Start menu position

 AFAIK,The start menu has been placed in that position (oriented with the taskbar) due to an issue it had on 64 bit systems. The right side would have no background. It was more flexible having it oriented to the OD docklet , but I prefer to have a complete start menu. I hope that answers your question.

I would like to add that it's not an ObjectDock problem - Microsoft made sure that, on Windows 7, placing the Start Menu on any position other than where it was supposed to appear made its background disappear as you moused over it (as Wizard1956 said).

Sometimes I wonder if Microsoft is making our life more difficult on purpose.

Placing the taskbar on the bottom of your screen should fix the start menu position to the bottom.

Thank you, Wizard1956, JcRabbit, and Dewie, for your replies.

If this issue comes from Microsoft and is specific to Windows 7 then I don't see any quick solution to this "feature", if not a "problem", in the near future. It's odd though that I didn't experience any "right side background" issue with the Start Menu Docklet in the old version, as is shown in the attached picture.

I placed the windows task bar on the top of the desktop mainly because at times some system messages were popped up from the hidden task bar which would overlap with the Objectdock icons if the Windows task bar was placed on the bottom. In addition, I had to check the Windows task bar in some occasions, e.g. some system tray icons which couldn't be shown in the Objectdock system tray or stalled processes to be terminated manually. It's more convenient to place the Windows task bar on the top so it won't get blocked by the Objectdock icons. 

On the other hand, placing the Windows task bar on the bottom still has the "oriented" issue since the pop-up menu will be shown at the left-most side of the desktop, not immediately adjacent to  the Start Menu Docklet. It's not as annoying as when the menu pops up on the top, of course. 

I restored the system from my ghost backup last night and things were back to what it used to be. I actually had no problem using the old beta version of Ojectdock plus 2.0. It did what I wanted it to do, with some minor glitches though. Nevertheless, I am pretty satisfied with its functionality.  I think I'll stay with the old beta version until some "breakthrough" upgrade comes up.

I want to thank you guys who offered your responses and help. Thanks.

It's hard to tell, because your start menu is green, but the section from "Help and Support" on up doesn't look the same as the rest of the start menu.

Yes, what happens is that the Start Menu might even appear 'whole' at first, but as soon as you mouse over the right side of the menu, the background starts to disappear, menu item by menu item. For users unware of the real cause of the problem, it will look like a bug in the dock. The only viable solution then is to make the Start Menu popup in the original location, instead of right next to the mouse pointer.

No idea what happens on Windows 7 if the Start Menu is being skinned by WindowBlinds, though - that might actually 'fix' the problem?

Hmm...that's really odd that I haven't  had that problem with "Start Menu Docklet" since the day that I installed the ObjectDock Plus 2.0 beta version. I understand  the phenomenon you guys described about the absence of the background in the right-hand side of the menu. It's just that I have no such experience when using the "Start Menu Docklet". 

This photo shows what it looks like when I mouse over the right side of the menu and I've tried numerous times but it seems the menu acts normally in my system. It's really really odd.

The start menu works correctly, but is missing the border and the background:

http://screencast.com/t/m4losPsjheKp

So this is exactly the reason why the current version of Objectdock aborts that feature of "Start Menu Objecdock"? "border" vs. "no border" and "lighter background" and "normal background"? I see. But how does it hinder its functionality as a menu? (I somehow think it's quite cool putting some subtle difference in the outlook of the start menu.)

Like I said before, I am happy with the old beat version and its functionality and I'll stick to it.

Thank you everyone for your responses and help.

In all other occasions, there's border on the right side, no "no background" in the old beta version:

It doesn't. It's literally just so that it looks better.