Remove tiles from start menu for all users

[luke_]

Hi,

 

I'm just wondering if anyone has figured out how to remove certain tiles from the start menu for all users such as the xbox tile and the other crap microsoft adds. I have tried removing them from the default profile and saving it not but no success as but as soon as a new user logs-in they come back straight away this is also the case for the powershell route. I don't know if anyone was found a GPO setting or anything that can be used. Just curious before we decide to roll it out on a few test machines.

 

Thanks

[Michael]

I've had similar problems, but I've come to the conclusion that removing/hiding tiles in Windows 10 just isn't consistent in a user or computer context.

@Arthur last week informed me about AppLocker which has done the trick. In summary, leave all the tiles 'as is' but use AppLocker to block/restrict or allow particular Apps to run. Once I did it for one Group Policy, it was easy to export it and re-import it into other Group Policies. I did this using Windows 10's RSAT tool.

 

Long term, once Microsoft actually fix the issue (if ever), then I'll re-visit the possibility of customisable/re-directed Windows 10 Start Menus, but for now, they're locked/uncustomisable and none of the Apps on the Start Menu will run, such as the XBOX App.

[Joanne]

I have a plan but it is yet untested...

 

go into audit mode (sysprep)

 

set things as you like them

 

this then saves all settings to default user

 

Hopefully this works. I haven't found a scrap of time to test this just yet.

[FN-GM]

I used LTSB so didn't get the junk. However can use this, works the same way in 10 as it does in 8.

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-GB/library/dn467928.aspx

[Michael]

I used LTSB so didn't get the junk. However can use this, works the same way in 10 as it does in 8.

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-GB/library/dn467928.aspx

 

It really doesn't work for me (Windows 10), whereas AppLocker does. I've tried numerous ways and there's just no consistency. It's ironic as Desktop Folder Redirection works beautifully, yet XML file redirection (for the Start Menu) is just miserable and isn't consistent - it either moves tiles around, doesn't show them at all, or sometimes clicking a re-directed App doesn't work either.

 

I came to the conclusion, the majority of users don't actually need the Start Menu as everything's on the desktop, but I went that extra mile to restrict anything on the Start Menu from running.

[FN-GM]

It really doesn't work for me (Windows 10), whereas AppLocker does. I've tried numerous ways and there's just no consistency. It's ironic as Desktop Folder Redirection works beautifully, yet XML file redirection (for the Start Menu) is just miserable and isn't consistent - it either moves tiles around, doesn't show them at all, or sometimes clicking a re-directed App doesn't work either.

 

I came to the conclusion, the majority of users don't actually need the Start Menu as everything's on the desktop, but I went that extra mile to restrict anything on the Start Menu from running.

 

Set it up here and worked first time as did redirected start menu.

[Michael]

Set it up here and worked first time as did redirected start menu.

 

So may I ask what method/steps you went towards this? Unlike yourself I'm deploying the Win 10 Education version. Can you post your XML file? And where do you host it? Locally or via a share/UNC path?

[FN-GM]

So may I ask what method/steps you went towards this? Unlike yourself I'm deploying the Win 10 Education version. Can you post your XML file? And where do you host it? Locally or via a share/UNC path?

 

We store the file locally, mainly for the benefit of offline laptop users.

 

XML file below. It only have 1 icon at the moment just waiting for Office 2016 to go onto the VLSC so I can add that.

 

[Arthur]

We store the file locally

Niall "Windows Noob" Brady does the same too. It must be more reliable doing it that way?

 

www.niallbrady.com/2015/09/20/how-can-i-deploy-a-customized-windows-10-start-menu-using-system-center-2012-r2-sp1-configuration-manager/

[Michael]

Niall "Windows Noob" Brady does the same too. It must be more reliable doing it that way?

 

www.niallbrady.com/2015/09/20/how-can-i-deploy-a-customized-windows-10-start-menu-using-system-center-2012-r2-sp1-configuration-manager/

 

I hosted it locally too, still doesn't play ball. It's interesting you're only re-directing one tile, as I tried re-directing approx. 12 or so and it just doesn't work.

 

You could experiment and try any application(s) just to increase the Apps and see if you can re-create it your end.

[Arthur]

I hosted it locally too, still doesn't play ball.

If you run the following PowerShell command, do you get a number that's less than 512?

 

Get-StartApps | Measure

[Michael]

If you run the following PowerShell command, do you get a number that's less than 512?

 

Get-StartApps | Measure

 

I'd have to try it. On my own Windows 10 Pro notebook, it outputs as 183. What is it counting exactly?

[Arthur]

What is it counting exactly?

Number of shortcuts on your Start menu. Builds of Windows 10 prior to 10547 had a limit of 512 which is easy to reach if you have a lot of applications installed.

 

Not sure if that's an issue for you, but it might be worth checking?

Edited September 28, 2015 by Arthur

[Michael]

Number of shortcuts on your Start menu. Builds of Windows 10 prior to 10547 had a limit of 512 which is easy to reach if you have a lot of applications installed.

 

Not sure if that's an issue for you, but it might be worth checking?

 

Ahh that would explain it, as I am running 10240 which of course is RTM. I haven't looked at other builds, as I thought these were still Beta?

 

I agree with the article though, increasing it from 512 to 2048 still doesn't seem a lot. Definitely a design mistake Microsoft! Question is, why does there have to be a limit at all, providing you can display it all on screen?

[Arthur]

I haven't looked at other builds, as I thought these were still Beta?

Yeah. You'll have to wait until November for the next non-beta version of Windows 10.

 

Question is, why does there have to be a limit at all, providing you can display it all on screen?

I read somewhere the limit was for performance reasons, but I'm not sure if that's true?

[Michael]

In saying that (re-reading what you wrote), I don't have 512 Apps. I was surprised about my own notebook having 183. All the tiles I added were built in Windows Apps... I think Chrome was the only third party App I added.

 

As you can imagine, I'm at the tipping point of deploying 10240 - I'd rather deploy the official fix when it's launched in November by WSUS, I'd have thought. I think I've wasted enough time looking into it for now, so I intend on locking down the Start Menu until a later date

[jmak]

I've had similar problems, but I've come to the conclusion that removing/hiding tiles in Windows 10 just isn't consistent in a user or computer context.

@Arthur last week informed me about AppLocker which has done the trick. In summary, leave all the tiles 'as is' but use AppLocker to block/restrict or allow particular Apps to run. Once I did it for one Group Policy, it was easy to export it and re-import it into other Group Policies. I did this using Windows 10's RSAT tool.

 

Long term, once Microsoft actually fix the issue (if ever), then I'll re-visit the possibility of customisable/re-directed Windows 10 Start Menus, but for now, they're locked/uncustomisable and none of the Apps on the Start Menu will run, such as the XBOX App.

 

Just in case I'm missing the point, can you confirm that this method leaves the shortcut/tile on the Start Menu, but nothing happens if you click it?

[Michael]

Just in case I'm missing the point, can you confirm that this method leaves the shortcut/tile on the Start Menu, but nothing happens if you click it?

 

Yes almost - The Start Menu remains 'as is' and once AppLocker is in place, clicking any of the tiles displays the message "This app has been blocked by your system administrator" - including the likes of the XBOX App, which Microsoft (in my view) should never have included in Windows 10 Education.

 

Using the GPO - User Config > Admin Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar - Start Layout - Enabled, either specify a blank path or (as I've done), specify a location to a file that will exist in future, such as C:\StartMenus\Random_File.xml When Microsoft officially correct the issue in future, you could then use a GPP policy to copy the xml file across, so the Start Menu in time becomes more functional.

 

If you specify an xml file that the GPO cannot find, the default behaviour is to use the default Start Menu appearance. I hope this answers your question and my intentions on how to address this issue