In Windows XP, we can add quick launch to Start menu by selecting the check button ‘Show quick launch‘ in Start menu properties. If Show quick launch check button is grayed out then you need to check the group policy settings on your computer. Open gpedit.msc and then navigate to the node ‘User configuration -> Administrative templates -> Start menu and Taskbar‘. Check if the setting ‘Do not display any custom toolbar in the taskbar‘ is enabled. If so change the setting to ‘Not configured‘
If group policy monitor service is running on your computer then you can see the changes immediately in Start menu properties. Otherwise you need to run gpupdate and then logoff and log in back.
Now even if you select the check button, quick launch may not get added. And if you go back to the Start menu properties you may see the check button in unselected state. Even if you try selecting it again, you may face the same problem. The solution to this problem is just to reboot the machine. Things would work fine after a reboot.