Export Start Screen with Windows PowerShell

[rickjames]

Right. Created an entirely new start screen on a local admin account. Created shortcuts to the programs themselves in Program Data/Windows/Microsoft/Star Menu/Programs and exported it. Change in GPO and it's still missing about 20 or so.

 

ARGH WHAT AM I DOING WRONG.

[robjduk]

is the xml on the local PC or network location?

[rickjames]

Network location, no permissions issues or anything.

[Joanne]

I tried having mine on the C:/ drive but it made no difference. HOWEVER... Have not tried creating the start menu as an Average Joe user... so will have a dez laters. Almost finished reimaging this laptop trolley

[robjduk]

When you sign on as a user, does it allow you to edit the start screen at all? If you can not pin items or move what is there around then the group policy is applying and the problem is somewhere with the xml. If you can edit the start screen then the group policy is the issue.

[rickjames]

Yeah, can't move anything at all.

 

Eurgh this is going to be a long one.

[Joanne]

No it won't let me move anything so the policy is applying, so my issue is the XML file, OR the files the file links to?

[robjduk]

the way I do it is create (via group policy) a new folder in C:\ called 8.1 and put everything in there (again by GP). May be worth doing as Windows 8 is quite funny with folder permissions in my opinion. Think I mentioned before, I have not yet met anyone who has got it working correctly via UNC.

[sted]

the way I do it is create (via group policy) a new folder in C:\ called 8.1 and put everything in there (again by GP). May be worth doing as Windows 8 is quite funny with folder permissions in my opinion. Think I mentioned before, I have not yet met anyone who has got it working correctly via UNC.

 

reading the xml file for users after its setup from a unc works fine for me. Creating the xml its just quicker to dump to c: then copy saves typing so not tried direct export to unc

[Joanne]

So I've just logged on as a pupil, with no policy applied. My start menu has icons missing, let's take my penpals ones for example. I go to the programs list, they are all there. When I right click they all say unpin from start, but not all are pinned...

 

I'm very tempted to call it a day on this folly to be honest!

[sted]

been having another play with this is aparantly it worked when i tested it but not always since. On a vm network 1 server (well there is a second had a quick go at failover dhcp while i was at it) 1 8.1 vm. If i redirect start menu to a shared location its hit and miss about wether it will show programs that arnt in all user start menu (mainly miss) however if i redirect the start menu the same way i redirect docs/music etc to the users u drive and copy the files there the start screen pinned shortcuts magically reappear. From the event log it looks a bit like windows 8.1 expects a user to have full ownership of their start menu folder (now this is just my interpretation). But every time i redirect start menu to \\server\home$\%username%\start menu it appears exactly as i designed it. Be aware atm my pc has minimal policies applied to it and one ive found helps on 8.1 that i wouldnt set on 7 is ive set remove common program groups from the start menu is set to disabled

[Stuart_C]

Thouhgt I'd jump on the band wagon a little as I'm currently trying to get this to work. Works fine if I export the layoutm, set up a local XML file and use GP to asign that to a user where the start screen is the only policy applied. As soon as I link in all my Policies it only show's IE. (no office or anything else) It's driving me nuts!

[robjduk]

Loopback processing of Group Policy

 

its that

[Joanne]

I'm back on it today. Going to try what @sted has suggested with the redirected start menu.... if it works great. If not I might just slam on more desktop shortcuts!!!