Windows 8.1 Start Screen via GPO

Hello all,
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I realise there are other posts with similar issues to myself, however having read through these posts and applied fixes provided, I am still unable to get this to work. I am having an issue when trying
to apply the Start Screen Layout GPO.
I am attempting to configure this GPO on my Windows 8.1 test network at the moment, but having no joy with it.
I am using Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise.
Having done gpresult /r on my test workstation I can confirm the GPO has applied, and also when I check in the registry, the value has been changed in line with the GPO.
The .xml file is located on a share, although I have also tried the with the .xml file locally on a single test machine and the start screen still does not change.
Some of the policy is applying, as when I link the policy, I cannot then customize the start screen on my pc which from what I understand is expected behaviour.
Any help with this issue would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Doug

Hi,
Have you tried the technet article given below?
Customize Windows 8.1 Start Screens by Using Group Policy
Regards,
Gopi
www.jijitechnologies.com

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Any help greatly apreciated!

Hi,
In your case, you can try to edit “Start Screen Layout” setting under below mention path.
User Configuration \ Policies \ Administrator Templates \ Start Menu and Taskbar
Please refer below article which helps to guide you in better way.
1. A New Windows 8.1 Enterprise feature: Start screen Control
2. Customizing the Windows 8.1 Start Screen? Don’t follow Microsoft’s guidance
Hope it helps!
Thanks,
Dharmesh

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Spoiler (Highlight to read)
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Hi HVACjoe
For general system start screen control is supported in the Windows 8.1 Enterprise operating system, the Windows RT 8.1 operating system with sideloading enabled, and in all editions of the Windows Server
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https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home
You could get more information from following link about start screen lay out.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn467928.aspx
Regards

Start Screen Layout with Windows 8.1

Hi Team,
Just wondering if below Technet article for capture and deploy start screen layout applies to windows 8.1\windows 8.1 update 1?
http://technet.microsoft.com/library/jj134269#BKMK_AppFolder
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Regards,

check these:
http://stealthpuppy.com/customizing-the-windows-8-1-start-screen-dont-follow-microsofts-guidance/
http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2013/12/19/step-by-step-windows-8-1-start-screen-customization-via-powershell.aspx
Don
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How do I make web shortcuts into start screen tiles that can be pushed to all users profile on a computer in Windows 8.1 enterprise?

We are trying to roll out Windows 8.1 Enterpise in our school system (K-12).
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The details:
We came upon a great paper that's entitled "Customize Windows 8.1 Start Screens by Using Group Policy".
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Karen-
Results: Did not work. The web based shortcuts did not appear.
Below is the steps taken with your tips incorporated. (Again it's lengthy sorry about that, but anyone can recreate what was done here. Maybe someone can see something left out by doing/reviewing it).
Here is what was done:
1. Installed a fresh install of Windows 8.1 enterprise on a pc. No updates were ran.
2. During setup created the admin account.
3. Logged into the account a simple start screen was arranged and setup by:
Starting desktop Internet Explorer. Going to Technet's website. Clicked tools and then selecting "Add site to Apps" from the drop down menu. Went to Apps screen, right clicked and pinned it to start screen. Repeated this procedure with an
educational web based site.
Right clicked a few provisioned apps and unpinned them from the start screen.
Made a few groups and labeled them. Web based shortcuts were arranged with one provisioned app in that particular group.
4. Opened a Powershell, right clicked it and ran as administrator. Typed the following:
export-startlayout -path C:\Users\Public\Master.xml -as xml
(Master is the name chosen for this test .xml file and was put in a location all users would have privelages to access it).
5. Opened the command prompt and right clicked and "ran as administrator", typed in gpedit.
6. In the Local Group Policy under User Configuration, under Start Menu and Taskbar I choose the Start Screen Layout.
7. Enabled the policy and typed in: C:\Users\Public\Master.xml for the Start Layout File.
8. Opened computer management, under Local Users and Groups I chose Users, right clicked in the middle screen and created a new user called Alpha.
9. Logged out of the inital account and logged into newly created Alpha account.
10. When the Alpha account logged in the start screen came up with everything changed in the inital account but no web based shortcuts were found on the start screen or App view.

Start Screen Layout missing icon

One of the program I pinned to the Start Screen is missing. The program that's missing is the Opera browser. I created a custom start screen layout with all the programs I want in different namegroups. I put the AppsFolderLayout.bin file in the Default profile.
I am preparing a Windows 8.1 image. I do this so all users can have the same Start Screen layout. The first time I did this, it worked fine. I logged in as new users in the computers and I see all the programs I pinned to the Start Screen.
Right now, I'm doing the exact thing for a new Windows 8.1 image. I placed the AppsFolderLayout.bin file in the Default profile. I logged in as a new user and many. The Start Screen is empty, other than the Desktop and Computer tiles, since it's a new
Windows install, The programs that are pinned are not installed yet. When I install the programs, the tiles will populate to the Start Screen. All of them worked, except for the Opera browser. The Opera browser is not showing the Start Screen. I made sure
the program is pinned before I exported the layout. The program is installed for all user.
I checked the program is installed when I log in as different users. I
even deleted the user profiles that was installed on and logged in again, the icon is still not there.
Would a new version of the browser cause this issue? I even installed the version I had when I first had it working and it didn't work. Let me know what would cause this issue.

Hi,
Please use the command “get-startapps” in powershell.
We have tested. Every time we reinstall the Opera, the AppID will change.
The AppID is the identifier of app. If it changes automatically, the Operating System can’t customize Start screen by different AppID.
Please refer to the following article to customize Windows 8.1 start screen.
Customize Windows 8.1 Start Screens by Using Group Policy
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn467928.aspx
If you change the AppID in xml file to match the ID in the PC you want to customize Start screen. The Opera will show out.
Best Regard,

How do you either set "Show More Tiles" or Start Screen rows via command line or script for Windows 8.1?

Is there a method to change the Start Screens number of rows (similar to Windows 8.0's use of the Explorer\Scaling\MonitorSize in registry). Possibly by forcing the switch for "Show More Tiles" via script etc? This is to enable the device with
Windows 8.1 to be built using a deployment methodology like SCCM and have the Tiles correctly configured as required for a standard look and feel across devices. I do not know why all these switches are not represented in either WMI or the registry to enable
the customization of look and feel out of the box for enterprise deployments.
Thanks for any assistance possible.

Hi,
You can try steps in this article.
How to Change Number of Apps Tile Rows on "Start" Screen in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2690-start-screen-metro-apps-change-number-rows-windows-8-a.html
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Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. There are inherent dangers in the use of any software found on the Internet, and Microsoft cautions you to make sure that you
completely understand the risk before retrieving any software from the Internet.
Hope this could be helpful.
Kate Li
TechNet Community Support

Windows 8.1 Start Screen via GPO

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