Replace Windows Vista Start Menu with customized version

The Windows Start Menu is probably the most used feature in all of Windows! Think about it, you launch most of your programs from there, you can search from there in Vista, you get the command prompt from the Start menu, you can start a search or load up the currently installed printer, and lots more. So if you're using the Start Menu so much, wouldn't it be nice to make it as efficient as possible?

If you could increase your productivity when using the Start Menu, you could make yourself a lot more productive. Luckily, there's a really cool piece of freeware that replaces the current Start Menu in Windows Vista or Windows XP and makes it much more convenient and intuitive to use.

Vista Start Menu has a bunch of great features that make the Windows Start Menu into a real starting point for using your computer. Check out a sample screen shot of a customized Start menu using Vista Start menu:

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So you're probably wondering how safe it is to install this on your system right? I would ask that myself because half the time you hear of any "Windows replacement" utility, you always run the risk of killing your computer. The reason for that is because those programs usually edit the core Windows system files, which can cause all sorts of problems if something goes wrong.

Vista Start Menu is safe because it does not actually modify any system files. You can remove the program and your system will be as it was before you installed it. If you have any firewall software installed, you may get a message saying that a program is trying to add a new "hook" to your system. This is fine because what Vista Start Menu does is detect when you click on the Start Menu and replaces it with the customized version rather than the regular one and this requires a hook.

Here are some of the cool features of the program that make it useful:

Programs in the Start Menu remain in the same place even if other programs are installed or removed, unlike the normal menu where program positions change based on what's installed or uninstalled.

The entire Start Menu is a resizable window! You want to add more programs, but not enough space? Well simply drag the edge of the menu and you can make it taller or wider!

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