Start menu group policy

[Sheridan]

I've still tinkering with our Windows 8 test image and have got the Start Menu configured by group policy to use an xml file located on a server share. So far so good and working for the admin and students version. Oddly though I've copied the students version to make a staff version and changed the corresponding GPO.

 

Now the staff version just brings up Desktop on the start screen - you can't pin any apps so the GPO is obviously in effect but its not showing any of the apps (office etc). The exact same xml file is used for students and this works perfectly. There isn't some daft restriciton where the name of the file has to be the same as when it was created is there?

 

The xml file is unreadable so its obviously not 'proper' xml, but it just doesn't seem to work for this user group. Even redirecting them to the student one gives the same results. I can't see anywhere in the GPO where I could have got this wrong, as its just the one setting as far as I can see?

[FN-GM]

The xml file is unreadable

 

How do you mean? I can see the contents of ours.

 

When you go on your all apps can you see the programs that should be pinned to the start screen? Also i would recommend putting the XML file on the local C drive not a network share.

[Sheridan]

Thats odd. The xml I used for students was unreadable but worked, but copied over it didn't work for staff. I've recreated it and copied it to staff and students and its now working and also readable! It must have been corrupted somehow but still worked for the original group of users.

 

I'm putting the xml files on the default image - just testing how it works on a server share as well

[rickjames]

Seem to be having similar issues...

 

Created an xml file fine and lobbed that onto network share and set up a GPO across all users. Try logging in and it kind of works in that half the of the tiles I'd set up aren't there. Open up the XML file and nothing looks out of place. Any pointers? It's driving me mad.

[FN-GM]

Seem to be having similar issues...

 

Created an xml file fine and lobbed that onto network share and set up a GPO across all users. Try logging in and it kind of works in that half the of the tiles I'd set up aren't there. Open up the XML file and nothing looks out of place. Any pointers? It's driving me mad.

 

When you go on your all apps can you see the programs that should be pinned to the start screen?

[rickjames]

Just looked now and they all appear to be there, yup; click on a couple via all apps and they open absolutely fine. Any ideas?

[FN-GM]

Not sure then. I have found they disappear if they are not in the all users start menu / redirected start menu. If this isn't the case i am not sure what would cause it.

[Arthur]

Perhaps this article might help?

 

Customizing the Windows 8.1 Start Screen? Don't follow Microsoft’s guidance « Aaron Parker

[rickjames]

Think I've sussed it out; some of the shortcuts that had been created beforehand were made using local admin, the ones I've started on messing around with were not. Well, I think so!

[rickjames]

Actually, nope!

 

I open up my vbs file; some of the apps display with an .exe on the end and are tiled appropriately; the majority of them don't despite the fact I'm pinning the actual application to the start screen and not not not a shortcut. Any ideas?

[Arthur]

I open up my vbs file

Are you using OblyTile to create the tiles?

[rickjames]

Sorry I meant XML! Its been a long day.

[Techie-v2]

Following with interest as having the same issue.

 

Programs like office appear no matter who logs in but I also have some shortcuts to webpages, i.e one to the accelerated reader login page and one to our eclipse.net libary catalogue, and only one of these show on the start screen for all users, no matter which order they are in the xml file, only the same one shows every time. They were both created at the same time in the same way.

 

I have also created shortcuts to the staff and students shared drives and neither of these show for any user apart from the one who created it.

[Sheridan]

I'm getting a bit frustrated with this now as well. I want the Administrative Tools to only appear for admins, but they show for all users unless you delete them. If you set restrictive permissions on the shortcuts then you get an error when a new user logs in and their profile is being created.

 

Surely it can't be impossible to prune the start screen down to a neat and tidy display of what the users need and have access to!

[rickjames]

I am determined to beat this thing today. EURGH.

[rickjames]

Right; now it's not doing anything at all. Checked over my .xml file, paths to every application seem A-OK, tried storing it on NETLOGON and locally, apply the GPO, gpupdate my test machine but it just doesn't show up when I login as a user.

 

I thought this was meant to be simple.

[rickjames]

STILL HATE THIS SO MUCH

[rickjames]

p.s I still really hate this