How to avoid Microsoft edge from pinning to taskbar! No matter what I do it keeps on pinning itself on new user profile

Question

I use MDT to create a Gold image and WDS to restore the image with an answer file.
The Microsoft Edge for Business I am using is version Microsoft Edge Windows 64-bit 112.0.1722.58
No matter what I do I cannot stop it from pinning it to the taskbar for new user accounts who login. I have used group policy, registry changes to point it to a startmenu xml export but Edge still pins into the taskbar

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"HideRecentlyAddedApps"=dword:00000001
"LockedStartLayout"=dword:00000001
"StartLayoutFile"=hex path

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"HideRecentlyAddedApps"=dword:00000001
"LockedStartLayout"=dword:00000001
"StartLayoutFile"=hex path

I also put LayoutModification.xml to C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell but it made no difference.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LayoutModificationTemplate
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">

<LayoutOptions StartTileGroupCellWidth="6" />

  <DefaultLayoutOverride>
    <StartLayoutCollection>
      <defaultlayout:StartLayout GroupCellWidth="6">
	  
        <start:Group Name="Microsoft Office">
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.EXCEL.EXE.15" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="4" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.VISIO.EXE.15" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="2" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.MSPUB.EXE.15" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="4" Row="0" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.POWERPNT.EXE.15" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="4" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.OUTLOOK.EXE.15" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="4" Row="2" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.WINPROJ.EXE.15" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.WINWORD.EXE.15" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="2" DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.MSACCESS.EXE.15" />
        </start:Group>
		
        <start:Group Name="Internet Browsers">
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationID="Chrome" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationID="MSEdge" />
        </start:Group>
		
      </defaultlayout:StartLayout>
    </StartLayoutCollection>
  </DefaultLayoutOverride>
	<CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection PinListPlacement="Replace">
    <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
        <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%PUBLIC%\Desktop\System.lnk"/>
        </taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
    </defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
    <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout Region="US|GB">
        <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%PUBLIC%\Desktop\System.lnk"/>
        </taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
    </defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
</CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

I also did a TaskbarLayoutModification.xml Ref : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/customize-the-taskbar

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LayoutModificationTemplate
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">

<CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection PinListPlacement="Replace">
    <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
        <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%PUBLIC%\Desktop\System.lnk"/>
        </taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
    </defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
    <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout Region="US|GB">
        <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
            <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%PUBLIC%\Desktop\System.lnk"/>
        </taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
    </defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
</CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

I also disabled it on the installer itself using a transform but it doesn't prevent it from pinning it to the taskbar

I have unpinned the icon before sysprep with an answer file that has copyprofile set to true and it will still pin it. We don't use Edge and prefer Google Chrome. Is there anything that I should look for? Any suggestion will be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi @KSG ,

Is the LayoutModification.xml put under C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell before you specify the xml file path in group policy or registry settings? My newly created users didn't have Microsoft Edge pinned to taskbar after I:

1. created the same LayoutModification.xml as yours
2. put it under C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
3. specified the path as C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\LayoutModification.xml in the group policy Start Layout.

Additionally, if it still does not work for you, there's another simple solution to prevent Edge from creating taskbar shortcut: delete the registry key {9459C573-B17A-45AE-9F64-1857B5D58CEE} at Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components.

This key is for the active setup of Microsoft Edge. Active Setup is the setup on first start for every user account. Removing this folder will remove the edge setup that automatically adds a taskbar shortcut. You can make a backup first, of course, if you want to migrate to Edge sometime.

UPDATE:

It looks like the registry keys are restored after the sysprep process. This answer said you could export the reg file and add the key during the FirstLogonCommands. You can have a test according to that answer.

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Best Regards,

Shijie Li

Answer 2

Operating System Details
Microsoft Windows 10 Education Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.2846)