Windows 11 Start menu layout via GPO

[ITGuyNW]

Anyone finding that the start menu is broken in general? Local profiles used, one laptop it might open, another laptop it won't. Clearing the profile and starting again may help? sometimes doesn't. I can't find a consistent fix. This is on 23H2.

[Warwick_Tech]

We copy ours into the default profile via a PowerShell script during build so that any new users get the layout applied, you have to create the folder structure as it isn't present by default.

 

$startmenuTemplate = "\start2.bin"

# Default profile path
$defaultProfile = "C:\Users\default\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState"

# Create folder if it doesn't exist
if(-not(Test-Path $defaultProfile)) {
  new-item $defaultProfile -ItemType Directory -Force
}

# Copy file
Copy-Item -Path $startmenuTemplate -Destination $defaultProfile -Force

 

So for some reason, this worked with the Office shortcuts, but not the other method - strange

 

Anyone finding that the start menu is broken in general? Local profiles used, one laptop it might open, another laptop it won't. Clearing the profile and starting again may help? sometimes doesn't. I can't find a consistent fix. This is on 23H2.

 

They have changed the start menu again, maybe you need a Start3.bin?

[Darylrese]

So for some reason, this worked with the Office shortcuts, but not the other method - strange

 

 

 

They have changed the start menu again, maybe you need a Start3.bin?

 

I gave up trying to get the start menu working in Windows 11 via GPO. Ended up hybrid joining Windows 11 devices to intune / Entra and co-managing them. From there I use a custom configuration profile to push out the start menu and this works well. If the machine is used quickly after build it doesn’t apply for a couple hours but it does catch up and works thereafter. It’s the only way I have got the start menu in windows 11 to work so far. It does allow users to pin and unpin their own items, but just gives them a baseline to work with which is better than nothing

Edited November 27, 2023 by Darylrese

[LegacyPulsar]

I copy them via GPO to the programdata start menu folder, so all users have access to the shortcuts. I’m back in work next week so can have a look.

I have the same issue - all of the installed applications and appx packages show up on the deployed Start, but (liking the look of your menu) I also created shortcuts for Duplicate/Extend/Miracast screen, Lock Screen and Sign Out but these are the only ones that are not appearing. I have all relevant files copied by GPO to the %allusersprofile%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder so they're available, created a Start layout from that location on an admin profile, took the start2.bin file and used GPO on a user policy to overwrite each user's default file in the same location, and I get near-total success ​other​ than these five cmdline shortcuts. Any advice here would be very helpful, thank you.

 

​Edit:​ interestingly after posting this, my miracast icon appeared in the menu in the proper place, but not within the folder it should be in. The only difference between it and the other four are that it is an ms-settings Run command, and the other four are cmdline commands - cmd is disabled for my end users. Would that affect those pins appearing?

Edited January 19, 2024 by LegacyPulsar

[thimon]

Would that affect those pins appearing?

 

I think blocking cmd would affect this, as that’s what the shortcuts rely on. With correct permissions in place there should be no need to block cmd, Powershell / Terminal.

[LegacyPulsar]

I think blocking cmd would affect this, as that’s what the shortcuts rely on. With correct permissions in place there should be no need to block cmd, Powershell / Terminal.

I would have thought that the shortcut icon would have appeared correctly, but would have then failed to run? When opening CMD, users are typically just presented with 'the command prompt has been disabled by your administrator' message (whereas obviously those with elevated permissions can access just fine). Is there another way to do this that would allow those shortcuts to run?

[gwendes]

What's the 'Refresh drives' doing?

[thimon]

What's the 'Refresh drives' doing?

Closes the CloudDriveMapper process and relaunches the app. This along with restart explorer resolves the majority of mapped drive issues in our enviornment.

[kidpressingbuttons]

When I use this method I can only pin 4 items max. Is there something I am doing wrong?

 

I have two rows of apps when I make my layout but can never see more than 4 when assigned to other users.

[KK20]

We have a simple sstart menu GPO for W11. On a W11 where you are happy with the pins, Export-StartLayout to get the JSON file. Then create a GPO that adds reg key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start\ConfigureStartPins and have the reg_sz be the contents of the JSON. I dont copy any files, just this single reg entry.

 

I also have a user GPO do a few more things in HKCU such as get rid of lock screen adverts, align the task bar to the left, change the search bar to an icon, remove copilot button etc.

Edited March 21, 2024 by KK20

[tri_94]

We have a simple sstart menu GPO for W11. On a W11 where you are happy with the pins, Export-StartLayout to get the JSON file. Then create a GPO that adds reg key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start\ConfigureStartPins and have the reg_sz be the contents of the JSON. I dont copy any files, just this single reg entry.

 

I also have a user GPO do a few more things in HKCU such as get rid of lock screen adverts, align the task bar to the left, change the search bar to an icon, remove copilot button etc.

 

Hi there

which version of windows 11 are you using?

 

As i've tried that before and just tried again, so i create the pins and then export-startlayout to json.

 {"pinnedList":[{"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Excel.lnk"},{"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Word.lnk"},{"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\PowerPoint.lnk"},{"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Publisher.lnk"},{"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Microsoft Edge.lnk"},{"desktopAppLink":"%APPDATA%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\File Explorer.lnk"},{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"},{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"},{"packagedAppId":"Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"}]} 

 

as example , so then created the reg key called ConfigureStartPins as you suggested defined the reg_sz value as above, however when i login the pins are just default and not the ones that i've set

Am i missing something ? Its a machine key so should apply to all users?

Thanks

Edited March 27, 2024 by tri_94

[KK20]

I cannot say. This is a screenshot of my GPO and a copy/paste of the data. plus a copy of the XML for the taskbar (if you wanted pre pinned on the taskbar as well as the start menu), I copy the XML locally and do not use network files, this prevents file locking.

 

 

JSON:

{"pinnedList":[{"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Microsoft Edge.lnk"}, {"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Word.lnk"}, {"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Excel.lnk"}, {"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\PowerPoint.lnk"}, {"packagedAppId":"windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy!microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel"}, {"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\OneNote.lnk"}, {"desktopAppLink":"%APPDATA%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\File Explorer.lnk"}, {"desktopAppLink":"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Outlook.lnk"}]}

 

XML for taskbar

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

 
     
       
         
         
  
       
     
   

 

note. The XML must be saved as UTF-8, take care if you use notepad++. Dont forget you update your WMI filters if you have them, we use a W11 and W10 for different start policies.

 

Incidentally I have moved the above registry change to intune now. I create GPO first as intune is shockingly slow at applying so whilst I am testing I create a GPO (then move to intune once I know it works!).

Edited March 27, 2024 by KK20

[PC_AM]

Hello,

 

Just wondering if anyone has successfully set a Start Layout for Windows 11 23H2 via GPO?

 

I have setup a layout, run Export-StartLayout to get the JSON file and tried various ways in GPO that have been mentioned in this thread but I have had no luck.

 

Is this still possible with 23H2?

[thimon]

Custom start menu layout still working for us, however I deploy a custom start2.bin file to user profiles via GPO. Has worked flawlessly with all versions of Windows 11.

[georgeescott]

Hello,

 

Just wondering if anyone has successfully set a Start Layout for Windows 11 23H2 via GPO?

 

I have setup a layout, run Export-StartLayout to get the JSON file and tried various ways in GPO that have been mentioned in this thread but I have had no luck.

 

Is this still possible with 23H2?

 

We're also deploying a custom start2.bin file as per https://quake.blog/configure-windows-11-start-menu-using-only-group-policy.html. The ConfigureStartPins registry key workaround sadly seems to have been 'fixed' in 23H2.

 

We set 'Apply once and do not reapply' so that they can customise it after they get the default one.

[thimon]

That’s a very important setting to apply [emoji846]

[Tom_P]

Anyone successfully pinned the log off shortcut to the start menu through GPO? I'm having the same issues as others, where the some shortcuts are not being pinned but other apps are. Namely - logoff, restart and gpupdate shortcuts don't pin, but office/windows apps do pin.

 

I have no issues with running shutdown /l as the logged in user either.

 

I tried copying a folder via gpo which contains all the shortcuts to the local PC, then copying the start2.bin file which all works fine. Running the shortcuts from the folder works, I can also manually pin them from that folder. Just doesn't automatically pin them when the .bin file is copied.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

[thimon]

Where are the shortcuts saved? Mine are in the programdata start menu folder and are pinned to the deployed start menu start2.bin file fine.

[Tom_P]

Where are the shortcuts saved? Mine are in the programdata start menu folder and are pinned to the deployed start menu start2.bin file fine.

 

The shortcuts are copied to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

 

What's strange is I can manually pin the shortcuts from this folder and run them with no issues.

 

Is this the same folder you use?

[thimon]

Yeah that’s the same location I use. I’ll have a look at the GPO and see if anything stands out.

[Tom_P]

Yeah that’s the same location I use. I’ll have a look at the GPO and see if anything stands out.

Did you have a chance to check the GPO? I cant for the life of me figure this out. I've currently settled for the icons on the desktop for the moment.

[kidpressingbuttons]

we've gone redirected start menu and allowing staff to pin their own apps to the main start menu- has worked well and stopped the complaints

[sraper]

So what is the consenus for managing the StartMenu Layout as of latest builds of Windows 11 23H2 (and newer).

Is the "registry hack" definitely no longer working?

Is the only option copy a customised start.bin file

[thimon]

@Tom_P sorry for the delay. I've got the below applied. Destination file location:

 

%localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\start2.bin

 

[russlp]

Anybody else using the copy start2.bin method - having the settings icon appear for all users, despite it not being in the pinned items when the file is created? Can't seem to get rid of it and it wasn't there until recently.