[1703, cu] Start Menu Woes under Windows 10

[kennysarmy]

I've been really struggling trying to get a start menu XML file to work, I either get no tiles or the below:

 

 

In fact I've just taken the original ISO image as downloaded from Microsoft *SW_DVD9_WIN_EDU_10_1703.1_64BIT_Eng_Intl_MLF_X21-47828.ISO*

 

Imaged a test virtual PC and it's auto logged on for the first time as the Administrator and it's showing with the tiles as above!

 

Can I be doing something wrong? or does it just not work? Is it because it can't get internet access and these tiles require it?

 

On the XML start menu policy, I've tried on a PC with no other computer policies applying, no other user policies applying and still I can't get it to work...

 

Losing even more hair!

 

Any tips greatly appreciated.

Edited October 20, 2017 by kennysarmy

[sparkeh]

Have you read my thread here: Successfully deploying Start Menus in Windows 10 v1703

 

https://www.edugeek.net/showthread.php?t=187278

[kennysarmy]

Have you read my thread here: Successfully deploying Start Menus in Windows 10 v1703

 

https://www.edugeek.net/showthread.php?t=187278

 

Yep:

 

Use v1703 - for me this is only build that I can get to work properly.

Using the same build.

 

 

Don't use roaming profiles or redirected Start Menus (I know that some people report success with these but MS have stated that these are not supported with applying start layouts via gpo)

Local profiles only here.

 

 

Modern apps that you decide to keep need to be referenced by the AppUserModelID attribute in the xml.

Yep, lines in XML now read, for example :

 

 

 

Apps that are installed before the first boot (eg during a SCCM deployment) can be referenced via the DesktopApplicationLinkPath attribute in the XML. Shortcuts need to be in the all users start menu located at %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs (I have a couple of bits of software that don't install their shortcut properly so I just created an msi to deploy after software installation to correct it).

Shortcuts have been copied from the Base PC used to create the Start layout to the test PC.

The XML file referenced in the group policy is also copied locally to %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\

 

 

Apps installed after first boot need to be referenced by their AppID in the DesktopApplicationID attribute in the xml. You can get a list of AppIDs by running the get-startapps powershell commands. This specially highlighted for v1703 by MS in one of their guides. When tested I found that contrary to the old problem of missing tiles, new tiles were added dynamically (ie there is a missing tile at logon which then is replaced by the correct tile as you look at it), this seems like a new feature, at least one that I didn't see before.

The DesktopApplicationID attribute can be used to reference web urls and other things such as shortcuts to mapped drives.

The limits stated by MS about the size of groups that you can create appears not to be correct as I have added more tiles than the stated limit. If you add more tiles you get a scrollable Start Menu as you still cannot set the size of the tile area, which is quite annoying.

Used the powershell command Get-StartApps to get the ID's

 

 

Learning the structure of the xml file and editing it directly is easier than faffing around exporting a Start Menu (also the export command always output references to apps as DesktopApplicationLinkPath which you might need to edit anyway

Will look for resources.