Has anyone got the Windows 10 Start Menu working reliably WITHOUT using Classic Shell

[CHiLL]

The start menu is mostly working now, however still having issues with some tiles:

• This PC - Leaves a blank space (Using File Explorer works, but this loads up Quick Access as default, instead of This PC)
  
• Outlook - Leaves a blank space, despite the GUID/CLSID and rest of the path being correct
  
• Devices and Printers - Leaves a blank space
  

 

Something ive found recently whilst on the subject of RunTimeBroker, on a few machines, we are seeing..

 

 

The key in this error relates to the RunTimeBroker. Unsure how to resolve this error though.

I did come across this, but haven't checked it out yet: https://shauncassells.wordpress.com/2015/09/28/windows-10-event-10016-fix-the-application-specific-permission-settings-do-not-grant-local-activation-permission-for-the-com-server-application-with-clsid-d63b10c5-bb46-4990-a94f-e40b9d520160-and-a/

[timbo343]

I've seen that page before. I can get the AppID key to change security permissions through AD however i cannot get the CLSID key to change permissions. Only by using regedit and remotely connect to the machine can i change the permissions.

[CHiLL]

I've seen that page before. I can get the AppID key to change security permissions through AD however i cannot get the CLSID key to change permissions. Only by using regedit and remotely connect to the machine can i change the permissions.

I have been able to take ownership of registry keys using GP for another task I was working on last week. The settings were located in Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Registry

From here, I was able to Add the key by browsing for it and then the security permissions dialogue box appeared. I took a screenshot of the existing permisisons and entered 'Advanced'. The owner stated 'Unable to display current owner', so I changed it to SYSTEM in my case and I also pressed 'Enable inheritance'. This removed all security entries from the key, so I manually added them back in, with the addition of SYSTEM and Administrators to have full access.

That allowed me then to use GPP to change the value of the registry key.

[timbo343]

I have been able to take ownership of registry keys using GP for another task I was working on last week. The settings were located in Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Registry

From here, I was able to Add the key by browsing for it and then the security permissions dialogue box appeared. I took a screenshot of the existing permisisons and entered 'Advanced'. The owner stated 'Unable to display current owner', so I changed it to SYSTEM in my case and I also pressed 'Enable inheritance'. This removed all security entries from the key, so I manually added them back in, with the addition of SYSTEM and Administrators to have full access.

That allowed me then to use GPP to change the value of the registry key.

 

Thanks for your input on this but I've managed to do it on reg keys in the past but the CLSID one will not change and i don't know why.

[Katy]

• This PC - Leaves a blank space (Using File Explorer works, but this loads up Quick Access as default, instead of This PC)
  

There is a registry setting that tells File Explorer to go to "This PC" instead of Quick Access when opened - I have it set as a group policy registry preference setting:

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\LaunchTo = 1 (DWORD)

 

Edit: if for some reason you change your mind and want Quick Access to be the default again then it needs to be set to 2.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Katy

[CHiLL]

There is a registry setting that tells File Explorer to go to "This PC" instead of Quick Access when opened - I have it set as a group policy registry preference setting:

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\LaunchTo = 1 (DWORD)

 

Edit: if for some reason you change your mind and want Quick Access to be the default again then it needs to be set to 2.

Thanks for that. I've just checked and I've already set that key. I'll have to check whether its being overwritten at any point.

[mullet_man]

The start menu is mostly working now, however still having issues with some tiles:

• This PC - Leaves a blank space (Using File Explorer works, but this loads up Quick Access as default, instead of This PC)
  
• Outlook - Leaves a blank space, despite the GUID/CLSID and rest of the path being correct
  
• Devices and Printers - Leaves a blank space
  

 

 

I did come across this, but haven't checked it out yet: https://shauncassells.wordpress.com/2015/09/28/windows-10-event-10016-fix-the-application-specific-permission-settings-do-not-grant-local-activation-permission-for-the-com-server-application-with-clsid-d63b10c5-bb46-4990-a94f-e40b9d520160-and-a/

 

I've had some luck with getting This PC working, and also managed to get network drives to appear.

 

Here is a bit of my code, the two drives I've edited the XML and replaced the two lines with the code below.

 

[3s-gtech]

Weirdly, I've just re-enabled the built-in Start menu with a GPO (which disables Classic Shell too) and it's working again. It was a pig before. Perhaps the multitude of updates put on my reference VM have fixed it. Still not sure I can use it though because removing the apps without breaking sysprep is an ache downstairs, where I can neatly hide them with CS.

[timbo343]

Can i just point everyone to this link https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/69b4e29d-0a57-4d3d-a620-c6ab49923c7f/windows-10-1607-start-menu-breaks-for-users-with-roaming-profiles?forum=win10itprogeneral and scroll down to the bottom - third post from the bottom and you see this:

 

Hello,

 

Well, no solution yet. But in another thread (see here) a user called Jools86 came up with some response he obviously got from Microsoft:

 

Hey all, I raised a Premier support call regarding this very same issue.

 

My symptoms, are Import-StartLayout looks great for a brand new user logging onto only 1 machine, log onto a new machine with a roaming profile and the start menu gets destroyed.

 

They said this will be fixed (Roaming Start menus) on the next Anniversary release of Windows 10, so approx Summer 2017. It is in their list of new features for the release.

So it looks not only Microsoft admitted it to be a serious bug but they also confirmed they are working on it. This is the good news.

 

The bad news is, that this is supposed to be included in anniversary update (summer 2017) which makes us wait another half a year until we potentially get the fix. A whopping 2 years after Windows 10 release finally it's potentially going to be usable. Perhaps. We don't know yet for sure.

 

Personally I have had best success with the StartMenuInit reset to zero value during logon script. See my quote in this thread. The script runs only a single time on the very first logon to a machine where the profile is not existing yet and forces Windows to rebuild the start menu. On subsequent logons this does not have any impact as the start menu is re-initialized only once for each machine.

 

Unfortunately this solution is not 100% working for mandatory profiles. Here it adds a lot of overhead as the start-menu is re-built on each and every single logon which renders some older machines unusable for the first 20 minutes after logon due to high system activity. Moreover none of the apps do work at all (icons just turn grey when clicked). This is not a huge issue but unfortunately basic system applications like the calculator are apps now and the kids might miss it during class lessons.

 

Hopefully Microsoft is coming up with a better solution.

 

But I am not holding my breath. I need to take action and certainly I am not starting any Windows 10 deployment yet and perhaps I will not have to waste time on Windows deployments in the future dealing with basic features which were broken (Roaming profiles have been broken by Microsoft in Windows 8 already, Win-X did not work the same way as start menu in Windows 10 now). All the discussion threads and the ignorance of Microsoft shows that they simply don't care. As long as they're making money with the store. Anyway Microsoft is a commercial company and they are free to focus on whatever they think they will be successful with. If this does not match my goals I will simply have to look for alternatives or live with what they provide.

 

For me this also made up the decision whether to go for other Microsoft services like Windows Servers and Cloud services. My decision was actually to go for such services but Microsoft finally convinced me that this might not be the right way to go. Fair enough.

[tberty]

I don't use Windows 10 on a touchscreen tablet or computer so there's no issue like you. On desktop (without touchscreen), my Start Menu is working fine without any issues.

[Latham]

At this moment in time I've managed to get the start menu to redirect to a folder but it's still showing these two:

 

Settings doesn't open; but search does (whereas I don't want it there at all) and trying to remove these two annoying little so-and-sos is becoming a sanity destroying obsession.

 

 

Anyone get anywhere with removing these two from the menu? Or hiding them?

[mullet_man]

At this moment in time I've managed to get the start menu to redirect to a folder but it's still showing these two:

 

Settings doesn't open; but search does (whereas I don't want it there at all) and trying to remove these two annoying little so-and-sos is becoming a sanity destroying obsession.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]41776[/ATTACH]

 

Anyone get anywhere with removing these two from the menu? Or hiding them?

 

You can't hide them I believe, I've added them to applocker so they can't be opened.

Edited February 27, 2017 by mullet_man

[mullet_man]

I checked up on the PCs I reimaged recently after making that Windows Update policy change and found the start menu/modern apps broken so that's my long shot theory out the window.

 

Not sure what to check now but it's really annoying me. I have Windows 10 in a room on some old Dell laptops and the ones I've tested seem to work fine.

 

I don't believe it's hardware related but am going to check a few more laptops tomorrow as it's something to work on.

[victory2015]

Can i just point everyone to this link https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/69b4e29d-0a57-4d3d-a620-c6ab49923c7f/windows-10-1607-start-menu-breaks-for-users-with-roaming-profiles?forum=win10itprogeneral and scroll down to the bottom - third post from the bottom and you see this:

have a look at my post here to fix start menu for roaming profiles.

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-10/173918-start-menu-roaming-profiles-fix.html#post1491367

[mullet_man]

We don't use roaming profiles but am still going to give that mentioned GP a test as it sounds promising. Maybe it's a long shot but at this point it's worth a test.

[mullet_man]

I haven't had chance to look at this yet but it's on my todo list for next week.

[Arreks]

Went back to the normal Start menu because the Classic Shell looks a bit ugly - jeez, for something Micro$oft 'supports' it's difficult to configure.

[mdrabble]

Why oh why is this proving so difficult!

 

Windows 10 2016 LTSB (Enterprise) - not using a redirected start menu at the moment - trying to keep things simple for the moment!

 

Setup and exported the StartMenu layout and stored it in the Netlogon folder and set the GPO to point to this xml file.

 

I amended the xml file to point to the netlogon folder for all shortcuts

 

Logon, and it picks up the xml file BUT for some reason instead of placing the Groups items underneath each other, it pushed it to the side.

 

The only items missing are the Drives and Log off shortcuts. - why!!!!! all the other show up!!!!

 

Arrggh!!

 

How have other people managed this? I am slowly questioning my abilities!!

[timbo343]

Why oh why is this proving so difficult!

 

Windows 10 2016 LTSB (Enterprise) - not using a redirected start menu at the moment - trying to keep things simple for the moment!

 

Setup and exported the StartMenu layout and stored it in the Netlogon folder and set the GPO to point to this xml file.

 

I amended the xml file to point to the netlogon folder for all shortcuts

 

Logon, and it picks up the xml file BUT for some reason instead of placing the Groups items underneath each other, it pushed it to the side.

 

The only items missing are the Drives and Log off shortcuts. - why!!!!! all the other show up!!!!

 

Arrggh!!

 

How have other people managed this? I am slowly questioning my abilities!!

You're not losing the plot. Are you able to post up the xml?

 

We found that we had to put all shortcuts in the apps menu. We have a logoff tile, that points to a shortcut and had to change the command as the original one didnt work.

 

Not too sure about the start menu not expanding out to the right but ours too do the same sometimes.

[free780]

I believe it depends on the resolution of the VM you did the export and then the VM/PC you are testing it on. When I do an export its always 1024x768.

[KK20]

Here is my working start menu .xml remember it must be saved UTF-8!

 

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">

 

 

It should be noted that the third group does not always appear. Mostly it doesn't but the earlier shortcut does appear. I cant be bothered to see why - perhaps because they are the same .lnk? I should copy the .lnk and see if that fixes it. Oddly enough I couldn't get a network shortcut working for internet explorer - it had to be locally sourced.

[Latham]

I've somehow managed to break the start menu button from working at all on the virtual machine I was hoping to use as an image. Thought it was a GPO at first but disabling them doesn't bring it back - and the start menu works on another Windows 10 image with the same policies on it.

 

Users, domain admins, local admins. The thing just won't work. I'm quite impressed with myself...

[sted]

the only time i killed the start menu completely was with applocker and removing app locker policies dosent seem to remove the rules

[Joanne]

OK I'm having another shot at Windows 10 Edu and start menu locking. It's actually working (sort of)...

 

Config:

 

Actual:

 

XML:

 

So I'm pretty sure I know why Scratch isn't showing... but why is it going double wide?

[MrEprise]

@Joanne Change your "StartTileGroupCellWidth=" from 6 to 3 and it should go back to how you intended it.