How to Sort Menus Alphabetically

Do you like to have everything organized? Would you like to have better control over how your menus appear?  This registry tweak for Windows XP based computers can help you.  Now you can sort your menus alphabetically allowing you to find what you need without fuss or delay.

Backing up your registry prior to any tweak is important.  Always back-up.  This is especially important for this tweak.  Remember that editing your registry always carries with it an inherent risk.  If done incorrectly, the risk for damaging the function of your operating system is especially high for this tweak.  Before performing this tweak, you should already have basic computing knowledge.

Now that you have been warned, here are the instructions on how to perform this tweak.

  1. Click Start.  Go to Run.  Enter regedit.

  2. Find HKEY_CURRENT_USER on the left side of your registry editor.  Expand this folder.  You can do this by clicking on the little cross on the left.

  3. Now go to Software.  Expand the folder.

  4. Look for the Microsoft folder.

  5. Expand Microsoft and go to the Windows folder.  When you get to Windows, expand the folder.

  6. You should see a folder named CurrentVersion.  Expand this folder.

  7. You will find the Explorer folder.  Again, expand this folder.

  8. Expanding Explorer will take you to MenuOrder.

    This is where things get tricky.  Be especially careful at this point.

  9. Right click MenuOrder.  Select Permissions.

  10. Now click on the Advanced button.

  11. Do you see the "Inherit from parent the permission entries that apply to child objects. Include these with entries explicitly defined here" entry?  Remove the checkmark by clicking on the little tickbox.

  12. A Security dialog box will open.  Click Copy.

  13. This will take you back to the Advanced Security Settings for MenuOrder window.  Click OK.

  14. You will be taken back to the Permissions for MenuOrder window.

  15. There will be a checkmark next to Full Control.  Clear this checkmark.

  16. You should also clear all the checkmarks for all security groups where you are a member.

  17. Do not change the Read permission.

  18. Exit the registry and reboot.   

If you’d like to check that the tweak was performed successfully, you should log off and then log back in to the system.  Click on Start and go to the All Programs menu.  Try to drag one of the items to a new location in the folder.  If you are unable to reposition the item, then everything went well.