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

[Joanne]

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

 

I wondered about that... but then I saw that the tiles were 2x2, so 3 wide would be 6.... bizarre!

 

That hasn't worked. Do I need to delete the local profile of the user account?

Edited March 27, 2017 by Joanne

[MrEprise]

I wondered about that... but then I saw that the tiles were 2x2, so 3 wide would be 6.... bizarre!

 

Yeah... It really makes no sense TBH.

[Katy]

I wondered about that... but then I saw that the tiles were 2x2, so 3 wide would be 6.... bizarre!

I get the feeling when they introduced this "feature" the testing went like this:

 

1. Does it save to a XML file? Yes.

2. Does it load from the XML file? Yes.

3. Does it look the same as when it was saved? No... but it's sort of there, just a different layout with half the icons missing... close enough.

 

Hooray for Microsoft.

[ModeratelyGruntled]

Have only skim read this thread but the GPO .xml method seems to work straight away with version 1607 - I never got it working on 1511.

 

I'm just using it for program shortcuts, This PC and docs folders at present, so shortcuts already on the device/user area.

 

Ta

[Joanne]

That's exactly what is happening! Hahah. Well I've totally broken it now, just brings up default apps! D'oh.

[Joanne]

So I changed the 2 6's at the beginning to 3's. Then it wouldn't load the xml and gave me a default one. Changed the 3's back to 6's and now I'm getting a couple of tiles which have gone and others which have appeared. Such a puzzle!

 

[MrEprise]

I wondered about that... but then I saw that the tiles were 2x2, so 3 wide would be 6.... bizarre!

 

That hasn't worked. Do I need to delete the local profile of the user account?

 

Hmm, I'm not sure now. I looked at the one I'm testing with; in place of that "StartTileGroupCellWidth=", mine has "StartTileGroupsColumnCount=1" but I created my xml using 1511 so I guess 1607 does it differently now. You could try what I've got in mine or I've also noticed on this line: - it gives another "GroupCellWidth" so maybe change that to 3 as well?

 

EDIT: Just saw your post.

[Joanne]

OK it now looks like this:

 

I've changed all the column and row numbers which make sense to me. Going to see what happens!

[Joanne]

it doesn't like that code...

[MrEprise]

Almost seems like it doesn't like anything it doesn't create itself.

[Katy]

Looking at the code and the screenshot, it is the new Win10 app ones with the App ID that it doesn't like, all your old style shortcuts (except scratch) seem to appear.

[sted]

i wonder if its not finding scratch because its in

 

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Scratch.lnk"

[Joanne]

Yeah that's why.... atm I just want to get it on one column... hah! Not fussed about the missing tiles just yet.

[mullet_man]

Ok changing the subject slightly here. I've had a quick chance this evening to check my classrooms and found that out of 60 PCs in 2 rooms I found 6 machines with broken modern apps.

 

Now I can't say for certain as I didn't make a note of which machines had broken ones but turning on this group policy seems to have helped.

 

Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> App Package Deployment --> Allow deployment operations in special profiles: Enabled

 

In the past only a few machines out of the 60 would have working start menus/apps so I can only think it's either the GP or new updates are fixing the issue and is becoming more stable.

 

Am going to check the rooms again in the half term which is a few weeks away but it's looking a little more promising at this point.

 

Let's see what happens when the creators update drops as it's possible we all might need to redo our start menus. Probably not but you never know.

[Joanne]

Tried enabling that policy and ran gpupdate /force but nothing yet. I'll reboot the laptop a couple of times...

[Joanne]

Should the XML apply every time as new, or can it pull it from the local profile?

[KK20]

I have found XML changes only action when GPO background updates happen. Or you can gpupdate /force

[Joanne]

Right... I just copied the original xml and overwrote the one on my share and now the menu is displaying in one chunk! HURRAY!

 

Now to work on the missing apps :/

[Joanne]

Right figured out it is to do with my app locker settings. Great. Go to change them... no longer can change them... wtf? Computer Config | Policies | Windows Settings | Security Settings | System Services | Application Control Policies only has then 3 options, which don't have the Appx Rules in there!

[3s-gtech]

Not trying to alter them from an older PC are you? Server 2012 R2 can access it, not sure on older OSs (doesn't appear on Windows 7 AFAICT). RSAT on Windows 10 or Server 2016 is best due to accessing the list of apps.

[Joanne]

Yeah Server 2008 R2 with imported GPO... I set them on that!

 

Reimaged the machine now in an OU without the Applocker.

 

I have my tools tiles, but it's a double wide menu again. FML I haven't changed anything!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

*goes onto Server 2012 R2 to check*

 

FOUND IT!!!

Edited March 28, 2017 by Joanne

[3s-gtech]

If the new image isn't running the same update level it may not work correctly anyway - they have changed over time. I'd recommend that you use RSAT for setting the Appx rules, it's much easier and more likely to work correctly.

[mullet_man]

Tried enabling that policy and ran gpupdate /force but nothing yet. I'll reboot the laptop a couple of times...

 

Hi Joanne.

 

The GP I posted was for when all modern apps just don't work and the start menu is then broken. I think the group policy needs to be set on a working machine rather than it fixing an already broken one. If that makes sense.

[Joanne]

Hi Joanne.

 

The GP I posted was for when all modern apps just don't work and the start menu is then broken. I think the group policy needs to be set on a working machine rather than it fixing an already broken one. If that makes sense.

 

Ahhh ok.

 

I reimaged my machine after applocker wouldn't remove itself after being applied. I've got a double wide start menu with all but 2 tiles. 1 I can explain, one I cannot. It's the most frustrating thing in the world!

[mullet_man]

Ahhh ok.

 

I reimaged my machine after applocker wouldn't remove itself after being applied. I've got a double wide start menu with all but 2 tiles. 1 I can explain, one I cannot. It's the most frustrating thing in the world!

 

I haven't paid much attention to your issues with the start menu, but I had missing icons etc. Do they appear on a second login? I've seen it where the icons weren't showing if the app wasn't installed for example, so SIMS and FMS that I had pinned for some office staff messed up their start menus so I made sure I installed the apps before logging in for them.