How to Clear the Recently Run Programs List
If you’re willing to clear the Recent Documents list, too, there’s a nice, easy way to clear the list. Right-click the taskbar and choose Properties. Click the Start menu tab and click the Customize button next to whichever Start menu option is active. If you use the Classic Start menu, simply click the Clear button. If you use the Microsoft Windows XP Start menu, click the Advanced tab and then click the Clear List button. (Yes, I know it doesn’t say that it also clears the Run list, but it does.) Now just click Cancel, Cancel—you’re not actually changing any settings.
If you need to automate the cleanup process, or if you must clear the Run list while leaving Recent Documents intact, you can do it with a Registry script. Launch Notepad and enter these two lines: Read More»
