Start menu and Favorites menu are not listed in alphabetical order

When you view the Start menu and the Favorites menu, the shortcuts and folders may not be in alphabetical order and new shortcuts that you create may be added to the bottom of the menu.

This behavior can occur when you manually rearrange the shortcuts and folders on the Start menu or on the Favorites menu, or when you install a new program.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
To resolve this behavior, follow the steps in one of the following sections, depending on your version of Internet Explorer and Windows.

Internet Explorer 4.x and Windows 98

To rearrange your shortcuts and folders, drag the appropriate shortcut or folder to the location on the menu where you want it to appear. To restore the default alphabetical order, view the information in one of the following sections, depending on which menu you want to restore.

The Start Menu

To restore the default sort order on the Start menu:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. In Registry Editor, locate and click the following registry key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu\Menu
3. In the right pane, right click the Order value, and then click Delete.

The Favorites Menu

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. In Registry Editor, locate and click the following registry key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\MenuOrder\Favorites\Menu
3. In the right pane, right click the Order value, and then click Delete.

Note You must restart your computer for these changes to take affect, and you may need to repeat the steps each time that you install a new program or after you manually reorder items on these menus. If you do not want to be able to reorder items on these menus by using your mouse, remove the Windows Desktop Update (Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 only). For additional information about how to remove the Windows Desktop Update, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If you want to keep the Windows Desktop Update and avoid editing the registry to reorder the menu items, install Internet Explorer 5 or later. Internet Explorer 5 includes the Sort by Name command on the shortcut menu that appears when you right-click either the Start menu or the Favorites menu.

To install the latest version of Internet Explorer, view the following Microsoft Web site:

Internet Explorer 5 or later with Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows 2000, or Windows XP

To sort the Programs menu, the Documents menu, or the Favorites menu, right-click any item on the menu, and then click Sort by Name.

To use your keyboard to sort the menu items by name:

1. Use the arrow keys to select the item on the menu that you want to sort.
2. Press SHIFT+F10 to view the shortcut menu.
3. Use either the DOWN ARROW key or the UP ARROW key to click Sort By Name, and then press ENTER.

When you install Windows, the Start menu and the Favorites menu list folders first and shortcuts to programs or other items last. The folders and shortcuts are displayed in alphabetical order on each menu. When you use Internet Explorer 4.x with Windows 98, you can rearrange folders and shortcuts on the Start menu and on the Favorites menu. This functionality is available only when you install the Windows Desktop Update.

For additional information about how to install the Windows Desktop Update, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Note Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows 2000 include both the Windows Desktop Update and the Internet Explorer 5 Sort by Name command.