How to display your Preferred Folders in Vista's Start Menu.

On the RHS part of the Windows Vista Start Menu, you have the option of displaying User, Documents, Games, Music & Pictures Folders. While the first 3 are commonly use, most find little use for the last two folders; and would instead like to replace them with their oft accessed folders like Downloads or any other.

Well, in Vista too, you can replace the Music & Pictures Folders with the folders of your choice.

To do so, first, disable showing of, of the Pictures Folder & Music Folder, through Properties > Start Menu > Customize > Don't display this item/s.

Next download the following vbs scripts FOR XP from Kellys-Korner. These scripts are for XP, but can be made to work for Vista too.

Replace Pictures FolderReplace Music Folder
Click on the script and Run it.


Now, enter the path of the desired folder in the space provided. Click OK. Reboot.
Now click open the Start Menu > Rt Click > Properties > Start menu > Customize > Display this item/s > Apply > OK

Your Vista Start Menu will display the desired folders for easy access !
This way you can change the paths of these two positions to show any folders; including, back, the Default folders, should you wish to reverse the changes.
To manually make the changes, open Registry Editor. Be careful when you touch the registry & do create a system restore point first.
Log in as Administrator. In Vista start menu search type regedit and hit enter and navigate to following key/s:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\My MusicHKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\My Music
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\My PicturesHKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\My Pictures
Against it, in RHS col, you will see, NOT their default paths, but the new one's you have inserted.Double click on, say, My Music to open its Edit String box. Here replace the new (existing) path, as string in Value Data box, with the old (your) default folder path. Work similarly for Pictures folder. Click OK, Reboot. This way you will have reversed the changes.