Windows 10 Start Tiles XML

[ReverentCreature]

Hi all, Is it possible to have a fixed tile layout deployed to all users? I know through Group Policy you could path users to a network shared that contained the XML file. Is this still the case? Does one XML do Windows 8.1 and Windows 10? thanks. We have one set for Windows 8.1 but its having no effect on our Windows 10 computers.

[Sheridan]

It doesn't work in Windows 10 - or rather you'll get varying results.

 

Oddly, MS don't seem to think theres a problem, but they are the only ones who think the xml Start Tile redirection works properly!

[JRowley]

It does work in the same way but you probably need to extra a new xml file from a windows 10 pc to get it working. It also depends on the type of profile you are using, local profiles seem to work fine, roaming has mixed results to say the least.

[Michael]

Have a read here - save yourself tearing any hair out

[jmak]

It doesn't work in Windows 10 - or rather you'll get varying results.

 

Oddly, MS don't seem to think theres a problem, but they are the only ones who think the xml Start Tile redirection works properly!

So how about we get a timetable going for Edugeeks visiting BETT to plague the MS stand and complain about this? Maybe if they get asked every 5 minutes for 4 days they'll at least be nearly as irritated as we are, even if they still don't believe us...

[Sheridan]

The was they have set it up is odd but I could work with that, if it actually worked. I've been testing this on and off since July last year and its never worked properly yet. Even pinning a local app (notepad for example) will not work, but the Office apps will.

 

I gave up with this start menu as a bad job, I'm not keen on having to use a third party app to maintain a core part of an OS.

 

MS are like Apple now - if you don't like it, then tough.

[JRowley]

Weird, it works fine here, I have SCCM deploy it during the installation. We don't use roaming profiles to be clear.

[Sheridan]

Weird, it works fine here, I have SCCM deploy it during the installation. We don't use roaming profiles to be clear.

 

Interesting -we don't use roaming profiles either, completely vanilla setup. I've created the xml file umpteen times on various installations of 10 (Education/Enterprise) and deployed it to a share and configured it via the GPO

 

Yet I get some but not all of the tiles, and not reliably either. It does seem to be common enough though!

 

What sort of things are you putting on your start menu tiles, just to see if I'm doing anything similar?

[JRowley]

Interesting -we don't use roaming profiles either, completely vanilla setup. I've created the xml file umpteen times on various installations of 10 (Education/Enterprise) and deployed it to a share and configured it via the GPO

 

Yet I get some but not all of the tiles, and not reliably either. It does seem to be common enough though!

 

What sort of things are you putting on your start menu tiles, just to see if I'm doing anything similar?

 

Perhaps it's because we are doing it a different way, you are deploying via GPO where as we use a PowerShell script to import the xml.

 

Here's the script:

 

Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath "" -MountPath $env:SystemDrive\

 

Here's the XML we configured, it's nothing complex as we just did this for a test, but you get the idea:

 

 

For our tests this is deployed as effectively the final step in our SCCM task sequence. It ends up looking a bit like this:

 

[Michael]

I use roaming profiles and the behaviour is the same.

[Sheridan]

So it looks like the GPO option is at fault - although it seems to partially work. I might try the powershell script on login to see if that works any better.

[Michael]

So it looks like the GPO option is at fault - although it seems to partially work. I might try the powershell script on login to see if that works any better.

 

You'd think though that the GPO would behave the same as the script?

 

I'm curious to know also if you change the Powershell script, will it change the tiles accurately and consistently?

[Sheridan]

Problem is, we block powershell with Applocker, which stops the powershell script from running under a users account at login!

 

Argh, this shouldn't be such a carry on!

[JRowley]

You'd think though that the GPO would behave the same as the script?

 

I'm curious to know also if you change the Powershell script, will it change the tiles accurately and consistently?

 

I have not tried it at log on, it may not have any effect after the user has been created. The script seems to either change every user globally, or the default. But like I said I haven't tried it at log on, or start up for that matter, give it a go if you get chance.

[Michael]

I have not tried it at log on, it may not have any effect after the user has been created. The script seems to either change every user globally, or the default. But like I said I haven't tried it at log on, or start up for that matter, give it a go if you get chance.

 

That does pretty much match what I've found - at the point the device is Sysprepped and joined to the domain, it would pick up my GPO or in your case run your Powershell script. Any changes after this, forget it.

 

That's one big advantage of Classic Shell - it supports the Start Menu Folder Redirection, so I can update shortcuts to applications in real time consistently and reliably, just as you can Windows 7 itself.

[ReverentCreature]

I gave it a go and its not working for me either. I'm seeing the windows app tiles such as Photos and Maps and none of the tiles I added. I'm glad its not just me who's having issues. Thanks for all the advice. No wonder RM haven't said anything about it yet. They must be pulling their hair out trying to get it to work too.

[sparkeh]

I too never got the start menu to work reliably. IMO Classic Start is what the MS Start Menu should have been. I can't recommend using it enough and saving your sanity.