glennda Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Does anybody know how to setup a perm app link pinned to taskbar.
gshaw Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Use the scripts referenced from my blog page on logon... How to… get a perfect Windows 7 managed Start Menu and Taskbar « gshaw0 2
glennda Posted July 5, 2012 Author Posted July 5, 2012 Use the scripts referenced from my blog page on logon... How to… get a perfect Windows 7 managed Start Menu and Taskbar « gshaw0 Awesome thanks!
sonofsanta Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 I'm pinning to the Start Menu with the following VBScript Dim ObjFolder, ObjFolderItem, colVerbs, objverb, objshell Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application") Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace("C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer") Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName("iexplore.exe") Set colVerbs = objFolderItem.Verbs For Each objVerb in colVerbs If Replace(objVerb.name, "&", "") = "Pin to Start Menu" Then objVerb.DoIt Next WScript.Quit repeating the middle chunk for as many applications as required. I would imagine that changing "Pin to Start Menu" to "Pin to Taskbar" would work equally as well. This is setup as a login script, one for staff and one for students. The only limitation is it has to be an application you are pinning - not a shortcut - as it relies on verbs, thus I've not found a way of pinning Outlook Web Access to the start menu, nor folders of shortcuts as I'd originally planned on doing. Also: @gshaw, reading your blog post - there's a GPO to clear the Start Menu for first time users so it isn't filled with the recently used programs that MS think people will want, may be worth putting that on as well to cover all angles.
Stuart_C Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Looks very similar to what I am doing. I did have an odd problem however where it worked fine for Office apps but when it came to pinning SIMS to the start menu it pinned a new copy and ended up with 10+ copies of the SIMS shortcuts before I stopped it.
gshaw Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) I'm pinning to the Start Menu with the following VBScript Also: @gshaw, reading your blog post - there's a GPO to clear the Start Menu for first time users so it isn't filled with the recently used programs that MS think people will want, may be worth putting that on as well to cover all angles. User Policy\Admin Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar – Clear the recent programs list for new users Is that the one you're thinking of? It's on the post just above the piccy of the finished Start Menu The only thing with the scripts is that I'm not sure what happens with roaming profiles if it runs every time, I'm only using it with mandatory profiles at the moment where we want everything reset on each login. For staff we just show them how to do it and let them choose their own apps... maybe there's a way to write some check logic into the scripts so it avoids the multiple items scenario? Edited July 6, 2012 by gshaw
sonofsanta Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 User Policy\Admin Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar – Clear the recent programs list for new users Is that the one you're thinking of? It's on the post just above the piccy of the finished Start Menu Er, so it is. In my defence it's formatted differently from t'other GPO settings you had listed so my skim reading missed it The only thing with the scripts is that I'm not sure what happens with roaming profiles if it runs every time, I'm only using it with mandatory profiles at the moment where we want everything reset on each login. For staff we just show them how to do it and let them choose their own apps... maybe there's a way to write some check logic into the scripts so it avoids the multiple items scenario? My testing so far with roaming profiles just shows each item on the Start Menu once, no matter how many times a user has logged in. I suspect the fact that verbs are used is what allows this to work - it's not adding a new shortcut file, it is pinning an application to the start menu, and once an item is pinned it can't be pinned again. I appear to have disabled pinning custom items to the Start Menu though - will check after lunch as it would be useful for people to build their own lists, hopefully that doesn't break anything with the script though.
PiqueABoo Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Roaming: I'm pinning *shortcuts* to the task bar and start menu, the same trick but I wrote powershell script for it which writes an HKCU regval for a "first run" check so it does nothing the next time they logon. Unpinning the taskbar defaults is a PITA e.g. Explorer, Media Player, beacause they usually don't get pinned during a first logon until after the script has run.
sonofsanta Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Roaming: I'm pinning *shortcuts* to the task bar and start menu, the same trick but I wrote powershell script for it which writes an HKCU regval for a "first run" check so it does nothing the next time they logon. Unpinning the taskbar defaults is a PITA e.g. Explorer, Media Player, beacause they usually don't get pinned during a first logon until after the script has run. I quickly gave up on doing anything with the taskbar other than clearing it - in all honesty, the combined quick-launch/taskbar concept will only be a pain to explain anyway, so I figured it was more straightforward for everyone if I removed the quick-launch aspect of it and left it as just a taskbar, as they are all used to from XP.
PiqueABoo Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) I quickly gave up on doing anything with the taskbar other than clearing it - in all honesty, the combined quick-launch/taskbar concept will only be a pain to explain anyway, so I figured it was more straightforward for everyone if I removed the quick-launch aspect of it and left it as just a taskbar, as they are all used to from XP. Mmm.. it's a thought. I only kept taskbar pinning because the beeping tooltray Volume thing exposes the control panel Sound app stuff I had deliberately turned off in control panel, so I decided to make a shortcut to sndvol32.exe instead and pin that to the taskbar. Might revise this and see if I can get away with having a normal shortcut to sndvol32.exe in the Accessories group. Edited July 6, 2012 by PiqueABoo
sonofsanta Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Experimentation (after some confusion) reveals: * Pinning to the Start Menu with the script above a) works b) does not create duplicates on subsequent logins * If a user unpins any item forced via the script, it is reinstated next time they logon (albeit at the bottom of the list) * Reinstated pinned items retain the Recently Used jump list * Users can pin their own items to the Start Menu and these persist across sessions until they unpin them again * Staring at group policy for too long will make your eyes hurt 1
robyholmes Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Might have a go at testing some of these methods this weekend. I have been looking for a easy solution which can be changed on the fly and this looks like it could be it.
gshaw Posted July 9, 2012 Posted July 9, 2012 Experimentation (after some confusion) reveals: * Pinning to the Start Menu with the script above a) works b) does not create duplicates on subsequent logins * If a user unpins any item forced via the script, it is reinstated next time they logon (albeit at the bottom of the list) * Reinstated pinned items retain the Recently Used jump list * Users can pin their own items to the Start Menu and these persist across sessions until they unpin them again * Staring at group policy for too long will make your eyes hurt Might add this to the blog post and credit you on it if you don't mind? Very useful info there
sonofsanta Posted July 9, 2012 Posted July 9, 2012 Might add this to the blog post and credit you on it if you don't mind? Very useful info there By all means, share and share alike
gshaw Posted July 9, 2012 Posted July 9, 2012 By all means, share and share alike You're now famous How to… get a perfect Windows 7 managed Start Menu and Taskbar « gshaw0 1
sonofsanta Posted July 9, 2012 Posted July 9, 2012 You're now famous How to… get a perfect Windows 7 managed Start Menu and Taskbar « gshaw0 Superb, how long does it usually take for the royalties to start rolling in?
gshaw Posted July 9, 2012 Posted July 9, 2012 Superb, how long does it usually take for the royalties to start rolling in? I've been told I'll get the cheque on the 30th February 2013
rob998 Posted March 14, 2014 Posted March 14, 2014 Hello, I'm using the script but am having some problems. I'm just testing 8.1 at the moment, creating an image and getting things how I want it. I call the vbs using a bat file when users log in. It works for an admin but not for a staff user. Not quite sure why as I haven't applied many GPOs yet so restrictions dont really figure. As an admin I can see it removing the taskbar items and adding. If I log in as a staff user and open an elevated CMD to call the script it runs but nothing happens. Any ideas? Rob
rob998 Posted March 14, 2014 Posted March 14, 2014 Forgot to mention that there is nothing in the Event Viewer
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