Windows 10 Taskbar GPO
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Place holder; I'm just getting started into this process of removing some default applications from the User's Windows Taskbar. MS Mail and Store need to go away by default. I have been doing some reading on the subject and it seems that you need to use an XML file, no biggie -
Remove Microsoft Store and Mail icons for Windows 10 through GPO
At the bottom referenced the XML
When I inquired about it, I got this:
IIRC the trick with it was the ID's the XML file uses aren't universal or consistent. I could get some to stick but others not to. I'll see if I can find my old work on itAs near as I can tell - they should be consistent...
While I continue to read the matter, has anyone already implemented this?
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@gjacobse why do you feel you need to control what people have on their task bar or desktops? That should be 100% up to the user. I would hate for IT to control that aspect of my device. Especially since the store and mail apps are useful.
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@gjacobse said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
Place holder; I'm just getting started into this process of removing some default applications from the User's Windows Taskbar. MS Mail and Store need to go away by default. I have been doing some reading on the subject and it seems that you need to use an XML file, no biggie -
Remove Microsoft Store and Mail icons for Windows 10 through GPO
At the bottom referenced the XML
When I inquired about it, I got this:
IIRC the trick with it was the ID's the XML file uses aren't universal or consistent. I could get some to stick but others not to. I'll see if I can find my old work on itAs near as I can tell - they should be consistent...
While I continue to read the matter, has anyone already implemented this?
Can you no longer remove these programs from the system? That would seem like the better approach so they don't get used.
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@obsolesce said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
@gjacobse why do you feel you need to control what people have on their task bar or desktops? That should be 100% up to the user. I would hate for IT to control that aspect of my device. Especially since the store and mail apps are useful.
MS Mail doesn't include all the features as MS Outlook, with is the agencies primary and default Mail application. Users using MAIL presents additional support issues and questions when they 'can't access the calendar' or GAL.
As for MS Store - While there may be some useful apps, they can't install anything themselves anyway - so why have it there to begin with. It's just extra 'noise' and two of the things I remove first thing.
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@dustinb3403 said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
@gjacobse said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
Place holder; I'm just getting started into this process of removing some default applications from the User's Windows Taskbar. MS Mail and Store need to go away by default. I have been doing some reading on the subject and it seems that you need to use an XML file, no biggie -
Remove Microsoft Store and Mail icons for Windows 10 through GPO
At the bottom referenced the XML
When I inquired about it, I got this:
IIRC the trick with it was the ID's the XML file uses aren't universal or consistent. I could get some to stick but others not to. I'll see if I can find my old work on itAs near as I can tell - they should be consistent...
While I continue to read the matter, has anyone already implemented this?
Can you no longer remove these programs from the system? That would seem like the better approach so they don't get used.
I think the State tried this... they remove MS Store and it broke things... like CALC, SNIPIT and STICKIES,..
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Maybe have a look at the Decrap script
https://community.spiceworks.com/scripts/show/4378-windows-10-decrapifier-18xx-19xx-2xxxBeen a while since i've used it
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Worth noting based on this link.
The .xml file with the Start and taskbar layout must be located on shared network storage that is available to the users’ computers when they sign in and the users must have Read-only access to the file. If the file is not available when the first user signs in, Start and the taskbar are not customized during the session, but the user will be prevented from making changes to Start. On subsequent sign-ins, if the file is available at sign-in, the layout it contains will be applied to the user's Start and taskbar.
If these devices are mobile and leave the network when logged out of, it may cause issues as well. . ..
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@gjacobse said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
MS Mail doesn't include all the features as MS Outlook
Which is why it's so much better. I have Outlook on my PC, but I always use Mail instead. It just works.
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On another note this really sounds like a way for HR to not do their jobs...
What is the motivating factor here to standardize the workspace of these workstations?
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@gjacobse said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
Users using MAIL presents additional support issues and questions when they 'can't access the calendar' or GAL.
Okay, that makes sense with some more background. They need to be trained to use Outlook, not Mail. If they can't read the name of the application they are using....
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@dustinb3403 said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
Worth noting based on this link.
The .xml file with the Start and taskbar layout must be located on shared network storage that is available to the users’ computers when they sign in and the users must have Read-only access to the file. If the file is not available when the first user signs in, Start and the taskbar are not customized during the session, but the user will be prevented from making changes to Start. On subsequent sign-ins, if the file is available at sign-in, the layout it contains will be applied to the user's Start and taskbar.
If these devices are mobile and leave the network when logged out of, it may cause issues as well. . ..
discussed - likely copy to / point to a local folder to address this very issue.
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@obsolesce said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
@gjacobse said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
Users using MAIL presents additional support issues and questions when they 'can't access the calendar' or GAL.
Okay, that makes sense with some more background. They need to be trained to use Outlook, not Mail. If they can't read the name of the application they are using....
I won't argue that.. but the users are: RNs, LPNs, Doctors and such. This isn't an 'office' environment. .. We explain that they are not using THEIR computer to use the EMR (RPD Session) - so Rebooting doesn't help - and yet,.. they'll restart their computer six times before they call us.
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@gjacobse I did. Reference:
https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/cq8uyj/windows_10_1903_sysprep_with_own_startlayoutxml/
I haven't done anything with it in eyars though and I know 20H2 changed the startlayout.xml configuration -
@jt1001001 said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
@gjacobse I did. Reference:
https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/cq8uyj/windows_10_1903_sysprep_with_own_startlayoutxml/
I haven't done anything with it in eyars though and I know 20H2 changed the startlayout.xml configurationMakes sense that MS would change things between revisions... I would theorize that as long as your followed the process of
Export-StartLayout- it should still work. -
@gjacobse said in Windows 10 Taskbar GPO:
Export-StartLayout - it should still work
It does, just set a path to where you want the xml file to be saved.
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@dustinb3403 This only work for new user profiles and works okay .
