It aggravates me when I install a new program and then use it....then for a week my start menu has that program highlighted simply because I haven't accessed it from there.

Here is how you can disable highlighting of newly installed programs in your start menu.

• Click start and right-click your start menu, and choose properties from the menu
• On the Start Menu tab, click Customize
• Click the advanced tab, and clear "Highlight newly installed programs" checkbox
• Hit ok a couple times to get back to start menu

Now your new programs won't highlight in the start menu after you install them.