@hotdoge3
I havent found any programs that it will NOT check for updates. I am VERY happy with the program.

The program is SoftwareInformer. is it good can you get it to check all Programs for updates ? big Thanks if you can get back with that.

I FOUND the program !!!!!

It isn't a start up program, and it wasnt a giveawayofthedayprogram.

The program is SoftwareInformer.

It IS free. and not only does it "act" like a start menu for executables, but (and I am guessing the REAL purpose of it lol), is it tells you when there is an update for the program. It also includes a driver tab, so you can be informed of driver updates.

I used it as a pull up window (from a small icon on the desktop), but it can also be "attached" to the start menu.

anyway, thank you all for trying so hard to help me. :)

Thanks, Nola...
Altho that isnt the program (none of the programs mentioned have been the program I had)
yours looks useful and I might get it. It just isnt the one I had.

btw... my laptop is less than 2 years old, so the program can't be any older than that :)

thanks for trying :)

Barbara

Okay Barbara, I have spent an age going through the Giveaway Archives and the program that just totally disappeared on me that I really depended on was RecentX. It was last offered on November 7th, 2008 and had been offered before then too. Time really passes, I didn't realise there was so much time since I last had it and lost it. I used it a lot back then and loved it. Could this be your missing program?

Tray Commander? I haven't time to look for the page right now, but it was given away on February 25, 2007 and August 31, 2008. I believe there was also another one that was given away earlier than Tray Commander that was also accessed from a (slightly different) square button. I think, but am not sure, that that one's name may have also started with "T" ... I really liked that one, but I can't find it right now, either.

Barbara, I think I know the program you are talking about, I had one just like your description disappear on me some time ago, and when I had it, it was the only way I could access IE as the icon had disappeared off my desktop. If I remember right, it had tabs with installed programs and a history of where you had been on your browser. Does this sound like your program? But, mine disappeared at least a year ago now, so it would have been a giveaway from two years ago I would say. I will hunt through the Giveaway archives and see if I can find the one I lost. In the end, I reinstalled an updated IE, so I didn't need it. Will be back again soon.

thanks everyone :)

none of these are the program I was using, but some are pretty good alternatives :)

Thanks g@rgoyle !
:)

There have been quite a few start menu / launch bar replacements among the giveaways. Here's a few more:

Easy Start Menu Organizer:
Giveaway page or home page

Start Menu 7 Pro:
Giveaway page or home page

Start Menu XP Pro:
Giveaway page or home page

SuperLauncher (works with hotkeys so it's probably not 'the one'):
Giveaway page or home page

Tidy Start Menu:
Giveaway page or home page

... or maybe you followed a link in one of the comments? They mention several freeware alternatives, but I only remember these two:
Free Launch Bar: home page (free 'lite' version of 'True Launch Bar' that Robert mentions above)
ManganeseMenu: home page

Regards,
Lan

Maybe it was True Launch Bar?
Homepage

@bames49: Could you remember what year (and possibly month) you installed the program? I can look through my collection and see if there's something like it.

My pleasure,Barbara.
Trying to give it another shot tomorrow. :)
And maybe someone else remembers the program...

sigh...

not Classic Startmenu nor Aston Menu or Nexus Ultimate.
These programs have more "bells and whistles" than mine did.
The program I had opened a simple window with nothing else except the icons for the executables.

But thank you so much for trying, Robert :)

Barbara

Just wondering...was it Classic Startmenu from Dennis Nazarenko ?
On second thought ,it might be Aston Menu...but I think you mean Nexus Ultimate.

GMMan -
it wasn't Flow. There were no shortcut keystrokes in mine. One button/click opened a window of icons, arranged alphabetically. Also, it wasnt necessary to add programs to this window; any .exe was automatically added to the list.

But thank you so much for bothering to reply; I appreciate it :)

Barbara

It could be Flow. http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/flow/

I had a program installed that I am assuming was a giveawayoftheday program.
It is suddenly (maybe... I havent been that observant lately) gone from my computer.
The problem is I don't remember the name of the program.
Basically it took all of your applications software (including browsers, etc) and put them in a window with their icons, instead of opening the "start... all programs) routine. The window was accessed by a square "button". Beside the quicker method of locating the programs, it was also good for locating programs with names that are not terribly intuitive/descriptive, but could be recognized by their icon.

Does this ring a bell with anyone??

Since my stroke, I rely on programs that "take up the slack" for my (real life)memory issues, and this program was a help to me. Even if I had to pay for it now, if I knew the name of it, at least I could find it again.

Thanks :)