Windows 10 Start Layout Tile Problems

[andyt57]

My schools are upgrading this summer. I've just about finished the install of Server 2016 and Windows 10 Education, got everything connected to the domain, got printing working and copied across all the data. Now I'm trying to get my head around the Windows 10 start layout.

 

I set up a simple layout on a machine and exported it using Export-StartLayout -Path "$Desktop\StartLayout.xml" -UseDesktopApplicationID, as disccussed in one of the other threads. The layout looked like this:

 

 

And the resultant xml looks like this:

 

  xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
 xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout" Version="1"
 xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification">


 
 
 

[indent]                       [/indent]


 

[indent][/indent]




[indent][/indent]




[indent] [/indent]


 

  

 

 

 

So I then deployed it using group policy and on the same machine, logged in as a domain user, I got this:

 

 

WTF!

 

Okay, what am I doing wrong? If I browse to %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\ as the user I can run all the programs.

 

So why don't the links work and why do all the tiles appear in a row instead in two groups as I wanted?

 

Andy

Edited August 14, 2019 by andyt57

[ComboSmith]

Welcome to the world of windows 10. I tried with this for a while but ended up writing the XML myself. We use DesktopApplicationLinkPath to point to a .lnk file in the redirected start menu folder.

 

 

We only use DesktopApplicationID for linking to the network drives:

Edited August 14, 2019 by ComboSmith

[andyt57]

I think I've got some it working now, but still have a could of issues.

 

I can't get File Explorer to work. I have tried both:

and

But both just show a blank tile.

 

Also, how to get the two groups of tiles to appear vertically one above the other instead of horizontally?

Why can't Microsoft just provide a simple GUI drag & drop tool that works?

 

Andy

[ComboSmith]

For file explorer I just have a shortcut to Explorer.exe

 

To have the two groups appear vertically change row value, changing the collum will change where it appears horizontally

[andyt57]

Combo,

 

If I change the Internet Group to row 4, they appear in row 4.

 

But the Internet group heading still appears in Row 0 Column 6 and the Chrome and Edge icons appear rows below to the right of that! See picture.

 

 

Andy

Edited August 19, 2019 by andyt57

[junz]

I personally just use Classic shell and configure classic shell using Classic shell GPO which could be an option

[ComboSmith]

can you post your latest xml?

[Duke5A]

For what it's worth I use this for a single group with six tiles arranged in three horizontal, two vertical:

 

LayoutModificationTemplate Version="1" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification">
 
 
   
     
       
         
         
         
         
         
         
       
     
   
 

 

I don't know if your Explorer link is like that in your actual file, but you have a space in the path where there shouldn't be one. Outside of that it should work.

 

I don't use multiple groups in my XML, but I did notice your second group has it's position defined as starting on column two. This would cause it to go to the right of the first group rather than underneath it. That column field needs to be set to zero.

 

It takes some screwing around with. The export PS command always screws it up.

[andyt57]

I personally just use Classic shell and configure classic shell using Classic shell GPO which could be an option

 

I looked at the Classic Shell web site and is says that as at December 2017 it is no longer under active development. I'm not keen on using something that might not work in a future Windows 10 feature update.

 

Andy

[AJWhite1970]

Classic Shell is EOL but the code was taken on by another developer and the product renamed to open shell. Same as before but a lot faster and designed for windows 10.

 

I’m using it on all my 1903 pc’s without any issues using redirected directories