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Keep Start Menu From Closing After Opening Applications

If you want to open more than one application without having to navigate through the whole start menu again, you can use a little-known trick to keep the start menu open after you click on an item.

Just hold down the shift key while you click on an item under the All Programs group, and you’ll notice the start menu stays up while the application loads in back of it… notice how the notepad window has focus.

image

There are a few caveats:

  • This only works on the All Programs menu if you are using the XP-style menu in XP.
  • This doesn’t work at all with the Vista-style start menu.
  • Works perfectly if you are using the Classic Start menu in either Vista or XP.
  • Some applications will demand focus and make it close anyway.

Enjoy!

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This article was originally written on 09/11/07 Tagged with: Desktop Customization, Windows, Windows Vista

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Comments (6)

  1. Fonz

    Freaking Fantastic!
    I will probably forget to use it though.

  2. Mark

    Question: How to keep other menues open after you click on the selection, other than start program menues?

  3. Ronc

    Tips that don’t apply to Vista should not be listed in the Vista Tips section.

  4. The Geek

    @Ronc

    It does work in Vista with the classic menu.

  5. Michael

    It works on XP Style start menu as well.

  6. Halmad

    I tried it on Vista but it failed to work. Is there a way out?


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