Most people who use Windows simply install all the programs they want, leaving everything to install to /PROGRAM FILES/ and leaving every program to have its own Start Menu group. This can lead to a Start Menu which is so bloated that it must expand all the way across the screen just to show everything. But, what many people do nto realize is that the Startt Menu is simply based off of folders, and it can be re-organized quite easily. Go to your Start Menu, right-click on the Programs folder and choosen Open. You will see the Start Menu folder show up in Windows Explorer. Here you can organize the shortcuts just as you would any other folder of your hard drive. In 2000/XP, bear in mind that it is built for multiple users, and you have different start menus for each user. So, if you do not see all of your programs listed under the PROGRAMS folder, you may need to jump over to the All Users account which will control the Start Menu options which are available to all users on the same PC.

How you organize the programs is up to you. I like to group similat programs together, so I have folders for utilities, financial, development, internet, games, etc. Now, instead of my Start Menu flying all the way across the screen, all of my programs are organized by function and the menu is quicker to pull up.