Start Menu
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The Start Menu and Start Button are user interface elements in the Microsoft Windows product line, which serve as the central launching point for applications. By default, the Start Button is visible at all times in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. It features the Windows logo and the word "start". Clicking the Start Button activates the Start Menu.
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 get help, and access to the system settings. Windows XP's Start Menu was expanded to include access to the My Documents folders, and a readily-accessible list of the most used programs.
Technically, the Start Menu is not needed at all, as any programs and files can be opened by navigating to them in the Windows Explorer interface. However, the Start Menu provides a much easier way to open programs, even for experienced users. Microsoft use the Start Menu more in each version of Windows as a way to shield novice users from the complexities of the operating system. For example, in Windows XP, the root, Program Files and Windows folders are hidden from the user by default, and access to programs is expected to be achieved through the Start Menu.
History
In the earliest versions of Windows, a program called MS-DOS Executive provided basic file management and program menu capability. This was eventually replaced by the programs File Manager and Program Manager in Windows 3.0, with the Program Manager taking on the role of the program menu.
The Program Manager was a full windowed application, which required the whole screen to be used effectively. It consisted of a simple multiple document interface which allowed users to open "program groups" and then execute the shortcuts to programs contained within.
Windows 95 was the version in which the Program Manager was superseded by the Start Menu, which condensed the Program Manager into a popup menu that could be accessed at any time. It also boasted several advantages over the Program Manager, such as the ability to nest groups within other groups.
Later developments in Internet Explorer 4.0 and Windows 98 allowed users to customize the Start Menu much more easily by dragging shortcuts to it from the Windows Explorer shell.
Technical details
The Start Menu is actually just a folder located on the hard drive. From Windows 95 to Me, it is located, by default, in C:\Windows\Start Menu, and individual users' menus are located in C:\Windows\Profiles\username\Start Menu. In Windows XP, the menu is located in C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu for individual users.
All subfolders of the Start Menu folder appear as groups on the menu itself. It is possible to store any files within these folders, and they will appear on the Start Menu, but the main use is to place shortcut files within the Start Menu folders, to allow the programs they point to to be executed.
Symbolism
The "Start Button" and its menu were lauded as a leap forward in user friendliness and interface design when they were first introduced in Windows 95. The symbol of the Start Button was, and still is, used to advertise the product. Furthermore, Microsoft have embraced the word "start" as their "catch word", and it is frequently used in their advertising even today.
