Windows 8.1 managing start screen weirdness

[tmoon-mint]

Hoping someone could help me troubleshoot this problem,

 

I have managed to export my preferred start screen layout using powershell and create a policy to enforce it to users. However when my policy applies you get a strange mixture of both the default and managed start screens. By this I mean you get the default start screen, and then the managed one sort of attached on the end as well. I know that the policy has applied because you cannot move any of the tiles, as I would expect.

 

I am working on a 2008R2 server, with a Windows 8.1 virtual acting as an RSAT machine. I also have the 8.1 ADMX placed in the central store of my server. Anyone any ideas?

Edited December 16, 2014 by tmoon-mint
Clarification

[Oaktech]

I have the same issue. I've swapped from a .bin layout to an XML layout and the XML layout doesn't always apply. Interested to see how you get on with this.

[beany1]

Don't know how you did yours, but what I did was "Export-StartLayout -path C:\Start\start.xml -As XML" then copied this to each computer C:\Start\start.xml

On group policy User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > Start Screen Layout defined it as C:\Start\start.xml

 

That works every time, with just the tiles exported and is changed as soon as I update the XML.

 

If you look through the generated XML do only the links you want show up?

 

*Something to keep in mind, I implemented this, everyone hated not being able to add/change shortcuts/tiles.. so I removed it, opting instead to alter the profile before image capture so every user gets a generic start menu, but they are able to add/change.

[tmoon-mint]

I have done it exactly the same, however my XML is on a network share, Everyone has read access to this location so it isn't a permissions thing, unless of course they need more than just read. Would it be better to do it locally like how you have? Seems like an awful lot of manual work.

[beany1]

Well I'd say test it on one, if it works, you can use group policy to copy the file automatically. I can't see it being permissions, because why would it show the icons that you want?

 

In the XML does it contain just the tiles you want or the erroneous ones too?

[tmoon-mint]

Yes it does! ARGH, why did I not think to check that before? So annoyed. So my problem starts with exporting the XML. That's where I can start my troubleshooting. Thanks for your help and I will let you guys know how I get on later.

[beany1]

As far as I'm aware you can just edit the XML file and remove the links you don't want. Then test it with the powershell Import-StartLayout as a test.

[tmoon-mint]

Well I would love to tell you what I did to fix it, but I don't have a single clue! I did nothing differently apart from checking the file once I had exported it. Strange. Again thanks for your help.