windows 10 Start Menu - How is everyone else doing iT?

[JVSuper]

Hello,

 

We are currently working towards upgrading to Windows 10 (From Windows 7)in the Summer.

 

I am really struggling with the Start Menu due to its many restrictions.

 

Our current Windows 7 Start Menu, at times, can go 3 or 4 folders deep:

 

 

I cannot find a way to replicate this on Windows 10, and the many forums I have read suggest others are having the same problems.

 

I am just wondering how other schools have combat this issue, and I am hopeful they will not mind sharing their designs and ideas with me as every work around I have is shot down with a restriction that I am struggling to understand why it is there

 

I am really grateful for any suggestion and frustration has well and truly set in.

 

Thank you

[Michael]

Classic Shell will allow you to do this and is well discussed on Edugeek

[JVSuper]

Thanks for the reply Michael.

 

We did consider that but its not being developed any further from the end of the year so our Network Manager is reluctant to use it. We also considered Start 10 but that comes with a considerable cost that out Network Manager is does not want to spend.

 

[sparkeh]

I do it like this: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-10/187278-successfully-deploying-start-menus-windows-10-v1703.html

[NetworkServices]

I gave up with folders and subfolders when migrating to Windows 10. Now all the programs are listed alphabetically in the root. After watching staff and students use the start menu they seem more comfortable with simply searching for the program they want in the Cortana search box anyway.

[JVSuper]

Thanks for the reply

 

Can I just ask what you mean by "the root" please?

[NetworkServices]

Thanks for the reply

 

Can I just ask what you mean by "the root" please?

 

No applications in subfolders.

[JVSuper]

In the A-Z App bar on the left of the start menu?

[NetworkServices]

In the A-Z App bar on the left of the start menu?

 

That's it. With a few of the most commonly used programs pinned to the right of that. SIMS, Outlook etc.

[AJWhite1970]

I'm using Classic Shell with Windows 10 Edu v1709, roaming profiles and redirected start menus without any issues. I'm keeping an eye on any potential issues because as stated above Classic Shell is no longer being developed but some quick testing on 1803 the other day didn't have any issues either.

 

Just FWIW, I am rolling out 1709 rather than 1803 as the latter is still too buggy to consider going live IMHO

 

Andrew

[Badaz52]

Ours is just bog standard redirected start menu with pinned item customisation, seems to work fine for us. There are some items I couldn't remove such as Contact Support and Connect but they don't work anyway due to various other restrictions so I've just left them there.

 

 

We did try Classic Shell but it seemed to slow things down and crash a lot so I ditched that idea.

 

Also we are still on 1607 but have a 1709 working image. I have an 1803 image built but not fully tested so not sure which one I'm upgrading to in the Summer yet.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Badaz52

[Michael]

If you do decide to install Classic Shell, only install the Start Menu component. Do not install the Explorer or Update components and it works absolutely fine.

[JVSuper]

Thank you everyone, this has been very useful. We have decided was a couple of custom tiles on the start menu, and them departmental folders in the App list. Not ideal but the best that can be done with the restrictions.

 

Really appreciate you all taking the time to share with me.

[xxlonewolfxx123]

I pretty much gave up on trying to use the standard windows 10 start menu as it would not open and could not figure out why. We have now setup successfully Classic shell which works very well but would obviously love to just use the standard Win 10 menu.

[flyinghaggis]

Ours is just bog standard redirected start menu with pinned item customisation, seems to work fine for us. There are some items I couldn't remove such as Contact Support and Connect but they don't work anyway due to various other restrictions so I've just left them there.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49274[/ATTACH]

 

 

We've gone with a fairly similar setup. I'd like to keep things as standard as possible for now so don't really want to resort to things like classic shell if we can avoid it.

 

How did you add the "File Explorer" shortcut shown above by the way as that would be a useful link for our users as well?

Edited June 13, 2018 by flyinghaggis

[Steve21]

There's really not much need for classic shell etc anymore, you can remove the tiles by XML if you want the "old style menu" without tiles etc, and the rest can be managed by redirection as normal. (Yes subfolder is the one annoyance but you can just use another folder if really needed, bearing in mind most people type search )

 

An example of ours:

 

 

Steve

[flyinghaggis]

There's really not much need for classic shell etc anymore, you can remove the tiles by XML if you want the "old style menu" without tiles etc, and the rest can be managed by redirection as normal. (Yes subfolder is the one annoyance but you can just use another folder if really needed, bearing in mind most people type search )

 

An example of ours:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49292[/ATTACH]

 

Steve

 

I'd appreciate if you could post a copy of the XML code you used to generate those Explorer shortcuts as they'd be incredibly useful and I'm sure everyone on here will want to add something similar!

[buzzard]

we copy a shortcut from the server to the local drive and then in the xml for the start menu (which you've generated) point it at the local shortcut, not to explorer.exe as it doesn't like it. We copied the shortcut via the Machine GP to %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\File Explorer.lnk

[Steve21]

I'd appreciate if you could post a copy of the XML code you used to generate those Explorer shortcuts as they'd be incredibly useful and I'm sure everyone on here will want to add something similar!

 

 

Is that top section (S is commented out as was for testing SIMs but can just delete that line if you don't want it.

 

And the This PC link is a shortcut pointed to:

 

C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

 

Steve

[flyinghaggis]

 

C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

 

Steve

 

Thanks for the info. Appreciate it!

 

On a side note did Microsoft really need to make it so awkward to create a customised start menu in Windows 10! I seriously underestimated how long it would take to convert our Windows 7 Start Menu to Windows 10

Edited June 13, 2018 by flyinghaggis

[ColinP]

Mine looks almost identical, to the above, however i have created diffrent layouts for diffrent parts fo the school eg Junior, Senior and staff

[Badaz52]

We've gone with a fairly similar setup. I'd like to keep things as standard as possible for now so don't really want to resort to things like classic shell if we can avoid it.

 

How did you add the "File Explorer" shortcut shown above by the way as that would be a useful link for our users as well?

 

For file explorer our code is:

 

[JasonNVSD]

There are some items I couldn't remove such as Contact Support and Connect but they don't work anyway due to various other restrictions so I've just left them there.

Remove the provisioned app package Microsoft.GetHelp. Connect you'll want to leave alone.

[pdb87]

Struggling to get the mapped drives to display in our custom start menu! Followed the advice in this thread but still no luck :/

[Explorer]

I have it set so there is just an apps list and staff can pin their own apps if they want to. Students have a selection of frequently used apps pinned which they can't change.