For some users, Microsoft Windows 7 can never go fast enough. There is always a tweak or Registry edit that can squeeze more speed and performance out of the operating system. This Quick Tip shows you how to speed up the display of menu items in Windows 7 with a simple Registry edit.

Note: Editing the Windows Registry file, if not done correctly, could make a PC unusable. Please, back up the Registry file before you attempt this tip.
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Speedy menus

Follow these steps to speed up menu display in Windows 7. In the Start Menu’s Search box, type the word “regedit” and click the regedit.exe entry (Figure A).

Figure A

Start the Registry editor.

Under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive, navigate to this key:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

In the right-hand pane, look for the MenuShowDelay item (Figure B).

Figure B

Locate the MenuShowDelay item.

Right-click on the MenuShowDelay item and select the Modify option in the context menu (Figure C).

Figure C

Click Modify.

You can now change the value in the Edit String dialog box to a number lower than the default 400 (Figure D).

Warning, don’t go crazy and set the value at zero or otherwise extraordinarily low because it could make navigating Windows impossible. A better value would be around 100.

Figure D

Change the default value.