Applications find their way to the top level of Windows 7’s Start menu according to how recently or how often they’re used. That’s a handy feature, but most of us have programs that we’d like to have always pinned to the top level for quick access.

There are a couple of ways to do just that. First, if you open your Start menu and see a program that you’d like to have permanently on the top level, just grab it with your mouse cursor and start dragging it to the top of the Start menu. The words "Pin to Start menu" will appear, and at that point you can simply let the icon go, and it will be pinned to the top of the menu.

If you are a couple of levels into the Start menu and you see a program you want pinned to the top level, just right-click the icon and select "Pin to Start menu" from the context-sensitive menu. Again, the application will be pinned to the top of the menu.
You can also pin documents or files to the top of your Start menu. To do so, locate the file using Windows Explorer or another file selection tool, and drag the file to the Start orb. When you see the words "Pin to Start menu," just release your mouse button, and your file will snap to the top of the Start menu.