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We're currently rolling out Windows 10, and trying to configure GPOs for ease of use for student accounts. As part of that, we're looking at forcing users to save to their Home Folders (H: drives).

We're able to remove the Libraries, Quick Access and the Documents folders from under This PC. They've been removed as Folder Redirection has caused issues in the past with Adobe CC.

The last part we'd like to configure is the "Choose which folders appear on Start" area, on the left hand side. We'd like to have only File Explorer, Settings and Personal Folder, but I can't find which GPO or registry key to configure to set it. We already set the tiles and program list via GPO.

Additionally, we would want to configure where Personal Folder goes. It currently goes to C:\Users[username] - redirecting to H:\ would be preferred.

Student accounts are set up with a mandatory profile, so changing the settings on that is also an option.

Many thanks.

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  • Just don't give them write permissions in any other folder, which is probably already the case?
    – harrymc
    Sep 17, 2018 at 11:44
  • When they log in with their domain accounts, it automatically creates a C:\Users[Username]\ folder, which is deleted on log-off. Unfortunately we can't set it as read-only, as some software seems to be hardcoded to use that location, and folders within in (Documents, AppData), to keep temporary files.
    – TBFC
    Sep 17, 2018 at 11:53
  • I meant make other folders read-only.
    – harrymc
    Sep 17, 2018 at 11:54
  • All the policies we can set are in the path:Computer Configurations/User configurations -> Policies-> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components-> File Explorer, if there is no such policies, it could be difficult to meet your requirements directly.
    – OOOO
    Sep 18, 2018 at 2:53

2 Answers 2

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There is no such policy that will configure Start at once, moreover, it's not possible. First, you need to remove unwanted items from %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. This refers only to the Win32 desktop apps.

Secondly, you need to uninstall and de-provision ModernApps (like Xbox, etc.) that are installed in the system. There is no way to remove them from the menu like .lnk file. They are added automatically to the Start menu if they are registered in the system. You can remove them using Powershell (run elevated Powershell window): e.g. For delete Maps you can use:

Get-AppxPackage *windowsmaps* -Allusers | Remove-AppxPackage

To remove provisioned WindowsApps from user accounts:

Remove-AppXProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName <PackageName>

Read more here and there.

Finally, you can configure tiles in the Start menu to display only required items. Here you can use one of 2 options:

  1. GPO to push required Start layout
  2. Local xml file and registry setting to force apply the same file
  3. Import XML file for Start layout into the default profile.

The first two do not allow to modify layout items, while the last one applies the default layout to the user profile allowing him to change it.

To prepare XL file you need to use Powershell:

Export-StartLayout –path <path><file name>.xml

All three options are well described in Microsoft Docs.

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  • As mentioned in the question, we've already configured the program list and the tiles. My question is specifically about the options to the left of the Start Menu, over the Power button (Settings, Documents, Personal Folder etc..), which you can configure manually by right clicking and choosing "Personalise this list".
    – TBFC
    Sep 20, 2018 at 7:16
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Starting with Windows 10 (1703), Microsoft added functionality to a group of registry settings to help "Provisioning Packages" accomplish what you're asking. I've reverse engineered it and I found out you have to manipulate the following registry entries (or add them if they don't exist):

[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
"AllowPinnedFolderPersonalFolder"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPersonalFolder_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPictures"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderPictures_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderSettings"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderSettings_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderNetwork"=dword:00000001
"AllowPinnedFolderNetwork_ProviderSet"=dword:00000001

To force a pinned folder to be visible, set the corresponding registry values to 1 (both values must set); to force it to be hidden, set the "_ProviderSet" value to 1 and the other one to 0; to let the user choose "_ProviderSet" value to 0 or delete the values.

Start Pinned folder icon


Hints to the solution at: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-start

However, you can't specify what directory the pinned folders will jump to. I hope this helps.

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