Windows 8.1 start screen customisation

[SovietRussia]

Hi all,

 

So, we are using the new XML way of customising the start screen as highlighted in new Windows 8.1 enterprise features.

 

According to the documentation:

 

If the shortcuts are not valid, the tile will not be displayed

 

First you build the layout using the Start Screen (Pinning Apps, like SIMS.net) and then export it (SIMS.net continues to be in the outputted XML file)

 

But, here is the issue:

 

SIMS.net Tile will not appear on the custom start screen, all the other tiles will - thus indicating that the "shortcut is not valid", but it is!

 

Any solutions?

[FN-GM]

Have you tried creating the original tile from scratch instead of the one you get during the install?

[CAM]

Double check the shortcut path. The SIMS folder is "sims .net" and not "sims.net"

[sted]

if the "real" shortcut is in c:\programdata\. . . do they have access to the shortcut?

[SovietRussia]

Double check the shortcut path. The SIMS folder is "sims .net" and not "sims.net"

 

Haha, done that! Windows 8, when creating the start screen - it "GUID's" all the shortcut paths. groan.

[Valyyn]

Did you have any luck with this?

I've got the same issue with some shortcuts

 

One example is Kodu:

 

For that one, the "Configure Kodu" shows up (BokuPreBoot.exe) but the main "Kodu" one doesn't (Boku.exe) even though they're both in the same folder with the same permissions and everything. Weird :/

[3s-gtech]

No luck at all (same school). We just got it something like with some Office shortcuts, the Desktop link and IE, and used Start Menu redirection for the rest. Bit rubbish really, as this was a major selling point of 8.1. Plus, our old system of customising it in 8 no longer seems to work for 8.1!

[SovietRussia]

Did you have any luck with this?

I've got the same issue with some shortcuts

 

One example is Kodu:

 

For that one, the "Configure Kodu" shows up (BokuPreBoot.exe) but the main "Kodu" one doesn't (Boku.exe) even though they're both in the same folder with the same permissions and everything. Weird :/

 

This is an absolute nightmare, we didn't get anywhere with it at all.

 

 

I did however build a little tool, that will generate it all for you (But, no somethings still don't work)

[sted]

not got sims here to test but ive got all sorts on my pinned list and "all programs" not had an issue yet. its got all the crud windows 7 ever had including stuff that's been run from the server. Have you tried recreating the shortcut manually rather than using the auto created one?

[3s-gtech]

Yup, as it's plain xml it's fairly easy to duplicate and write it in but it just ignores most of the shortcuts. Odd things do pop up though, e.g. VLC works, SIMS doesn't, Office 2010 works, This-PC doesn't.

[sted]

have you redirected your start menu and if so are the shortcuts in that folder?

[3s-gtech]

Yup. Think that might stop them from showing? The Office shortcuts are in that folder too and they show on the Start screen, but you have a point.

[sted]

Yup. Think that might stop them from showing? The Office shortcuts are in that folder too and they show on the Start screen, but you have a point.

 

I know it does if they are not there they wont show even if configged on the start screen (desktop for instance)

[cromertech]

Could this be related to the location settings of the sims shortcut. On our systems at least it runs SIMSLOAD.exe first which is unnecessary if you have Solus 3 running. You need to make sure it points to Pulsar.exe instead which is tacked on the end of the location. Try editing the shortcut in the program data folder to just pulsar.exe and see if it deploys then. I'm unable to test this myself as I'm still waiting for my microsoft licenses to come through (they got my email address wrong again!)

[SovietRussia]

Could this be related to the location settings of the sims shortcut. On our systems at least it runs SIMSLOAD.exe first which is unnecessary if you have Solus 3 running. You need to make sure it points to Pulsar.exe instead which is tacked on the end of the location. Try editing the shortcut in the program data folder to just pulsar.exe and see if it deploys then. I'm unable to test this myself as I'm still waiting for my microsoft licenses to come through (they got my email address wrong again!)

 

We don't link it to SIMSLoad, as we use Solus - Points directly to Pulsar.exe

[KyleWhite]

This is an absolute nightmare, we didn't get anywhere with it at all.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21702[/ATTACH]

 

I did however build a little tool, that will generate it all for you (But, no somethings still don't work)

 

You wouldn't happen to have that tool available for download anywhere would you :-)?

[3s-gtech]

Strangely, the SIMS icon appeared this morning like some little Capita gremlin. Didn't change anything this end!

[FragglePete]

Anyone having any more luck with this? I'm creating layouts and exporting them but a number of items just aren't appearing when set.

 

Pete