It seems like Microsoft still hasn't made any real improvements to the customizations for the start menu and taskbar through GPO. In our case, we are currently configuring our first customer with 2012 terminal servers. And like most sysadmins, we do not want the regular user on the terminal server to be able to even see the icons for powershell, server manager or administrative tools on their start menu or taskbar. Not that they are able to run those programs, but knowing from experience, "dumb" users will eventually click on anything they see is available on their menus. And when those programs generates the "access denied" error message, our phones are glowing in the matter of minutes. So! With the help of some heavy googlin' and lots of error and trial, i finally got what i wanted to work.

So here is a guide which will provide you with the right GPO settings to clear the start menu of server manager, task manager and powershell. It will also clear the taskbar for server manager and powershell, but leave the file explorer and still let the users pin the programs they want to the taskbar.

1. User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar
1.JPG

2. Computer Configuration\Preferences\Windows Settings\Files
2.JPG

3. User Configuration\Preferences\Windows Settings\Files
3.JPG

4. User Configuration\Preferences\Windows Settings\Registry
- HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Exp lorer\Taskband (set to delete and apply once and do not reapply)

- Create the following new registry items:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Taskband]
"FavoritesResolve"=hex:98,02,00,00,4c,00,00,00,01, 14,02,00,00,00,00,00,c0,00,00,00,00,00,00,46,83,00 ,80,00,20,00,00,00,4e,95,54,7a,4b,bf,cd,01,4e,95,5 4,7a,4b,bf,cd,01,36,42,94,a5,a4,6a,cd,01,97,01,00, 00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00 ,00,00,00,00,3e,01,14,00,1f,80,c8,27,34,1f,10,5c,1 0,42,aa,03,2e,e4,52,87,d6,68,52,00,31,00,00,00,00, 00,6a,41,52,6f,11,00,54,61,73,6b,42,61,72,00,3c,00 ,08,00,04,00,ef,be,6a,41,52,6f,6a,41,52,6f,2a,00,0 0,00,46,3d,01,00,00,00,04,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00, 00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,73,00,6b,00,42,00 ,61,00,72,00,00,00,16,00,d6,00,32,00,97,01,00,00,f 9,40,17,a4,20,00,46,49,4c,45,45,58,7e,31,2e,4c,4e, 4b,00,00,78,00,08,00,04,00,ef,be,6a,41,52,6f,6a,41 ,52,6f,2a,00,00,00,4a,3d,01,00,00,00,04,00,00,00,0 0,00,00,00,00,00,4e,00,00,00,00,00,46,00,69,00,6c, 00,65,00,20,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00 ,65,00,72,00,2e,00,6c,00,6e,00,6b,00,00,00,40,00,7 3,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64, 00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,32,00,32,00,30,00,36,00 ,37,00,00,00,1c,00,42,02,00,4d,00,69,00,63,00,72,0 0,6f,00,73,00,6f,00,66,00,74,00,2e,00,57,00,69,00, 6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,2e,00,45,00,78,00,70 ,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,00,00,1c,00,00,0 0,a8,00,00,00,1c,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,1c,00,00,00, 2d,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,a7,00,00,00,11,00,00,00,03 ,00,00,00,02,a6,df,3a,10,00,00,00,00,43,3a,5c,55,7 3,65,72,73,5c,61,64,6d,69,6e,69,73,74,72,61,74,6f, 72,2e,53,4d,42,5c,41,70,70,44,61,74,61,5c,52,6f,61 ,6d,69,6e,67,5c,4d,69,63,72,6f,73,6f,66,74,5c,49,6 e,74,65,72,6e,65,74,20,45,78,70,6c,6f,72,65,72,5c, 51,75,69,63,6b,20,4c,61,75,6e,63,68,5c,55,73,65,72 ,20,50,69,6e,6e,65,64,5c,54,61,73,6b,42,61,72,5c,4 6,69,6c,65,20,45,78,70,6c,6f,72,65,72,2e,6c,6e,6b, 00,00,60,00,00,00,03,00,00,a0,58,00,00,00,00,00,00 ,00,69,6e,76,65,6e,74,75,6d,30,32,00,00,00,00,00,0 0,a6,58,be,d3,b6,46,ed,42,8f,a3,d3,93,8e,1d,5d,8c, 95,9e,41,73,c0,2a,e2,11,93,f3,00,50,56,90,4c,60,a6 ,58,be,d3,b6,46,ed,42,8f,a3,d3,93,8e,1d,5d,8c,95,9 e,41,73,c0,2a,e2,11,93,f3,00,50,56,90,4c,60,00,00, 00,00

"Favorites"=hex:00,3e,01,00,00,14,00,1f,80,c8,27,3 4,1f,10,5c,10,42,aa,03,2e,e4,52,87,d6,68,52,00,31, 00,00,00,00,00,6a,41,52,6f,11,00,54,61,73,6b,42,61 ,72,00,3c,00,08,00,04,00,ef,be,6a,41,52,6f,6a,41,5 2,6f,2a,00,00,00,46,3d,01,00,00,00,04,00,00,00,00, 00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,73,00 ,6b,00,42,00,61,00,72,00,00,00,16,00,d6,00,32,00,9 7,01,00,00,f9,40,17,a4,20,00,46,49,4c,45,45,58,7e, 31,2e,4c,4e,4b,00,00,78,00,08,00,04,00,ef,be,6a,41 ,52,6f,6a,41,52,6f,2a,00,00,00,4a,3d,01,00,00,00,0 4,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,4e,00,00,00,00,00,46, 00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00 ,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,6c,00,6e,00,6b,00,0 0,00,40,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32, 00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,32,00,32,00 ,30,00,36,00,37,00,00,00,1c,00,42,00,00,00,1d,00,e f,be,02,00,4d,00,69,00,63,00,72,00,6f,00,73,00,6f, 00,66,00,74,00,2e,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00 ,77,00,73,00,2e,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,7 2,00,65,00,72,00,00,00,1c,00,00,00,ff

"FavoritesChanges"=dword:0000000a

"FavoritesVersion"=dword:00000002

"FavoritesRemovedChanges"=dword:00000002

Set all these registry items to ble "apply once and do not reapply"

5. One important thing to remember
Depending on what language you have configured for the users you also have to take that into consideration when creating the policies for deleting the shortcuts. In my case, i also had to add the Norwegian names for Task Manager and Administrative Tools for example.

Hope this was helpfull!