Multiple Column Start Menu

If you want to go back to the way the program menu was in Win95 then do this:
Go to Start, Run, type REGEDIT and hit OK, Now click the "+" by each following name to expand until you get to Advanced
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
click the Advanced folder to select it.
Right-click an empty area in the right hand window
Click New, String Value.
In the name box that appears, type
 { StartMenuScrollPrograms }  (all one word and it is case sensitive)press Enter.
Right-click the name you just created, then click Modify. In the Value Data box, type false, then click OK.
Close Registry

Sounds good, but it doesn't work.  Any other ideas.

There was two places that you could add this Dword, the one I listed was the one that worked on mine, here is the other:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer
Within the explorer folder, click the Advanced folder to select it.
Right-click an unoccupied area in the right hand pane.
Click New, String Value.
In the name box that appears, type StartMenuScrollPrograms (all one word and casesensitive)press Enter.
5. Right-click the name you just created, then click
Modify. In the Value Data box, type false, then click OK.

Ray333, Are you saying that a "Dword" or a "String Value" entry should be created. This could be the problem.

Another suggestion I would make is to restructure the program groups in programs into more logical grouping. Like a "Device Software" Group and put you device related software into that group etc. Also if you use MSOFFICE croup all it's icons into a group call MSOffice and maybe even put that in the actual start button.

Editing the start button is very easy, just right click it and choose explore.

String value, you caught that slip, I was playing around the registry and typed the wrong thing. I did get it right where I was explaining it, but sometimes my stupid fingers don't type what the mind tells them to

Thanks MindBlade, I also noticed the possible ambiguity as to DWORD or string.  So, I tested these registry entries using String, DWORD and Binary values.  None made any difference.

I know I could reorganize the menu entries better (essentially maining my own multiple columns), but I'm researching this for a friend and he's pretty set on keeping his setup the way it is.  Except, of course, he wants multiple columns instead of one scrolling column.

The entry should be "DWORD" and it should be "false" in other words it should be a zero.
It also should be in the first place mentioned.
If you have profiles on your system then you may need to edit this setting into the registry files for each profile. The change should work as soon as you save the value in the registry though.

MindBlade
Are you sure about the "D-word"? Mine is set up the way (and location) that I posted first and it is as a "String value" And I might add it works just fine.
What is the difference between a "D-word" and a "String value"?
Would it work the same or not?
You have me wondering now

The difference is essentially how much space is reserved for them in the registry.
As all other entries in this section of the registry are Dwords I am assuming that this one should be too, though it might work as a binary value as well I know that it works as a dwrod as I tested it on my system.

The entry must be entered exactly as shown on the following line:-

StartMenuScrollPrograms

with now leading or trailing space and case sensitive.

So it works either way then

I appreciate your input, but neither DWORD or string is working for me.  I've tried both of the suggested registry entries with both DWORD and String types of entries. I also tried spelling the string "false", "False", and "FALSE".

Are you two using the Win98 Upgrade?

Slupton, this is the exact procedure that I've published to this site several times.

In the Registry Editor, click the plus signs to expand the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer

Within the explorer folder, click the Advanced folder once to select it.

Right-click an unoccupied area in the right hand pane. Click New, then String Value.

In the name box that appears, type StartMenuScrollPrograms (all one word), then press Enter.

Right-click the name you just created, then click Modify. In the Value Data box, type false, then click OK.

Click Registry, then Exit to close the Registry Editor. It should not be necessary to restart Windows. When you click Start and then Programs, your menu should show multiple columns instead of a single column with scroll arrows.

This is similar to what has already been posted here, but I did it again to eliminate the possibility of confusion.

If this isn't working for you, do you have any policy restrictions that may be in user or multiple user issues on this machine?

If so, you will need to boot into the default user to implement this.
Dennis

I removed all previous instances of StartMenuScrollPrograms from my registry; rebooted; and entered the registry entry you suggested; rebooted again.  It still doesn't do anything to my start menu.  I still have a long list of folders/icons in my programs menu that has a scroll arrow at the top and bottom instead of multiple columns.

There are no policy restrictions, neither are multiple users enabled.

Any other thoughts?

Slupton, try inserting the same entry in:

HKEY_CURREN_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer

Did that one too.  (Also tried it with just this one and not the other one).  Still no affect.  As far as I can determine, neither of these keys (whether used alone or together) have any affect at all on my 'puter.

Perhaps there's some sort of "customization" allowed key that's causing my system to ignore these other two.

Hmm, okay, are you using active desktop, custom settings, which?

Are you using any special software for your desktop environment that you may have downloaded?

I'm using "Classic Style", no customizations; no active desktop.  No special desktop items/add-ins/etc. at all.  Just Windows 98 version 4.10.1998 (not the upgrade) and I did not install over Win95.

That's strange. Do you have tweakui installed? I'm just searching now for a reason for this not to be working as it should.

I did install TweakUI.  I just looked through _all_ of the options and didn't find anything related to the start menu.  What should I be looking for?

Open Tweakui and click the General tab and IE4 Tab. What is checked?

These are the items (checked=*):
1)Active Desktop Enabled
2)*Add new documents to Documents on Start Menu
3)*Allow changes to Active Desktop
4)*Allow Logoff
5)Clear Document, run, typed-URL history on exit
6)*Detect Accidental double-clicks
7)*IE4 Enabled
8)Show Documents in Start Menu
9)Show favorites in Start Menu

If you have animation enabled, uncheck it along with active desktop (although I've never seen active desktop make a difference). What is under the IE4 tab?

That was the IE4 Tab.  In the General Tab, only one is checked:
Beep on Errors

I have all the animation enabled and the active desktop on and my menu has the multiple colums

Maybe I'm not describing my problem adiquately.  In my start\programs menu, I have a list of folders and shortcuts that is too long to fit on the screen; so it has scroll arrrows at the top/bottom of the list.  In Win95 and in some Win98 systems, I've seen this long list be automatically broken into multiple columns - each with it's own set of sub-menu columns.  I have three columns now (Start - Programs - Sub-Menus), but not from the long list Programs being split into multiple columns.  I can (of course) reorganize the Programs folder so the list fits in a shorter column, but that's not what I want to do.  I want this long list to be automatically broken into two columns.  I hope that's what you all have been working on.  Thanks.

Exactly what the comments have been about.

making the Win98 programs menu default to multple columns instead of scrolling menu   Right??

Right!  I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page here.

You all have been so sure then your solutions would work, that I was beginning to doubt myself.  In the meantime, I still can't get the Win98 Program menu to do multiple columns and get rid of that tiny (annoying) scroll arrow.

We are sure about it because it works, but there is always an exception to the rule.
The way I see it there is 2 possible reasons why this won't work on your computer.
1. You are doing something wrong when you enter the "fix"
2. there is some kind of unknown restriction preventing this from working

Assuming you are doing it right then there must be a setting or something that is stopping it from working

I tend to agree with Rays comment. This solution does work. For some reason there is a setting or a restriction that is preventing it.

Well, here's the thing.  I just happen to have two other Win98 systems in my office and I decided to try again.  I formatted the hard drive on one and reinstalled Win98 form CD and no other software.  

I then copied all of the shortcuts in the c:\windows\start menu\programs directory (to make them scroll).  They did.

Then, I modified the registry in both 'puters (first the HKEY_USERS\.Default.. key then the HKEY_CURREN_USER\Software\.. key.  Checking scroll behavior first without rebooting , then again after rebooting.  Neither system was changed in any way.  

Okay, let's try and understand why this is not working. What version of Win98 is it and is the CD an OEM copy or did you purchase it retail?

Two OEM, One Retail (NFR from M$); all of which say they're version 4.10.1998 both at the DOS prompt ver command and looking at properties of kernel32.dll.

That is really strange. I just took a new machine right out of a box for our inventory, set it up, made the changes and its right there.

Okay, next question (looking for differences), is this a US version of Win98?

Yes, they're all the US version.  

The three 'puters have similar, but not identical hardware.  They're all Intel,  one PII 266 (66MHz), one 350 (100MHz) and one PIII 500 (100MHz).  (I have a 4th system on my network, but it's NT 4.0 server which does multiple columns like it should).

I think I'm going to install Win98 from scratch again and try this before I load any of the hardware drivers.  I have sound cards, zip drives and video drivers loaded.

Give it a shot, but that shouldn't enter into the equation.