How to Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout in Windows 10


The layout of your Start menu includes how you resized the Start menu or full screen Start, pinned items, how the tiles of pinned items are sized, arranged into groups, group names, and used in Live Folders.

This tutorial will show you how to allow or prevent changing the Start screen layout for specific or all users in Windows 10.

This doesn't affect users from being able to resize the Start menu.

You must be signed in as an administrator to set a default Start layout.



Contents

  • Option One: Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout for All Users using a REG file



EXAMPLE: Start layout in Windows 10
Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout in Windows 10-startannotated.png





OPTION ONE

Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout in Local Group Policy Editor


The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two.


1 Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2 In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (See screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout in Windows 10-changing_start_layout_gpedit-1.jpg

3 In the right pane of Start Menu and Taskbar, double click/tap on the Prevent users from customizing their Start Screen policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


5 To Enable Changing Start Layout

A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.



6 To Disable Changing Start Layout

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout in Windows 10-changing_start_layout_gpedit-2.png


7 When finished, you can close Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

8 Restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.






OPTION TWO

Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout for All Users using a REG file


The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD values in the registry keys below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

NoChangeStartMenu DWORD

(delete) = Enable
1 = Disable

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

LockedStartLayout DWORD

(delete) = Enable


1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


2 To Enable Changing Start Layout for All Users

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_changing_Start_layout.reg

Download


3 To Disable Changing Start Layout for All Users

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_changing_Start_layout.reg

Download


4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 Restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.

8 You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


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