Add Taskbar pins by Group Policy without locking Start menu

Question

W10 v1909.

I am using the "Start Layout" group policy to set a few Taskbar pins for new users. The Taskbar pins are created, but the Start menu layout is locked. I do not want to create any Start pins. I have read--

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/configure-windows-10-taskbar#sample-taskbar-configuration-xml-file

--to create a"Partial" Start layout without specifying any Groups or Icons, and added that to my XML file for the Taskbar. However, after the policy is applied, the entire Start menu remains locked.

My XML file follows (with most taskbar pins removed for simplicity)--

<?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">  
	<DefaultLayoutOverride LayoutCustomizationRestrictionType="OnlySpecifiedGroups">  
		<StartLayoutCollection>  
		</StartLayoutCollection>  
	</DefaultLayoutOverride>  
    <CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>  
        <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>  
            <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>  
			  <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="MSEdge" />  
              <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Windows.Explorer" />  
           </taskbar:TaskbarPinList>  
        </defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>  
    </CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>  
</LayoutModificationTemplate>  

Is there some trick to this that I'm missing?

Answer 1

Hi,

I did a lab test in my environment.

After copying your XML file, my start menu was also locked. But if I copied below example, and replace "<DefaultLayoutOverride>" with "<DefaultLayoutOverride LayoutCustomizationRestrictionType="OnlySpecifiedGroups">", the start menu will not be locked.

<?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" StartTileGroupsColumnCount="1" />
<DefaultLayoutOverride LayoutCustomizationRestrictionType="OnlySpecifiedGroups">

<StartLayoutCollection>
<defaultlayout:StartLayout GroupCellWidth="6" xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout">
<start:Group Name="Life at a glance" xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout">
<start:Tile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" AppUserModelID="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge" />
<start:Tile Size="2x2" Column="4" Row="0" AppUserModelID="Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy!CortanaUI" />
<start:Tile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" AppUserModelID="Microsoft.BingWeather_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App" />
</start:Group>
</defaultlayout:StartLayout>
</StartLayoutCollection>
</DefaultLayoutOverride>
<CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
<defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
<taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
<taskbar:UWA AppUserModelID="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge" />
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools\File Explorer.lnk" />
</taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
</defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
</CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

I compared your xml file with this example, and found that you missed some lines. Your file didn't contain the lines in below red frame about start layout. I am not sure if you removed them before you post them. But I can confirm the start menu will not be locked after adding these lines.

Please have a test in your environment.

Also, you can just export the start layout using powershell command "Export-StartLayout". And then add the taskbar layout configuration just after "</DefaultLayoutOveride> "

</DefaultLayoutOverride>
<CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
<defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
<taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
<taskbar:UWA AppUserModelID="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge" />
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools\File Explorer.lnk" />
</taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
</defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
</CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

For your reference:
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/use-group-policy-for-custom-windows-start-menu/

Thanks,
Eleven

---

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Answer 2

Hi,

If my understanding is correct, you only want to configure the taskbar and will not do any custimization on start menu/start layout. Right?

If so, I think you don't need to export the start layout and add the taskbar configuration to the start layout XML file. "Partial" Start layout is not necessary, either. You can just use the Sample taskbar configuration XML file and directly apply it to devices using GPO.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/configure-windows-10-taskbar#sample-taskbar-configuration-xml-file

<?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>
<defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
<taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
<taskbar:UWA AppUserModelID="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge" />
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools\File Explorer.lnk" />
</taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
</defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
</CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

Thanks,
Eleven

---

If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it. Thanks.