Managing taskbar in Enterprices

[yannara _]

Since in build 1703 MS pushed mail icon in Taskbar (user confuses it with Outlook, thank you very much MS ;)) we have a need to manage taskbar content in enterprices, with Group Policy or SCCM.

I know that current method is to export-startlayout, add manual lines for taskbar directly into xml and import-startlayout. Though, I couldn´t get it working. My startlayout does not apply, if I add any lines manually. I´m not a fan of manipulate this stuff manually...

Anyway, I´m providing MS a feedback, that please make this easier. There could be 2 ways;

1. Be able to specify desired taskbar and capture/export that with Powershell (like we do with Start Layout now).

2. Be able to control Task Bar with Group Policy Preferences.

[#2]

Still waiting to some MS staff to comment this, is there any plans? At least, please remove the Mail icon from 1703 build.

[#3]

Check this document https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/configure-windows-10-taskbar. It explains how to add links to the taskbar, as well as how to remove the initial icons.

I have done some here, it took me a while to figure out where things go wrong.

Be sure you add reference to the taskbar schema. It's not there if you edit add stuff to an Export-StartLayout output.

<LayoutModificationTemplate
 xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
 xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout"
 xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification"
 xmlns:taskbar="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/TaskbarLayout"
 Version="1">
...

It took me quiet a while to figure this out, Notepad doesn't help here, Visual Studio's editor does :)

Then be sure you at PinLintPlacement="Replace" as follows

...
  <CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection PinListPlacement="Replace">
    <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
      <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
      <taskbar:UWA AppUserModelID="Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge" />
      <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneNote 2016.lnk" />
      <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
    <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
  <CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

So far it seems only "programs" can be added. If you link references like a script or cmd, it's not resolved and/or added to start menu and/or tasklist.

.lnk files are resolved from %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs or individuals location of the Start Menu.

Also found out that locatized version can show different paths (localized), but the US-US path also works eventhough you don't see it in explorer.

Hope this helps.

[#4]

Yep, I managed to do this previously, I found out that because of the task bar, the xml needs additional headings.