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What is Jump Folder?

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Jump Folder is a Windows 7 tool designed to mimic some aspects of the Windows XP Start Menu. Specifically, it recreates the ability for the Start Menu to feature customisable sub-menus.

Installation

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Be aware that Jump Folder is designed for use only in Windows 7.

  1. Download this file.
  2. Extract the contents to wherever you’d like Jump Folder to run from.
    (Note that it’s best to choose a location on your hard drive, as default .NET security policy may prevent Jump Folder from running off a network or removable drive.)
  3. You’re done! Continue on to the next section to set it up.

Configuration

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There are two configuration guides below. The Tech-Savvy Guide is meant for confident computer users. The Step-by-Step Guide exists for those who feel they may need extra help.

The Tech-Savvy Guide

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    • Create a shortcut of JumpFolder.exe to your Start Menu or Taskbar. Customise that shortcut with a different name or icon as you see fit.
    • Jump Folder creates a custom jump list out of whatever folders appear in its install directory. Folders become categories, shortcuts become jump list items. The image below should give you an idea how folders and shortcuts correspond to jump list items.
    • You must run the Jump Folder application itself to update the jump list. Remember to do this after updating folders and shortcuts.
    • If you have any problems, please consult the FAQ section below.

The Step-by-Step Guide

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  1. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to where you extracted Jump Folder.
  2. Right-click JumpFolder.exe and select Pin to Start Menu
  3. Look in the Start Menu for an entry called JumpFolder.
  4. (Optional) Left-click-drag the item in the Start Menu to reorder it above or below other items.
  5. Right-click the JumpFolder item in the Start Menu and select Properties.
  6. In the General tab, change the text from saying “JumpFolder” to whatever you want to call your custom menu (e.g. “Applications”).
  7. (Optional) In the Shortcut tab, click Change Icon and choose a prettier icon for the custom menu.
  8. Click OK.
  9. The Jump Folder icon now bears your custom name and (optionally) icon.
  10. Left-click the Jump Folder item as it appears now.
  11. Quickly click the » button. Windows Explorer should appear at the location you installed JumpFolder.
  12. In this location, create a new folder. Name it after a category you’d like to appear in your custom menu (e.g. “Internet Tools”).
  13. Create shortcuts to applications within this newly created folder.
    You may do this however you please, but one easy method is to do the following:
    1. Open the Start Menu and click All Programs, or simply go to your Desktop.
    2. Find the application that interests you.
    3. Right-click it. Select Copy.
    4. Return to Jump Folder’s install location. (Repeat steps 10 and 11 above if you need help doing this.)
    5. Navigate into the folder you created in step 12.
    6. Right-click in the blank space inside the folder and select Paste Shortcut.
  14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 as many times as desired, filling category folders with shortcuts.
  15. When ready, return to the Start Menu and click the custom Jump Folder item you created there.
  16. Notice that Jump Folder says it has “updated” your items and categories.
  17. Close Jump Folder, or allow it to to close itself.
  18. Return to the Start Menu, and you should see that the custom Jump Folder item now will pop-out with the categories and items you added.
  19. Should you ever want to alter the items in the Jump Folder item, repeat steps 10 to 17, optionally deleting or renaming shortcuts and/or folders.
    Always remember step 15! Jump Folder cannot update without this step.
  20. If you have any problems using Jump Folder, please consult the FAQ section below.

FAQ

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What kind of shortcuts are supported?
Shortcuts to applications, files and URLs are supported.

Are Steam game shortcuts supported?
Yes. Simply ask Steam to create a game shortcut on your desktop, then move or copy that into the Jump Folder folders.

Can I use Jump Folder to create more than one sub-menu?
Yes. Each installation of Jump Folder operates independently. Just be sure you install them into different locations.

Not all of my items are appearing. What gives?
Try this:

  • Right-click the Start Menu button.
  • Click Properties.
  • Click Customize….
  • In the bottom, increase the value for Number of recent items to display in Jump Lists.
  • Click OK.
  • Click OK again.

Can I pin Jump Folder to the Taskbar like it pins to the Start Menu?
Yes. However, you can’t rename or change icons for something in the Taskbar, so it’s wise to copy an already-customised shortcut there.

I have a shortcut to a file or folder. Why doesn’t it have an icon in Jump Folder?
Sometimes, Jump Folder can’t figure out the default icon for a document type.

  1. Right-click the shortcut you made.
  2. Click Properties.
  3. Click the Shortcut tab.
  4. Click Change Icon…
  5. Select an icon to suit your tastes. Feel free to even choose the very same icon your entry “should” have had.
  6. Save the changes by click OK out of the dialogs.
  7. Have Jump Folder reload your content (step 15 of the the step-by-step configuration guide).
  8. The item should now have an icon.

I have customised a shortcut so it will run as Administrator. But it doesn’t work when I use it through Jump Folder. What gives?
Jump lists do not support running items with different privileges. There are some workarounds, however. You could make a shortcut to runas. Or you could use this Task Scheduler trick.

I don’t like Jump Folder. Are there any other programs which do similar things?
Yes. Try Jumplist Extender.

Help! I’m getting an error message. What do I do?
I have seen Jump Folder struggle with Games Explorer shortcuts. Delete the error-causing shortcut and instead try making a shortcut to the game’s executable through Windows Explorer.
It’s plausible that Jump Folder may be confused by other types of shortcuts I have not encountered. If an error occurs, general advice is to remove the offending item and, if you can, try creating the shortcut a different way.

Where can I find nice collections of icons for step 7 of the step-by-step configuration guide?
Try these:

  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\ACCESSIBILITYCPL.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DDORES.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\GAMEUX.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\IMAGERES.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\MMCNDMGR.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\MMRES.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\MORICONS.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\MSTSCAX.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\NETSHELL.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\NETWORKMAP.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\PIFMGR.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\SENSORSCPL.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\SETUPAPI.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\SHELL32.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\UIHUB.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\WMP.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\WMPLOC.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\WPDSHEXT.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\WUCLTUX.DLL
  • %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\XPSRCHVW.EXE
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\MICROSOFT\DEVICE METADATA\DMRCCACHE\ (depends on your PC, and may require digging around)

How can I contact the author?
My contact details can be found here.

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     Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Australia License.