xp pro start menu overload

Since my most recent software install, when I click the start button there is an info ballon saying that I have too many items in my start menu for windows to display them all. Many of the items on the menu are different applications from the same package that could be consolidated to fewer entries if I knew how, but I haven't been able to do so as yet . How can I do this?

 

drag and drop?

Johanna

 

Thank you for your response. Drag and drop allows me to move them around, but not combine them. I've also tried everything likely on the right click menu; still nothing.

 

Right click, make new folder, rename, drag & drop, right click, properties, choose icon?

Johanna

 

Right click on the start button and choose explore. In the right pane double click on the Programs folder, then right click on a blank space in the right pane, choose new>folder. Name it what you want and then use drag and drop to move the the folders and or shortcuts you want, in it. There may be some programs in your start menu that you won't see here. To view those, right click on the start button and choose explore all users. You can do the same thing with those. If some of those are ones that you want to move to a folder you made in the other one, you can open both windows at once and drag and drop from one to the other. Those that you move out of the all users folder will no longer be available in the start menus of other users. Those that you move into the all users folder will be available in everybody's start menu.

 

Explore your start menu in windows form, then create a new folder in programs, then cut and paste all the required shortcuts into the new folder and job done, you can repeat this as many times as is needed.

 

Thank you all for your input. I did the drag&drop procedure as per Zander's advice, and freed up alot of space on the start menu. Much better.