List of Recently Used Programs

Hi Folks!

As this is really getting on my nerves I figured I'd make a nice post descibing the issue and offering a way how I believe it should work. Microsoft messed this up as well as in Vista and Windows 7, the recently used program list never really matched what you really used the most. One day I would remove notepad as I want to use Notepad++, a few days later I accidently click notepad and boom, its back at the top above programs I use every day and pushing my least used program (but still more than Notepad) off the list.

Honestly and respectfully, your recent program list works even worse than Vista or Windows 7.

Right now, the order of recently used programs make no sense at all. Some programs I start every day, several times a day are not at the top of the list and even for no apparent reason at all just dissapear.

The list currently looks like this:

Adobe Audition CS6 <-- makes no sense at all, I installed the trial yesterday and launched it once!

Notepad <-- persistent bugger, I don't want to use Notepad, see next entry

Notepad++ <-- Used multiple times a day

Audacity <-- installed yesterday or day before to trial the progrm, started once or twice

Snipping Tool <-- used somewhat regularly so its OK

Calculator <-- rarely used, certainly not more than Steam or Paint.NET (below)

Steam <-- used more often than Snipping or Calculator, less than Notepad++

Newsbin Pro 64 <-- rarely used, shouldn't be on the list

Paint.NET <-- used few times a week, in conjuction with Snipping Tool, should probably be near Snipping

Windows Firewall with AS <-- just started it for the second time in a weeks' time

OneNote 2010 <-- fresh install yesterday and started once

Word 2010 <-- fresh install yesterday and started once

Paint <-- I never use this?

Internet Explorer <-- started once this week because a site didn't work properly in Waterfox

So there 8 to 10 entries I do not want on the list but appeared nonetheless. These entries pushed often and regularly used programs off the list like 7Zip, WinRAR, Macrium Reflect, VMWare Workstation, Audio Driver Control Panel, Command Prompt. Not to forget, UltraVNC. I use it multiple times a day and is by far, the most used program on my pc. Today UltraVNC dissapeared for the 3rd time in a few weeks time, hence my post because enough is enough .

I believe any intelligence in generating this list should be removed. it should simply keep count of how often I've started a program and keep the list in descending order. If I start to use something more, it will rise. If I use it less, it will descent. Simple and effective. If I don't want it on the list, I right click and choose remove; all this should do is reset the count so when I start usign it again, it could potentially rise up the list again.

I can get so annoyed when a program I never use simply jumps to the top and another program I use multiple times each day simply dissapears for no reason. I pull my hair out, seriously.

This behavior forces me to pin everything but that leaves less space for a dynamic list that could work so beautifully ...

Please, consider revising how this works. Thanks for reading!