> wrote:

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 17:24:17 +0000, Terry Pinnell wrote:

"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote:


"Terry Pinnell" <terrypinDELETE@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:0s0701lh06717nuisb0o9a8b0b7vellfnb@4ax.com...
After years on good 'ol Windows Classic, I'm trying the XP style. I
could conceivably grow to love rounded corners and graded colour
fills. But that enormous green START button is too much!
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

I've posted to an XP NG, but anyone here know if there's a tweak or
hack to shrink it and change its colour please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Right click on START. Choose OPTIONS, Then pick CLASSIC interface.

Tam


"....I'm trying the XP style."

I've been through the settings before and I think you're stuck. If
you can divert your attention from the start button, you'll see the
XP style is gay and switch back.

Yeah, I'm back in Classic at the moment, after I suppose an hour at
most in XP (Luna) style this afternoon, and sort of missing it!

You could do a registry search on "start" and F3 your way through it
in your spare time.

Struck me as a worthy longshot, but...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CREATIVE TECH\Audio HQ\CTAUTOEA\Settings
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GoldWave\GoldWave\Auto Cue
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Jasc\Paint Shop Pro
8\JascToolText\Text\Segments\0000
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TFI Technology Ltd\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Kookaburra\CookiePal\Reg
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TFI Technology Ltd\Start
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\WMI\GlobalLogger
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Abiosdsk
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\abp480n5
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ACPI

...after the first 10 tediously-derived hits proved irrelevant, I've
given up!

That's why I said, "... spare time." I've had to delete hundreds of
entries left behind from crap. I wouldn't be surprised if
StartButton made a better term. I suspect MS writes it like that -
no space.

But since you can switch back and forth, maybe a filter on MS keys
that change in a registry monitor when you do that would turn it up.

Spend some money, RegSupreme Pro, let it automatically clean your
Registry and keep backups.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
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classd101
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 3:02 pm    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
Guy Macon <_see.web.page_@_www.guymacon.com_> wrote in message news:<11083am549002af@corp.supernews.com>...
Quote:
...is just one more reason to switch to Linux.

Here is a much better reason to switch to Linux:

http://www.google.com/search?q=gates+focus+interview

An even better reason is because updates will only be available for
those with legal versions :) I'm sure there'll be a work around
though.. ahem.

XP "style"... blech. Regardless of whether or not you like the XP
style, the fact remains it is simply a theme, and themes are simply
resource hogs, in fact it's enough of a hog that lesser computers
can't be run with it enabled, yet work more than fine without it. Even
if your computer can handle the load, you still have to wait around
for it to finish animating every little menu and ...... no.

Press windows logo key + pause (properties hotkeys), click advanced,
click on settings under performance, scroll through the window just to
see all the junk they've got enabled, then click on "adjust for best
performance" and apply it.

Then you can go a step further and go into services to disable themes
so that it doesn't even load at boot (start/run "services.msc" but
that probably wont' work on home edition. You can still use the newer
start menu like this, and it has a plain vanilla icon! Also right
click on the start menu, properties, beside "start menu" (first one,
not the classic) click on customize. You'll then see "select an icon
size for programs" select small icon.

Of course if you find the grey look depressing, you can still mess
with colors through desktop properties just like before.

Linux is great, but know thy enemy.

Regards
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Terry Pinnell
Guest
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:33 pm    Post subject: Re: XP's ugly Start button Reply with quote
c_bielek@hotmail.com (classd101) wrote:

Quote:
Guy Macon <_see.web.page_@_www.guymacon.com_> wrote in message news:<11083am549002af@corp.supernews.com>...
...is just one more reason to switch to Linux.

Here is a much better reason to switch to Linux:

http://www.google.com/search?q=gates+focus+interview

An even better reason is because updates will only be available for
those with legal versions :) I'm sure there'll be a work around
though.. ahem.

XP "style"... blech. Regardless of whether or not you like the XP
style, the fact remains it is simply a theme, and themes are simply
resource hogs, in fact it's enough of a hog that lesser computers
can't be run with it enabled, yet work more than fine without it. Even
if your computer can handle the load, you still have to wait around
for it to finish animating every little menu and ...... no.

Press windows logo key + pause (properties hotkeys), click advanced,
click on settings under performance, scroll through the window just to
see all the junk they've got enabled, then click on "adjust for best
performance" and apply it.

Thanks. Can't say I've noticed a performance hit, but then it's ages
since I last tweaked those settings. (BTW, the System Properties
hotkey is {Windows + Break}; 'Pause' is the shifted key.)

Anyway, I see I had 4 of those 16 set. I've rest for 'Performance'
(all options off), and I'll see if I notice any performance change (or
miss whatever modest cosmetics I'd been getting!)


Quote:
Then you can go a step further and go into services to disable themes
so that it doesn't even load at boot (start/run "services.msc" but
that probably wont' work on home edition.

Yes, it does. In fact, when I first came to look for this XP theme
yesterday, it wasn't in the drop-down menus of Display Properties. I
eventually discovered that Services>Themes wasn't started, and on
correcting that I was able to use the XP (Luna) theme.

Quote:
You can still use the newer
start menu like this, and it has a plain vanilla icon! Also right
click on the start menu, properties, beside "start menu" (first one,
not the classic) click on customize. You'll then see "select an icon
size for programs" select small icon.

That's always one of the first steps I take. But, of course, it makes
no difference to the relative size of the Start icon, as shown in my
opening post:
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/XP-Start.gif

Quote:
Of course if you find the grey look depressing, you can still mess
with colors through desktop properties just like before.

Not sure how much scope there is there. The objective that prompted
this was to get a more obvious distinction on the active (focused) tab
in Firefox. All tabs were grey, and all their text was black. With
15-20 tabs open, it was hard to spot the active one. The OS's XP style
reached into Firefox (as to all applications) and made the distinction
very obvious (including an orange streak across any 'focused' tabs).

--
Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
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