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Start menu layout cannot be changed

Copper Contributor

Having just installed an evaluation copy of Windows Server 2019, I cannot make any changes to the start menu layout. For example; unchecking "Show app list in Start menu" from the Start menu settings does nothing. Attempting to choose which folders appear on the start menu does nothing also. Any changes to the tiles lasts until the next reboot where it's reset. Tiles will become unresponsive when attempting to drag them and then become "ghost" tiles that cannot be clicked on or moved/unpinned. This is a completely default and less than hour old install - absolutely no changes have been made thus far. 1.png2.png

53 Replies

Ran into the same problem for activating MAK keys in 2019.  You have to use command prompt to install the MAK keys right now. 

 

uninstall current product key - slmgr /upk

install new product key - slmgr /ipk <Product Key>

activate new key - slmgr /ato

 

I also found that putting the MAK product key in an unattend.xml file for sysprep does take and and activate.

Same problem here, fully patched (2019-01-15) and activated WS2019 lets me change the items pinned to the Start menu but it gets reverted on logoff if the machine is in the domain.

Hey everybody!

 

I'm experiencing the same problem. Any news on this?

Or maybe a response from MS?

 

Hi Pete, I tested the issue again with a fresh installed, domain joined Windows Server 2019 with January patch level. The issue still exists.

I am honestly baffled that an error so central to the core operation of Windows has STILL not been publicly acknowledged by Microsoft - in my situation, it has rendered my WS2019 lab VM's useless

I totally agree.

I am with you, I wander if it is wise to us Windows 2019 Server in a production enviroment

Me too

Same here as of 2/27/2019.  Fully patched windows server 2019 standard.

i got told, the adminsitrator account is somehow a temporary profile which gets reset by logging out. This can be disabled somehow by policy. But hadn't time to look at it.

 

 

 


@robb-flx wrote:

i got told, the adminsitrator account is somehow a temporary profile which gets reset by logging out. This can be disabled somehow by policy. But hadn't time to look at it.

 

 


Couldn't find anything on that but would be glad if the problem could be resolved so easily. Please look it up when you have the time. thx.

Ty this one:
>> Use the group policy setting "Do not log users on with temporary profiles", to be found in >> Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates-> System -> User Profiles.

I've made the change and will see if it works later, because in my case any change is not instantly lost. If I log-in, make a change, log off then immediately log back on the change remains. I can do this a few times within a short space of time and the change is still there. It's only later in the day when I log on that the change is finally reset.


@robb-flx wrote:
Ty this one:
>> Use the group policy setting "Do not log users on with temporary profiles", to be found in >> Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates-> System -> User Profiles.

 

Will try, thanks!

 

From my understanding the policy prevents a temporary profile from being loaded in case the regular one can't be loaded. I didn't find any hint on that in the system logs.

 

Update:

Nope, still doesn't work. I'm definetely not logged on with a temproary profile since shortcuts I pin to the taskbar remain intact.

 

Thanks anyway!

@Pete78 

 

It seems like a long shot, but we had similar issues with our Startlayout on Win 10 1809. When the Policy "Computer Configuration -> Administrative Policies -> System -> Group Policy -> Continue Experiences on this Device" is set to disabled, everything relating to the start menu is buggy. (Layout, recent apps, Show Start in Full Screen, etc.).

 

Could you try setting this Policy to "Enabled" or "not configured" and see if this works?

You can reproduce problem without logging off - simply restart Explorer, using Task Manager. So, I think this problem is not related to the user profile. Moreover, desktop settings are saved between sessions.

@makbeth 

 

I have tried your help. But I can't personaliz my Start page. If I go to "Windows Settings" and "Personalization", "Start", and set "Use Start full screen" to ON it dosn't work. It works OK before

promotion server to Domain Controller. After that, it can't be done. It is the same for many other

functions under "Windows Settings. Is there some special settings for Windows Server 2019?

@Aurel Schwitter 

 

Tried that but it didn't work. All changes are lost when loggin off and on again. Also any changes I make in the stat menu settings are gone as soon as I go back there.

 

I am experiencing this problem as well.

@Cooper Beutel 

If you add any file to the "c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu" folder (or in user profile Start Menu folder), it will cause the start menu to be updated. But this is a bug.