Start menu

[Guest Emrys Davies]

I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

 

I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I have

read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part of

Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is the

former but would someone put me out of my misery?

 

Thanks,

Emrys Davies.

[Guest philo]

Re: Start menu

 

 

"Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

> I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

>

> I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I have

> read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

> articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part of

> Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is the

> former but would someone put me out of my misery?

>

> Thanks,

> Emrys Davies.

>

>

 

 

The start button is really nothing but a shortcut

to all (or most) of your applications & Windows components

[Guest Bill Blanton]

Re: Start menu

 

"Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

>I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

>

> I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I have

> read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

> articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part of

> Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is the

> former but would someone put me out of my misery?

 

The Window's "shell" is Explorer.exe. If you change the shell in system.ini,

then you get no start menu.

 

You also get no taskbar. It could be that it is a menu item on the taskbar,

though I don't know that as a fact.

[Guest Emrys Davies]

Re: Start menu

 

"Bill Blanton" <bblanton@REMOVEmagicnet.net> wrote in message

news:%23hwAdjhMJHA.5228@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> "Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

> >I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

> >

> > I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I

have

> > read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

> > articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part

of

> > Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is

the

> > former but would someone put me out of my misery?

>

> The Window's "shell" is Explorer.exe. If you change the shell in

system.ini,

> then you get no start menu.

>

> You also get no taskbar. It could be that it is a menu item on the

taskbar,

> though I don't know that as a fact.

 

Thanks for that Bill. Now I know. Incidentaly, my initial post did

show on my compter, but that happens from time to time and I have to

watch closely, as in this case, until someone reponds to it. I think

that that happens quite often on Usenet.

 

Thanks again.

Emrys Davies

[Guest Emrys Davies]

Re: Start menu

 

"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message

news:%23cEoobhMJHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

> "Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

> news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

> > I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

> >

> > I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I

have

> > read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

> > articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part

of

> > Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is

the

> > former but would someone put me out of my misery?

> >

> > Thanks,

> > Emrys Davies.

> >

> >

>

>

> The start button is really nothing but a shortcut

> to all (or most) of your applications & Windows components

 

Thanks a lot Philo.

 

Regards,

Emrys Davies.

[Guest Bill Blanton]

Re: Start menu

 

"Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message news:48fb83f8_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

> "Bill Blanton" <bblanton@REMOVEmagicnet.net> wrote in message

> news:%23hwAdjhMJHA.5228@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> "Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

> news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

>> >I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

>> >

>> > I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I

> have

>> > read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

>> > articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part

> of

>> > Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is

> the

>> > former but would someone put me out of my misery?

>>

>> The Window's "shell" is Explorer.exe. If you change the shell in

> system.ini,

>> then you get no start menu.

>>

>> You also get no taskbar. It could be that it is a menu item on the

> taskbar,

>> though I don't know that as a fact.

>

> Thanks for that Bill. Now I know. Incidentaly, my initial post did

> show on my compter, but that happens from time to time and I have to

> watch closely, as in this case, until someone reponds to it. I think

> that that happens quite often on Usenet.

 

That happens, though I don't see it much here. Are you posting directly

to the MS servers?

> Thanks again.

 

YW.

[Guest Don Phillipson]

Re: Start menu

 

"Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

> I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

>

> I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I have

> read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

> articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part of

> Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is the

> former but would someone put me out of my misery?

 

On Win98 the Start menu is just a folder like other folders

(i.e. not even a system folder) stored at

c:\windows\start menu

and containing by default subfolders \ accessories and \ programs

each containing short cuts (LNK files) to EXEcutable apps.,

but we can cut from and paste to it however we wish.

 

E.g. I have mine set up with

c:\windows\start menu containing half a dozen apps I

use most often

and \ accessories and \ programs

but \ programs contains only 14 subfolders,

most of my own creation eg.

Graphics (containing Photoshop, Broderbund Print Shop, MSPaint)

Hardware (backup utilities and drivers for MB, mouse, TV card etc.)

Money (Quicken accounting, income tax etc.)

i.e. I have junked perhaps 20-odd start / programs items that

were created when the apps were installed, and regrouped

under logical headings only those l am likely to use. (My wife

is a naive user but my logical arrangement means she need

not remember any special names.)

 

--

Don Phillipson

Carlsbad Springs

(Ottawa, Canada)

[Guest FromTheRafters]

Re: Start menu

 

It's not too clear a line between what is and what is not a part

of an OS. The UI (user interface) can be a command line like

in DOS or graphical (GUI) like explorer.exe, or progman.exe,

or winfile.exe (I suppose dosshell.exe is kinda graphical) and

is called a "shell" for the underlying OS.

 

I can eliminate OE from the mix (although it could be argued-

and has been argued- that *it* is a part of the OS) because it

is not a shell.

 

I don't have a Win9x machine anymore, but I remember using

the task manager to stop execution of programs and IIRC you

can stop the one responsible for the start button and you get

a animated arrow travelling from right to left telling you how to

click here to start - and when you do you get the button back.

 

I suspect they are all a part of the explorer.exe program.

 

"Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

>I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

>

> I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I have

> read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

> articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part of

> Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is the

> former but would someone put me out of my misery?

>

> Thanks,

> Emrys Davies.

>

>

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Re: Start menu

 

FromTheRafters wrote:

> It's not too clear a line between what is and what is not a part

> of an OS. The UI (user interface) can be a command line like

> in DOS or graphical (GUI) like explorer.exe, or progman.exe,

> or winfile.exe (I suppose dosshell.exe is kinda graphical) and

> is called a "shell" for the underlying OS.

>

> I can eliminate OE from the mix (although it could be argued-

> and has been argued- that *it* is a part of the OS) because it

> is not a shell.

 

Just because it is not a shell doesn't necessarily make it (or anything)

"part of the operating system", per se. In fact, most programs are not

"part of the operating system", per se. They "use" services provided by the

operating system, however.

> I don't have a Win9x machine anymore, but I remember using

> the task manager to stop execution of programs and IIRC you

> can stop the one responsible for the start button and you get

> a animated arrow travelling from right to left telling you how to

> click here to start - and when you do you get the button back.

>

> I suspect they are all a part of the explorer.exe program.

>

> "Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

> news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

>> I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

>>

>> I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I have

>> read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

>> articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part of

>> Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is the

>> former but would someone put me out of my misery?

>>

>> Thanks,

>> Emrys Davies.

[Guest FromTheRafters]

Re: Start menu

 

 

"Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

news:eNtdBjjMJHA.5648@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> FromTheRafters wrote:

>> It's not too clear a line between what is and what is not a part

>> of an OS. The UI (user interface) can be a command line like

>> in DOS or graphical (GUI) like explorer.exe, or progman.exe,

>> or winfile.exe (I suppose dosshell.exe is kinda graphical) and

>> is called a "shell" for the underlying OS.

>>

>> I can eliminate OE from the mix (although it could be argued-

>> and has been argued- that *it* is a part of the OS) because it

>> is not a shell.

>

> Just because it is not a shell doesn't necessarily make it (or anything)

> "part of the operating system", per se. In fact, most programs are not

> "part of the operating system", per se. They "use" services provided by

> the operating system, however.

 

Let me rephrase

 

I can eliminate OE from the mix because it is not a shell.

 

....although it could be argued it is part of the OS

 

I eliminate it from the mix because it does not provide the things

that a shell does provide to the user, such as file system browsing

and access to the command line or a 'run' box etc. Whether or

not something is or is not a part of the OS was not a call I was

willing to make. The OP listed the OS as one of the programs

that might be responsible for the start button - of course it is -

especially since the OS is responsible for all the other programs

running on it.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system

[Guest Emrys Davies]

Re: Start menu

 

 

"Bill Blanton" <bblanton@REMOVEmagicnet.net> wrote in message

news:%23OZUj%23hMJHA.4456@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> "Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

news:48fb83f8_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

> > "Bill Blanton" <bblanton@REMOVEmagicnet.net> wrote in message

> > news:%23hwAdjhMJHA.5228@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> >> "Emrys Davies" <emrysdavies@lineone.net> wrote in message

> > news:48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

> >> >I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

> >> >

> >> > I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part.

I

> > have

> >> > read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

> >> > articles about it and its components no one says whether it is

part

> > of

> >> > Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it

is

> > the

> >> > former but would someone put me out of my misery?

> >>

> >> The Window's "shell" is Explorer.exe. If you change the shell in

> > system.ini,

> >> then you get no start menu.

> >>

> >> You also get no taskbar. It could be that it is a menu item on the

> > taskbar,

> >> though I don't know that as a fact.

> >

> > Thanks for that Bill. Now I know. Incidentaly, my initial post did

> > show on my compter, but that happens from time to time and I have to

> > watch closely, as in this case, until someone reponds to it. I

think

> > that that happens quite often on Usenet.

>

> That happens, though I don't see it much here. Are you posting

directly

> to the MS servers?

>

> > Thanks again.

 

Don't know to whom I am posting except that it is to Usenet.

 

Regards,

Emrys Davies.

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Re: Start menu

 

FromTheRafters wrote:

> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

> news:eNtdBjjMJHA.5648@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> FromTheRafters wrote:

>>> It's not too clear a line between what is and what is not a part

>>> of an OS. The UI (user interface) can be a command line like

>>> in DOS or graphical (GUI) like explorer.exe, or progman.exe,

>>> or winfile.exe (I suppose dosshell.exe is kinda graphical) and

>>> is called a "shell" for the underlying OS.

>>>

>>> I can eliminate OE from the mix (although it could be argued-

>>> and has been argued- that *it* is a part of the OS) because it

>>> is not a shell.

>>

>> Just because it is not a shell doesn't necessarily make it (or anything)

>> "part of the operating system", per se. In fact, most programs are not

>> "part of the operating system", per se. They "use" services provided by

>> the operating system, however.

>

> Let me rephrase

>

> I can eliminate OE from the mix because it is not a shell.

>

> ...although it could be argued it is part of the OS

>

> I eliminate it from the mix because it does not provide the things

> that a shell does provide to the user, such as file system browsing

> and access to the command line or a 'run' box etc. Whether or

> not something is or is not a part of the OS was not a call I was

> willing to make.

 

I'll make that call (that OE is not "part of the operating system, per se),

for the reason I mentioned. No problemo. :-)

 

Now, for something like Windows Explorer, that might be a different story.

Might, as in that might be a bit debateable. But something like the

booting up routines, and the basic core *fundamental* system services of an

operating system, wouldn't be.

> The OP listed the OS as one of the programs

> that might be responsible for the start button - of course it is -

> especially since the OS is responsible for all the other programs

> running on it.

>

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system

[Guest Jeff Richards]

Re: Start menu

 

It's not 'nothing but a shortcut'. It's a graphical element with its own

functionality, which includes the ability to display a hierarchy of menu

choices, to consider the current user settings when displaying choices, to

be repositioned, to directly access routines that switch users or shut the

machine down, etc. It is part of Explorer.

--

Jeff Richards

MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message

news:%23cEoobhMJHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

> snip <

>

>

> The start button is really nothing but a shortcut

> to all (or most) of your applications & Windows components

[Guest FromTheRafters]

Re: Start menu

 

"Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

news:uWuLYVlMJHA.5228@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> FromTheRafters wrote:

>> "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message

>> news:eNtdBjjMJHA.5648@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>> FromTheRafters wrote:

>>>> It's not too clear a line between what is and what is not a part

>>>> of an OS. The UI (user interface) can be a command line like

>>>> in DOS or graphical (GUI) like explorer.exe, or progman.exe,

>>>> or winfile.exe (I suppose dosshell.exe is kinda graphical) and

>>>> is called a "shell" for the underlying OS.

>>>>

>>>> I can eliminate OE from the mix (although it could be argued-

>>>> and has been argued- that *it* is a part of the OS) because it

>>>> is not a shell.

>>>

>>> Just because it is not a shell doesn't necessarily make it (or anything)

>>> "part of the operating system", per se. In fact, most programs are

>>> not

>>> "part of the operating system", per se. They "use" services provided by

>>> the operating system, however.

>>

>> Let me rephrase

>>

>> I can eliminate OE from the mix because it is not a shell.

>>

>> ...although it could be argued it is part of the OS

>>

>> I eliminate it from the mix because it does not provide the things

>> that a shell does provide to the user, such as file system browsing

>> and access to the command line or a 'run' box etc. Whether or

>> not something is or is not a part of the OS was not a call I was

>> willing to make.

>

> I'll make that call (that OE is not "part of the operating system, per

> se), for the reason I mentioned. No problemo. :-)

>

> Now, for something like Windows Explorer, that might be a different story.

> Might, as in that might be a bit debateable. But something like the

> booting up routines, and the basic core *fundamental* system services of

> an operating system, wouldn't be.

 

I agree. I didn't want to make that call because I didn't want to argue

the point. Some people consider notepad to be part of the OS. The

URL I posted shows how even the UI may or may not be considered

a part of the OS depending on how it is implemented.

 

A main purpose of an OS for a general purpose computer is that

is helps facilitate the running of programs of the users choice. So

an editor like edit.com may be considered a part of the OS while

notepad.exe may not.

[Guest Emrys Davies]

Re: Start menu

 

"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message

news:%23%23gzQVmMJHA.728@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> It's not 'nothing but a shortcut'. It's a graphical element with its

own

> functionality, which includes the ability to display a hierarchy of

menu

> choices, to consider the current user settings when displaying

choices, to

> be repositioned, to directly access routines that switch users or shut

the

> machine down, etc. It is part of Explorer.

> --

> Jeff Richards

> MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

> "philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message

> news:%23cEoobhMJHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> >

> > snip <

> >

> >

> > The start button is really nothing but a shortcut

> > to all (or most) of your applications & Windows components

 

Thanks everyone. Very enlightening.

 

Regards,Emrys Davies.

[Guest J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Re: Start menu

 

In message <48fb4b1c$2_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>, Emrys Davies

<emrysdavies@lineone.net> writes

>I have Win98 SE, OE6 and IE6.

>

>I am curious to know of which system the 'Start' menu is a part. I have

>read lots about it on Google and although there are lots of good

>articles about it and its components no one says whether it is part of

>Windows, Windows Explorer or Outlook Express. I suspect that it is the

>former but would someone put me out of my misery?

[]

It's not part of Internet Explorer (the web browser), as it remains if

you (completely) remove IE.

It's not part of Outlook Express (the email client), for a similar

reason.

Windows Explorer (the file manager), as opposed to Internet Explorer, is

arguably more part of the operating system than IE and OE. Many people

confuse Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer, due to the similar

names. Just to add to the confusion, the main executable that is running

whenever Windows is running is called explorer.exe.

 

The start menu - by which I assume you mean that which pops up when you

click the Start button, or press the Windows key on the keyboard - will

pop up without IE or OE being present. As another has said, what

actually is within the Start menu as it pops up is just a folder within

the Windows folder (actually a folder tree).

--

J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL(+++)IS-P--Ch+(p)Ar+T[?]H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for thoughts on PCs. **

 

"Bother,"saidPoohwhenhisspacebarrefusedtowork.