Recently I received a tweak request from one of our readers to add the Videos folder to the Windows Vista Start menu. Currently in Start Menu properties you can add Music, Documents, Pictures and Games but for some reason there is no option for Videos.
There is no GUI option to add Videos folder to the Start menu. This can however be done using a registry hack, and that too, only by replacing an existing item in the Vista Start menu with Videos.
Examples
Restore the Start menu Search link in Vista Service Pack 1
Add Favorite Links folder to the Vista Start menu
Below is a registry tweak that replaces Games in the Start menu with Videos. Important: If you apply this tweak, the Games Explorer functionality will be disabled. However, you can run individual games from Start, All Programs, Games folder.
Replacing Games with Videos
1. Download video-sm-vista.zip and save the file to your Desktop.
2. Unzip the file and extract the two .REG files to your Desktop.
3. Right-click on the file videos_sm.reg and choose Merge.
4. Click Yes when asked for confirmation.
5. Logoff and login back so that the Start menu is refreshed.
Editor’s Note: The Info Tip that appears when you hover the mouse cursor over the Videos icon seems to be unchangeable. It still reads Play and manage games on your computer.
Undo Information
To reverse the above setting, right-click on the file undo-videos_sm.reg (which is present in the above Zip file) and choose Merge. Click Yes when asked for confirmation. Logoff and login back.
Related Posts
- Add “Downloads” Folder to the Windows Vista Start Menu
- Add Favorite Links Folder to the Vista Start Menu
- Games Explorer Link in the Vista Start Menu Does Not Work
- My Pictures, My Music and My Videos Namespace Extensions for the Windows Explorer Folder Pane
- Windows 7 Feature Walkthroughs From Microsoft
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed! We feature Tips, Troubleshooting information, Scripts and Utilities for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems!
Prefer an E-mail subscription?
How can I apply your registry patch but with an icon of my choice. Let’s say for example its path was in C:\Icons\Video Icon.ico
maybe someone can help me with my mod in Win7.
I want to replace TV-recording with Libraries in the same way as in this article. But i cannot find the CLSID. As result I want to have a cascading libraries entry at the right side of Win7 Start menu.
@Hairy: We have the Pin Folder script here:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/pinfolder.htm
You can add Pin To Start Menu to Vista and XP by downloading this reg hack (double click on on Enable Pin To Start and accept the changes). There is an undo hack as well.
Download link: http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/EnablePinToStart.zip
You can also drag any file or folder directly to the Start Menu in 7 and pin them there eldin.
Just rename them to what ever you want.
tom in windows 7 if you move mouse over start, right click go to properties… then under start menu tab click customize. there a list and you can set up the downloads, games and videos folder as a link.. its AWESOME all three conveniently located. i love 7
This doesn’t work in 7, right?
Yep, works perfectly for me too, though you have to make sure you have the games folder selected for display – right click the start menu, properties, in the ‘customize’ section, click the button next to ‘display as a link’ under Games.
this worked for me, but then i also wanted to add the downloads folder to my start menu and so i follow the steps for this, and it got rid of the my videos folder. i rather have the video folder so i will just follow the above steps again to have the video folder back in my start menu
Wonder how you could replace your user name with Documents, then replace the other Documents with Pictures, then the other Pictures with Music, then the other Music with Videos, to leave in Games.