[1903, au] How To Completely Remove School Essentials From Start Menu

[Fazza]

When you log on to a 1903 version of Windows 10 Edu you get the Schools Essentials icons on the Start Menu which consist of what looks like Microsoft Office apps but are actually links to Office 365 on the Internet!

 

 

They get set up as each new user logs on. How do I remove these icons as I can see problems with Students clicking on them expecting them to open up Office 2016 desktop applications that will be on the machines?

[CHiLL]

The only way would be to push out a Start Layout to users that has a preconfigured layout. You can customise the layout by editing the XML file. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/customize-and-export-start-layout

[Arthur]

As @CHiLL mentioned, you need to create a custom Start layout.

 

Export-StartLayout -Path "$env:UserProfile\Desktop\StartLayout.xml" -UseDesktopApplicationID

 

^ The -UseDesktopApplicationID parameter is important too.

[Fazza]

Excellent news! I normally create a simple Start Menu layout but I've not created and tested one on 1903 yet so glad to hear that if I do then these silly icons will go away!

 

[gmonks]

As @CHiLL mentioned, you need to create a custom Start layout.

 

Export-StartLayout -Path "$env:UserProfile\Desktop\StartLayout.xml" -UseDesktopApplicationID

 

^ The -UseDesktopApplicationID parameter is important too.

 

This worked for me, thank you, I had previously used the same script but without -UseDesktopApplicationID as I hadn't needed that in 1803.

[MrDavo]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have followed the advice here and created my own custom Start Menu layout.

 

Whilst the layout that I exported did not include the School Essentials menu item and icons when I log onto a computer using a standard (student) account they are presented regardless.

 

 

 

When I configured my initial Start Menu layout I used a local Administrator account; perhaps I need to use a standard account here?

 

Also what does the -UseDesktopApplicationID switch do?

 

Any help will be great.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Davo

Edited March 4, 2020 by MrDavo

[CHiLL]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have followed the advice here and created my own custom Start Menu layout.

 

Whilst the layout that I exported did not include the School Essentials menu item and icons when I log onto a computer using a standard (student) account they are presented regardless.

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]56990[/ATTACH]

 

When I configured my initial Start Menu layout I used a local Administrator account; perhaps I need to use a standard account here?

 

Also what does the -UseDesktopApplicationID switch do?

 

Any help will be great.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Davo

If I remember, that switch makes the XML file include the shortcut path to the application, instead of just the Windows app ID.

 

Example:

With switch:

 

Without switch:

Edited March 4, 2020 by CHiLL

[MrDavo]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the response. However I think that the switch may do the opposite of what your explaining. Without using the switch I see 'fully qualified' paths.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Davo