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"Choose Which Folders Appear on Start" by Group Policy

Question

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 1:07 PM | 2 votes

Hi All
I am trying configure this setting "Choose Which Folders Appear on Start" by Group Policy for many users.
In LAB environment, I have installed the ADMX files for Windows 10 in Central Store and Domain Controller is running Windows Server 2012 r2.
In GPM I don´t see any option to set this configuration... Someone already tried this config?

Thanks a lot

All replies (9)

Monday, August 24, 2015 2:54 AM ✅Answered

Hi,

I didn’t found any relevant GPO about this settings at the present stage, the only thing we can count on is registry entry by using GPP, but unfortunately even I get some relevant registry entries by using Process monitor, no success on changing this setting by registry modification.

There is a Group Policy about Controlling the Start menu in Windows 10 https://spanougakis.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/controlling-the-start-menu-in-windows-10-using-group-policy/

Please note: Since the website is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Regards,

D. Wu

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help, and unmark the answers if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected].

Monday, October 17, 2016 2:47 PM

Did you have any success with this?

Monday, December 12, 2016 2:50 PM | 2 votes

The start layout does not include the the "Choose which folders appear on Start" options which are not affected when applying a layout... So this "answer" in fact does not answer the question and should be unmarked.

Anthony Sheehy - MCP, MCITP

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 9:48 PM

Hi,

We are having the same issue. We have the start menu layout working for the most part but the "choose which folders appear on start" is giving us a headache. The biggest challenge for us, using Windows 10 in a VDI environment, is the power button is there, but we would like to be able to toggle it off since the users won't be able to power off the machine anyway. Shutting the power stuff off via group policy gives us a power button that is empty of options. The power options are also not consistent, you can right click the start menu and choose shut down or sign out and Sign out is there. So its combined in that one spot but separated in the start menu between the power button and the sign out / user picture button. If there was an option under "choose which folders appear on start" or a registry key to toggle it off then we would be happy. 

Tuesday, March 14, 2017 9:40 PM

The only way I have figured out how to do this is on a clean image installation or you do this post imaging.

Basically configure your whole start menu how you wish, including the quick actions, transparency and the choose which folders show up on start (you can choose color options as well).

Once you have it configured how you want, go to:

C:\Users\usernameofconfiguredstartmenu>\AppData\Local

Copy the TileDataLayer folder out.

You have two options, figure out a way to overwrite a users tiledatalayer folder after login (RunOnce Key or a script like this: Replacing TileDataLayer after reboot) or make this part of your image, by replacing the "Default" user TileDataLayer folder during OOBE Audit Mode, and use an unattend file to sysprep the image with the CopyProfile flag set in the unattend file (this works much better in 1607+ versions than 1511 as in 1511 your Desktop folder in Quick Access will get an access denied when new users logon)

Otherwise during your OSD you copy the file into the default profile and overwrite any existing file there, but the CopyProfile flag needs to be triggered otherwise this will fail

Sadly there is no way of doing this any other way, I have spent way to much time doing this. I'm glad at least in 1607 you can set the taskbar stuff, but if you use the above method you have to use this method: Replace TaskBar pinned items.to set the taskbar pinning, otherwise you can use the 1607 layoutmodification method that links at the top of the page.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 12:06 PM

Hello,

I work in support of a university and deploy a standard Windows 10 Build-1703 image to the machines, use Wsus to manage updates, and want to upgrade the park machines to Build-1804. To test this new version we update our default image with preview and we are having the same problem, was removed the file explorer and added Documents and Images after the update.
Any solution?

Saturday, March 30, 2019 6:26 PM

Hi All
I am trying configure this setting "Choose Which Folders Appear on Start" by Group Policy for many users.
In LAB environment, I have installed the ADMX files for Windows 10 in Central Store and Domain Controller is running Windows Server 2012 r2.
In GPM I don´t see any option to set this configuration... Someone already tried this config?

Thanks a lot

I need this too. I run computers for 85,000 Health staff. We have to remove the icons for Windows 10 start menu and I cannot figure out what registry or Group Policy can do this?

lforbes

I have the start menu xml and taskbar xml working great and we have UEV working well. I just need this last piece.

Saturday, March 30, 2019 6:29 PM

You are not talking about the same section. I have the Start Menu xml enforced. It doesn’t have any way to set the icons on the side.

lforbes

Saturday, June 8, 2019 4:20 AM

This is better for an answer: 

https://github.com/Disassembler0/Win10-Initial-Setup-Script/issues/199

_ProviderSet"=dword:00000000 == Allows User Toggle
_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001 == Blocks User Toggle
"AllowPinnedFolderXXXXXXXXXXXX"=dword:00000001 == Show
"AllowPinnedFolderXXXXXXXXXXXX"=dword:00000000 == Hide

Online Image

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start]
"AllowPinnedFolderDocuments"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderDocuments_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderDownloads"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderDownloads_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderFileExplorer"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderFileExplorer_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderMusic"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderMusic_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderNetwork"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderNetwork_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPersonalFolder"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPersonalFolder_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPictures"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPictures_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderSettings"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderSettings_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderVideos"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderVideos_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001

Offline OSD

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start]
"AllowPinnedFolderDocuments"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderDocuments_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderDownloads"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderDownloads_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderFileExplorer"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderFileExplorer_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderMusic"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderMusic_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderNetwork"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderNetwork_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPersonalFolder"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPersonalFolder_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPictures"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPictures_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderSettings"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderSettings_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderVideos"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderVideos_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001

-NeoB