Phantom programs in recently used programs list

from Stardock Forums

I have a Windows Home Server (v1) with the WHS connector running in the tray. For some reason, Start8 keeps populating the recently used programs list with entries for the WHS connector, even though I am not invoking it per se (it runs at startup and is just sitting there in the tray). Shoudn't the recently used programs list only show programs that I have invoked via the Start8 menu?

 Also I have noticed that if I invoke a program, use it and then close it and then click the Start8 menu button, the program I just used does not show up in the recently used list. If I dismiss the Start8 menu and then immediately open it again , THEN the recently-closed program shows up. Why the delay?

--

bc

start8
2,989 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

The recent apps list is managed by the OS so if you are getting the WHS connector entries then it suggests they are being logged by the OS as application runs.  You can remove an app from the list short term by right clicking it and selecting remove from list, but this will only reset the count to 0.

Regarding the list not instantly updating, the OS records constantly change when you do things like switch between applications and so we do not reload the lists until the next time the start menu has been interacted with as otherwise we would be constantly processing the list.  Feedback from customers has implied they do not like the menu refreshing when it opens which leaves refreshing on close the only other possible option.

We are looking at if we can make it realise there is something new added to the list vs entries just updating.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

@the OP, it's supposed to be a Frequently Used Programs list, not Recently Used. Also, programs are tracked by Windows from everywhere, not just the ones opened from the Start Menu. For programs which run constantly (such as those which load at startup), Windows increments their run count by 1 per day. You can add a "NoStartPage" value as described here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/284198 for the program you don't wish to see in the list again. Dunno if Start8 supports that system value, does it Neil?

A thing I observed. I have also installed the StartIsBack program besides Start8 and the MFU list in both is different!! Has different items and different order. How can that be? It means Start8 hasn't yet perfected the MFU algorithm.

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting some1anywhere, reply 2
@the OP, it's supposed to be a Frequently Used Programs list, not Recently Used. Also, programs are tracked by Windows from everywhere, not just the ones opened from the Start Menu. For programs which run constantly (such as those which load at startup), Windows increments their run count by 1 per day. You can add a "NoStartPage" value as described here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/284198 for the program you don't wish to see in the list again. Dunno if Start8 supports that system value, does it Neil?
End of some1anywhere's quote

We do not currently support that value, but I will make sure 1.1 does.

Regarding the MFU list order, we have selected weightings to the various values that we feel provides a good list order, but obviously different implementations may set a preference to one value over others.  The inclusion of Modern UI apps also influences this somewhat.

Our job isn't to copy the Windows 7 start menu exactly, but also improve it where possible and thats why we sometimes do not produce the exact same results.

One area were we improved things is drag & drop from the all programs list.  Under Windows 7 if you want to drag an item to the pinned item list from the all programs tree you have to drag it over the back button, wait a second or two before it switches mode and then drop it.  With Start8 you can simply drag it to the back button and drop it and it will be pinned to the list.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

That's nice to know how Start8 improves over the Start menu design of Windows 7. Is there a pinned post/list somewhere that shows users it's improvements only over the Windows 7 menu?

Btw, it looks like "NoStartPage" broke in Windows 7 itself!! But it works in Vista. The buggers broke the ability to blacklist certain apps from MFU in Windows 7!!

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting some1anywhere, reply 5
That's nice to know how Start8 improves over the Start menu design of Windows 7. Is there a pinned post/list somewhere that shows users it's improvements only over the Windows 7 menu?

Btw, it looks like "NoStartPage" broke in Windows 7 itself!! But it works in Vista. The buggers broke the ability to blacklist certain apps from MFU in Windows 7!!
End of some1anywhere's quote

Interesting.  Well thats no barrier to us supporting it on Windows 8.