Start Menu Layout

[Disease]

Having a pain of a time with trying to get win 10 to deploy a start menu layout using group policy. In my test with MDT integrated into SCCM I have deployed Edu 1709, then as part of the task installed Office 2016. I arranged and exported the layout as per the MS suggestion yet when I log in as a domain user all I get is the Edge and Paint 3D tiles that I set, not the office ones, office does not even appear int he alphabetical list even thought the links are in the %ALLUSERSPROFILE% area. Appears fine using the local admin account (where it was exported from), just not a domain user.

 

 

Any ideas where I have gone wrong?

Edited January 16, 2018 by Disease

[sted]

when you created the xml file were you logged in as a user with the same type of start menu as your users (ie if staff have a redirected start menu ideally create the pins using that start menu not the std one you get)

[Disease]

I created the layout using the local admin account and exported it from there, do I need to create it using a domain account?

[sted]

I created the layout using the local admin account and exported it from there, do I need to create it using a domain account?

if it cant find the shortcuts yes so if you create a pin to word from the all user start menu but then disable all user start for users it wont show because it cant access the shortcut

[Bedders]

The StartMenuLayout.xml file can only pin anything that is in the Start Menu on the computer it's applied to when the start menu layout is applied. This means the software needs to be installed on the PC, and by extension the .lnk files in the Start List, before the layout takes effect.

 

See this guide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/customize-and-export-start-layout for help on exporting a start menu layout.

 

I exported mine using Audit Mode after I'd installed all of our software, but we don't use SCCM, WDS or MDT.

[3s-gtech]

If you use redirected Start Menus, you just have to make sure that all of the links in your Start Layout are in your Start Menu by popping them in the folders.

[sparkeh]

The StartMenuLayout.xml file can only pin anything that is in the Start Menu on the computer it's applied to when the start menu layout is applied. This means the software needs to be installed on the PC, and by extension the .lnk files in the Start List, before the layout takes effect.

I've found that since v1703 this is no longer true. If you deploy a start menu to a PC that contains an item that isn't installed it doesn't show anything. However after installing it, and the shortcut appears in the %ALLUSERSPROFILE% start menu, the tile pops up.

[Bedders]

I've found that since v1703 this is no longer true. If you deploy a start menu to a PC that contains an item that isn't installed it doesn't show anything. However after installing it, and the shortcut appears in the %ALLUSERSPROFILE% start menu, the tile pops up.

 

:jaw:

[Disease]

The software is installed on the test machine and the the shortcuts are in the %ALLUSERSPROFILE% folder but they do not pop up when I log in using the domain account, only 3d Paint and Edge show.

 

[Synkrox]

I just came here to say I am having the same ballache. Like you, my shortcuts are in place, and it just gives me a messed up start menu with only one icon showing up. I'm getting a quote for Start10.

[Disease]

I managed to get the Layout to appear, we currently use mandatory profiles, if I use a roaming profile and ensure the links are in the start menu folder for the default user then the icons show as per the layout as it automatically copies them from the default user to the roaming profile.

 

I then tried mandatory with redirected appdata but 1. it does not copy the folders from default user to the re-directed Appdata folders and 2. even if you add in links to the redirected folders it still does not show as per the required layout. Wonder if moving to UEV will make my life any easier as I do not want to return to Roaming profiles.

 

None of this resolves a potential issue of if I install new software after a user has first logged in not showing up.

 

What was wrong with the old start menu system!!!!%$%^

[DJ-1701]

I've found that since v1703 this is no longer true. If you deploy a start menu to a PC that contains an item that isn't installed it doesn't show anything. However after installing it, and the shortcut appears in the %ALLUSERSPROFILE% start menu, the tile pops up.

 

Installing v1709 the shortcuts are still locked down to the relative start menu path for me.

Edited January 17, 2018 by DJ-1701
Logic error

[sparkeh]

Installing v1709 the shortcuts are still locked down to the relative start menu path for me.

How are you referencing the applications in the xml?

 

Anything installed before first boot (i.e. as part of an sccm TS) should be referenced by DesktopApplicationLinkPath and everything installed after first boot should use DesktopApplicationID and the application's AppID (found by running the PS command get-startapps)

I've found that the applications referenced by the AppID are the ones that will pop up if the Start Menu is applied before the app installation.

[DJ-1701]

How are you referencing the applications in the xml?

 

Anything installed before first boot (i.e. as part of an sccm TS) should be referenced by DesktopApplicationLinkPath and everything installed after first boot should use DesktopApplicationID and the application's AppID (found by running the PS command get-startapps)

I've found that the applications referenced by the AppID are the ones that will pop up if the Start Menu is applied before the app installation.

 

This is how they were referenced from a straight out export:

 

 

The only one that worked was The Microsoft Edge App. Amended to the location for the redirect start menu and it's fine.

[sparkeh]

This is how they were referenced from a straight out export:

 

 

The only one that worked was The Microsoft Edge App. Amended to the location for the redirect start menu and it's fine.

Ah yes, exporting never really did it for me as the xml produced isn't great (eg it always uses the DesktopApplicationLinkPath attribute). Better to learn how to create your own with the correct attributes for what you want to achieve.

[3s-gtech]

Mine are in the format:

 

 

Not tested this with 1709 (1703 here) but this works consistently. Avoids any link between the All Users profile and any other account that way.

[Bedders]

 

Redacted a couple of software items. Above is our general start menu, I have another for Accounts. All of these work with the understanding that for some reason randomly some of the tiles do not map when the account is logged in for the first time. We allow our staff to modify the layout - this is more of a guide to get people started (they cannot modify these groups, but they can unpin these & pin other stuff).

 

RE things not mapping properly - the same computer, log on one account and it's missing the 'Shutdown' shortcut. Log on a second account and it's also missing one of the redacted shortcuts. Log a third account on that has been on a Windows 10 machine before (we use roaming profiles, their profile is already on the server in this case and it should just download it) and find that both of those icons are there but we're now missing a third icon. I have no idea what/why/how/who/when/where is causing this issue.

[Patrick]

I had to run the powershell cmd's as domain user and not as local admin to get it to work.