How to get rid of Candy Crush Soda Saga and other Windows 10 Start Menu junk for good!

[Chrisbf1]

i have come across this below. Not sure it has been mentioned before. seems to do the trick. Nice GUI as well

 

https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster

[3s-gtech]

Please can you update here once you've found out what happens with other (existing) users after an in place upgrade?

 

I had hoped that after a clean install of 1803 I would be able to run an in place upgrade without the crud coming back, but reports on here seen to suggest that's hit and miss at best. Trying to hold off upgrading until 19H2(? Octoberish release) so that I can swap on to the longer term support cycle, but would rather not have to reimage all machines during term time.

Have just tested with my student account (super mandatory profile). I haven't modified the profile at all since 1703. When this account logs in, all of the crudware apps are back. Can't work out why at this stage.

[mavhc]

Just installed Pro 1903 with a couple of apps removed with dism++, and suggest apps turned off. Looks pretty clean, only 3 boxes on the start menu, office, edge, store

[3s-gtech]

I've tested another machine, this time a brand new Dell laptop. This was in-place (but clean) upgraded from 1809 Pro using the VLSC ISO. No language issues this time as I chose not to allow updates. Once added to the domain, my scripts deleted the Windows.old folder and then purged the apps that I didn't whitelist. Now logged on as a staff account, it's looking good (I seem to have lost right-click on the Start button for all users which is odd but not major, just WinX folder missing).

 

Edit: Default user profile folder was broken which affected WinX among other things (also affected Papercut). Solution was to delete the Default user folder, then copy a working one from elsewhere to the machine.

Edited June 4, 2019 by 3s-gtech

[CHiLL]

What's the best method for removing apps now? I've previously used @Arthur 's script to remove them from the WIM. I like doing this as it means I only need to do the job once and then import/deploy the modified WIM. Otherwise if done in the TS it adds deployment time to each deployment. Though the script hasn't been updated since 2017 (from what I can tell). Or is it best just to remove them from the TS now?

[3s-gtech]

I've stopped removing from the WIM simply because my old-school deployment method (FOG) would mean re-imaging 1000 computers, manually, again. Nah. The advantage with post deployment scripts is the ability to update machines without re-imaging. If you're going to push out with SCCM though, by all means modify the WIM. You'll need to check to see what apps you want as the newer builds have changed them since 2017.

[3s-gtech]

Have just tested with my student account (super mandatory profile). I haven't modified the profile at all since 1703. When this account logs in, all of the crudware apps are back. Can't work out why at this stage.

This is now fine. Seems that when no redirected Start Menu is specified it shows all of the bloatware - now I've applied my usual redirected menu + Start layout file it's looking good.

[Slum90]

I have a powershell script that I run on all accounts to remove all the unnecessary apps that come with windows!

[sjonescuk]

Super helpful, Thank you!

[garethEds]

Does anyone know of a template sheet that shows how the layout file is built? Showing the column and row numbers? I want to give it to a class of pupils (my Pupil Voice) to design the layout they would like to see.

 

I'm also surprised nobody has released a cool application that helps you design layout options.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Arthur]

Showing the column and row numbers?

This is the closest thing I could find.

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/start-layout-xml-desktop#tile-size-and-coordinates

 

 

 

I'm also surprised nobody has released a cool application that helps you design layout options.

Probably not worth the effort since Windows 10 already includes an app to design the layout: the Start Menu itself.

[ollyyllo]

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/start-layout-xml-desktop#layoutoptions

 

LayoutOptions

 

New devices running Windows 10 for desktop editions will default to a Start menu with 2 columns of tiles unless boot to tablet mode is enabled. Devices with screens that are under 10" have boot to tablet mode enabled by default. For these devices, users see the full screen Start on the desktop. You can adjust the following features:

 

I think the default for this has this changed for 1903 hasn't it?

The menu with the default apps is now only one column wide, I've had to add StartTileGroupsColumnCount=2 to keep my start menu how it was.

Edited July 2, 2019 by ollyyllo

[Arthur]

I think the default for this has this changed for 1903 hasn't it?

Sort of.

 

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/12/19/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-18305

 

A simplified Start layout

Based on your feedback, we’re introducing a simplified default Start layout for new devices, new user accounts, and clean installs. The new layout has been simplified into a sleek one column design with reduced top-level tiles. For the IT admins out there, don’t worry, commercial and education customers will also see a simplified layout tailored to these scenarios.

 

If upgrading to 1903, existing user profiles will keep their two-column Start layout, while new user profiles will get the one-column layout by default.

 

Setting StartTileGroupsColumnCount=2 is probably a good idea to stay consistent.

[supportman]

If anyone wants a forum to vent their frustrations at the "educational" version of windows 10 and start menu issues then the Engineering teams for windows 10 are taking part in an "ask me anything" thread next week

 

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Education-AMA/Announcing-an-Education-AMA-on-July-16th/m-p/734768

 

Could be a great chance to get this improved.

[j224]

i have come across this below. Not sure it has been mentioned before. seems to do the trick. Nice GUI as well

https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster

 

Thanks. I've just given this a go too and it removed pretty much everything I wanted it to (Windows 10 1903)

 

Have you come across any issues?

[CHiLL]

For the life of me, I cannot get pinned task bar items to work in 1903. They worked perfectly in 1809. However the Start Menu XML file I created for 1809 didn't work with 1903 and caused the start menu to crash, restart, crash, restart, etc. So I remade the XML file.

 

The Start Menu tiles work and display correctly, to how I've configured them, but it's just the pinned taskbar items causing me issues now. It's just showing me Microsoft Edge as the only pinned item and I can't stop it. I've even removed all taskbar entries and left it as: taskbar: DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="leaveempty", as from Microsoft's examples, yet Edge is still displayed. Each time I make a modification to the Start Layout, I delete the profile of my test user from my test machine with DelProf2.

 

Here's a copy of my XML file:

	xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification"
xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout"
   xmlns:taskbar="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/TaskbarLayout"
Version="1" >
 
 
   
     
       
         
         
         
       
       
         
         
         
         
         
         
       
       
         
         
         
         
         
         
       
     
   
 

	
		
			
			
			
			
			
			
		
	
   

 

Anyone see anything glaringly obvious that I'm missing?

Edited September 16, 2019 by CHiLL

[Garacesh]

I found that in 1903 I couldn't get it to work, either. Something about setting it via policy it just wasn't liking, but the XML was formatted correctly because I could do it manually.

 

In the end, I settled on a startup script to replace C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\LayoutModification.xml

 

Try deleting user profiles, ditch the GPO, and manually overwrite that file, then log in with a 'new' user. Just to test if it loads properly.

[CHiLL]

I found that in 1903 I couldn't get it to work, either. Something about setting it via policy it just wasn't liking, but the XML was formatted correctly because I could do it manually.

 

In the end, I settled on a startup script to replace C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\LayoutModification.xml

 

Try deleting user profiles, ditch the GPO, and manually overwrite that file, then log in with a 'new' user. Just to test if it loads properly.

I'm not sure what I've done, but it's now working. :| I swear I didn't do anything I hadn't already tried.

 

Anyway, here's a copy of my final working XML for 1903:

    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification"
   xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
   xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout"
   xmlns:taskbar="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/TaskbarLayout"
   Version="1">

 
   
     
       
         
         
         
       
       
         
         
         
         
         
         
       
       
         
         
         
         
         
         
       
     
   
 
   	
	
		
			
			
			
			
			
			
		
	
   

Note: "Microsoft.AutoGenerated.{131DBB25-036C-B479-43E2-3B8B02BB1F8D}" is SIMS in my case.

Edited September 17, 2019 by CHiLL

[CHiLL]

Not related to my last post:

 

For those who don't modify the WIM/remove the AppX packages and use AppLocker to prevent the apps from being run - I've found that users are having 'This app has been blocked by your system administrator' messages for no apparent reason. Some of them are just browsing the web, typing in Word, etc.

 

I used Impero to create a detect only block/warning to catch that popup and used that timestamp to check the AppLocker logs in EventViewer. It appears that it is the Xbox Gaming Overlay that is causing these, because the timestamp from Impero matches the time stamp for "Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay was prevented from running." in the event log.

 

I've enabled the following GPO and will keep an eye as to whether it makes any difference:

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting > Enables or disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasts: Disabled

[mavhc]

Main difference is Windows System\File Explorer.lnk in first, System Tools\File Explorer.lnk in the second

[CHiLL]

Main difference is Windows System\File Explorer.lnk in first, System Tools\File Explorer.lnk in the second

Yeah, though that's not what was breaking it, because all my other applications were pinning, just not File Explorer. If I browse to find that shortcut on the target desktop, it's located in Windows System and the System Tools folder doesn't exist. However File Explorer does not pin. But if I change the XML to use System Tools, despite not appearing to be present on the system...it works. Don't ask me how!

[mavhc]

Yeah, though that's not what was breaking it, because all my other applications were pinning, just not File Explorer. If I browse to find that shortcut on the target desktop, it's located in Windows System and the System Tools folder doesn't exist. However File Explorer does not pin. But if I change the XML to use System Tools, despite not appearing to be present on the system...it works. Don't ask me how!

 

Your problem is you're using Explorer to see what files are called, how silly of you, thinking a File Explorer would show you the names of files.

 

There's a desktop.ini file in System Tools that's changing the name in Explorer.

[ninglis]

Sorry guys, gotten a little lost in the thread.

Whats the best solution to stop these tiles from coming up for users. I've got Win 10 Pro 1903 running.

[mavhc]

Remove them from the WIM before you deploy it. GUI with dism++, or a script by hand.

[CHiLL]

Sorry guys, gotten a little lost in the thread.

Whats the best solution to stop these tiles from coming up for users. I've got Win 10 Pro 1903 running.

Use a custom StartLayout, that way you don't have to remove apps from the image. However the apps will still appear in the Start Menu, but you can use AppLocker to prevent users from running them.