StartPanelLinks
Applies To: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Vista
StartPanelLinks specifies shortcuts to display on the Start menu list of most frequently used programs. You can specify up to five shortcuts.
Note
This setting has been deprecated in Windows® 8. The information about this deprecated setting is provided for reference only. In Windows 8, the Start menu list of most frequently used programs is not available.
Each of the settings under StartPanelLinks specifies the complete path and the file name of a shortcut file with an .lnk extension. The path must refer to a location on the destination computer.
Each shortcut file must include the complete path and file name of a corresponding program file with an .exe file name extension. The path to the program file must refer to a location on the destination computer.
Shortcut files must be placed either in the Start menu or on the desktop. Otherwise they will not appear in the list of most frequently used items. We recommend that you add shortcut files to the All Users Start menu, for example: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Fabrikam\Application.lnk, to enable all users to access the programs, and to keep the desktop clean for the end user.
We do not recommend adding the shortcut by using the environment variable: %USERPROFILE%. Shortcuts added by using %USERPROFILE% are applied only to the profile of the next user to log on to the computer. Also, if the setting is applied during the auditUser configuration pass, the shortcut is applied only to the temporary administrator account, which is removed after exiting audit mode.
When you add the OEM First Run application, we recommend that you also add it as the first shortcut in the Start menu list of most frequently used programs, so that users can access the application repeatedly until they have accomplished all of the specified tasks. For information, see Link0.
Note
Any item that is pinned to the taskbar will not appear in the Start menu list of frequently used programs.
You cannot add certain programs to the list of most frequently used programs. For a list of these programs, see the Microsoft Help and Support website.
This setting has no effect on Server Core installations of Windows Server® 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012.
Child Elements
Specifies the path to the first shortcut. |
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Specifies the path to the second shortcut. |
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Specifies the path to the third shortcut. |
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Specifies the path to the fourth shortcut. |
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Specifies the path to the fifth shortcut. |
Valid Configuration Passes
auditUser
oobeSystem
specialize
Parent Hierarchy
Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | StartPanelLinks
Applies To
For a list of the Windows® editions and architectures that this component supports, see Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup.
XML Example
The following XML output shows how to set shortcuts for an OEM First Run application and for WordPad on the Start menu list of most frequently used programs.
<StartPanelLinks>
<Link0>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Fabrikam\Welcome.lnk</Link0>
<Link1>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Wordpad.lnk</Link1>
</StartPanelLinks>