To clear the Windows XP start menu of extraneous links right-click on the program you wish to remove, and select Remove from This List.

Also notice that when you right-click on a shortcut in the Start menu that the Pin to Start menu shows as an option. If you select that option, the shortcut will be moved to the top of the start menu, directly below the email link. To remove a program that was pinned to the start menu, right-click on the item and choose Unpin from Start menu, or choose Remove from This List (which will remove it completely from the Start menu).

To remove the links to My Documents, right-click in an empty space on the Start menu, click Properties, click Customize, and select the Advanced tab. Find My Documents in the list of Start menu items and click the radio button next to Don't display this item. Click OK to close the window.