Windows 10 Default Start Menu Add Documents link default layout

richie231186 · 01 Feb 2017

So I have worked out how to customize the windows 10 start menu and then use powershell to import it so default users or new users start menu is set using the following commands and editing defaultlayout.xml:

#Export start layout and customize

Code:

Export-StartLayout -Path $env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\defaultlayouts.xml

#Import new start layout

Code:

Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath $env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\DefaultLayouts.xml -MountPath $env:SystemDrive\

But no matter what I have tried I can not get any folder shortcuts to work and I have tried every idea I can find or think of but when you create a new user and login all folder shortcuts are gone and if you export the layout for a new user it is missing the entire line of code for any folder icons but no others. I am starting to think Windws 10 just does not allow you to use folder icons which is completly nuts why bother with start menu customizaion if I can't put My Documents shortcuts in there since you can create universal links to profile folders using "%USERPROFILE%\Documents" ink shortcuts.

As per Microsofts recommendation I copy the ink files for my documents etc into the correct folders:

"If you added tiles that require .url or .lnk files, add the .url and .lnk files to the following Start Menu directories:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\
"

My customized start menu XML:

Code:

<LayoutModificationTemplate Version="1" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification">
  <LayoutOptions StartTileGroupCellWidth="6" />
  <DefaultLayoutOverride>
    <StartLayoutCollection>
      <defaultlayout:StartLayout GroupCellWidth="6" xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout">
        <start:Group Name="Folders" xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout">
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools\computer.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Downloads.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="2" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Documents.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="2" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Downloads (DESKTOP-BM692N7).lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="4" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Pictures.lnk" />
        </start:Group>
        <start:Group Name="Programs" xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout">
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Mozilla Firefox.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="2" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Sublime Text 3.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="2" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\µTorrent.lnk" />
        </start:Group>
      </defaultlayout:StartLayout>
    </StartLayoutCollection>
  </DefaultLayoutOverride>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

Windows 10 Default Start Menu Add Documents link default layout-start-menu-export.png

What you end up with when you create a new user:

Code:

<LayoutModificationTemplate Version="1" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification">
  <LayoutOptions StartTileGroupCellWidth="6" />
  <DefaultLayoutOverride>
    <StartLayoutCollection>
      <defaultlayout:StartLayout GroupCellWidth="6" xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout">
        <start:Group Name="Folders" xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout">
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools\computer.lnk" />
        </start:Group>
        <start:Group Name="Programs" xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout">
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Mozilla Firefox.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="2" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Sublime Text 3.lnk" />
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="2" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\µTorrent.lnk" />
        </start:Group>
      </defaultlayout:StartLayout>
    </StartLayoutCollection>
  </DefaultLayoutOverride>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

Windows 10 Default Start Menu Add Documents link default layout-start-menu-new-user.png

I have tried using %ALLUSERSPROFILES% etc for linking to the ink files.
As you can see though it has removed the xml for any folder icons.

This is the only thing holding me back from having a perfect setup for creating multiple layouts for different machines then simply selecting one and importing on any new machine setup for all users

richie231186 · 03 Feb 2017

update: I notice shared drives work just fine for example, \\nas\SharedDir\ will work just fine. However any reference to a local folder in C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\LayoutModification.xml does not get used by Windows 10

MikeyMcG · 16 Feb 2017

I've seen the same sort of problem here (Windows 10 1607). I create some .URL shortcuts and copy them to the "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" folder and I make sure that the XML file points to the appropriate .URL file in that path.
The .URL shortcuts never show up for new users.

Did you ever figure this out?

richie231186 · 17 Feb 2017

Nope still haven't found a solution. Interesting that it also does this for URLs. The sad part is there is not a lot of Microsoft documentation on it that I can find either

I feel like all microsoft cares about is the universal apps and being able to pin stuff associated with it, like their new grouping function that looks great for their mobile apps, as I call them. Yet still the functionality for actual windows applications, folders, links etc across multiple users is so lacking.

ITCO · 10 May 2017

Anyone find a solution?

I've been stuck with the same issue of trying to import a Start Tile .xml file and cannot get it to work with folder shortcuts. I ended up trying the same things as the poster before I found this thread.

Charlie C · 11 Jun 2017

The solution to your problem is to create a shortcut manually, and use the following format.
In the case of the accessories folder, C:\Windows\explorer.exe "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories"

Pin that.
Export layout.
Create a shortcut on the target (Machine you are importing on) in the %Appdata%\roaming\microsoft\windows\start menu\programs\ folder with the same name as the shortcut in the XML.
Import the layout on the target machine.
Open powershell.
run the following.
tdlrecover.exe -resetcache -resetlayout.

Voila.

*Fades back into the shadows*

logang · 04 Jun 2018

I found a solution but it's a small workaround.
1. download and install autohotkey on a computer (this does not need to be installed on other clients).
2. create a script with the single line: Run, c:\windows\explorer.exe "C:\Folder name Here"
3. Compile it into an exe with ahk (use a windows explorer icon)
4. Create shortcut to exe
5. In the layoutmod xml add the link to the shortcut
6. Ensure the exe and lnk are available on the local computer where the xml will be utilised

Hope that helps. I could find no other working solution but this works nicely.

adenyer94 · 01 Jul 2020

I have found the solution, for anyone (like me) that was searching for this issue.

In the layout.XML, local desktop, downloads etc should be done like this:

Code:

<start:DesktopApplicationTile 
			Size="2x2" 
			Column="2" 
			Row="2" 
			DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%userprofile%\Downloads" />

The XML reference isn't particularly helpful, but what I found via trial and error was that DesktopApplicationID can be ignored, and DesktopApplicationLinkPath should be used instead as it is happy to use %userprofile%, %appdata% etc tags.

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