Start menu layout cannot be changed

Ok, managed to 'hack around' this to some extent until Microsoft actually fix the core issue.

I built a Start Menu layout file (LayoutModification.xml) which I am then applying using the 'Local Group Policy' setting for 'Start Menu'

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > 'Start Layout'

I enabled the setting and specified my LayoutModification.xml file and then restarted.

At each restart this start layout file now gets applied and subsequently the start menu gets sets to the layout I specified.

Attached is a copy of my LayoutModification.xml file

If you do not know how to build these manually then you can export your own from a configured start menu, however, you will need to be able to edit the start menu first so run the below in an elevated PowerShell session:

1. Right-click 'Start' > Windows PowerShell (Admin)

2. Run the following command

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Once the command is run you can then go into 'Settings' and apply the Start options you require.  You can also then organise the layout of the start menu (pin apps etc.) as required.  Make sure to not log off or restart or you will lose this!

Once you have the layout set that you require do the following:

1. Right-click 'Start' > Windows PowerShell (Admin)

2. Run the following command

Export-StartLayout -Path C:\LayoutModification.xml

3. Navigate to your exported LayoutModification.xml and copy / move it into an easily accessible folder (I used 'C:\System\StartMenu\LayoutModification.xml')

4. Right-click 'Start' > Run

5. Enter: gpedit.msc

6. In the Local Group Policy editor navigate to

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

7. Edit the 'Start Layout' policy setting

8. Set it to 'Enabled' and enter the path to your exported layout file

9. Apply the changes

Now when you restart the server the layout file should be applied every time and should no longer reset back to the generic layout.

NOTE:  The 'Start' settings that you choose will be reset (curse you Microsoft!) but the actual layout of the pinned apps will stay as defined in the file.  I guess we can control the other aspects, such as Apps List visibility, via other policy settings in the local GPO so will continue to look into those.