Add Control Panel to your Start menu



Q I read somewhere that it is possible to add the Control Panel and Dial-Up Networking folders to the Windows 95 Start menu. Could you please advise me how this is done, and whether the technique will also work for NT 4.0.
- Gavin Brown

AMost Windows 95 users navigate the Start menu to reach the Dial-Up Networking folder (Start--Programs--Accessories). But if your Start menu lists dozens of items, it takes a steady hand and a fair bit of patience to position the mouse pointer in the appropriate spot. The Control Panel is easier to locate (Start--Settings), but once you've clicked the folder's name there's a slight delay -- a whir of disk activity while the folder opens and the applets materialise on screen.
The majority of program files and Shortcuts can be added to the top level of the Start menu by right-clicking on a blank area of the taskbar, selecting Properties and choosing Add from the Start menu programs tab. But this doesn't apply to the Control Panel and Dial-Up Networking. These "special" folders require a little more effort -- and a lot of awkward typing.
To add the Control Panel to the Start menu, right-click the Start menu and choose Open. Right-click a blank area of the resulting window and choose New--Folder. Then type in the following:
Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
When you are sure there are no typos or spaces, press <Enter> to complete the new entry. The Control Panel will now appear as a cascading menu, accessible from the Start button.


Access the Control Panel more quickly by adding it to your Start menu

To add the Dial-Up Networking folder, use the same procedure but name the menu item as follows:
Dial Up Net.{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
Once again, make sure there are no spaces before you press <Enter>.
If you're using NT 4.0, you can set up a Control Panel menu item using the same technique. But don't try it with Dial-Up Networking, because the folder doesn't exist!
- Roy Chambers

Category: Win95
Issue: Apr 1998

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