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Customize default Windows 11 Start Menu using Intune

Posted on October 12, 2021October 12, 2021 by Jörgen Nilsson

Now the time has come to look at customizing the default Windows 11 Start Menu. Customizing the Start Menu using Intune is simple and works great by using the new CSP “ConfigureStartPins”. More information can be found here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/customize-start-menu-layout-windows-11
For on-premise there is no support for using the same feature either with PowerShell or Group Policy, however there is a way for OEM’s to Pin items to the Start Menu. It doesn’t work the same way and the end-result is not nearly as beautiful but more on that in the next blog post.

Modifying the default Start Menu using Intune

Before we start, note that Office 365 Apps will always be added as Pinned by default, if that is your reason to deploy a default Start Menu layout you don’t have to.

We start by arranging the Start Menu on a Windows 11 computer to make it look like we want. You can also create you .JSON file manually if you like. We use the same PowerShell command we did in Windows 10 to export the Start Menu layout, “Export-StartLayout”, in Windows 11 it will produce a .JSON file instead of an .XML file. In my case that sample .JSON file looks like shown below.

Sample .JSON file:

{"pinnedList":[{"desktopAppId":"MSEdge"},{"desktopAppId":"Microsoft.Office.WINWORD.EXE.15"},{"desktopAppId":"Microsoft.Office.EXCEL.EXE.15"},{"desktopAppId":"Microsoft.Office.POWERPNT.EXE.15"},{"packagedAppId":"windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy!microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel"},{"desktopAppId":"Microsoft.Windows.Explorer"},{"desktopAppId":"com.squirrel.Teams.Teams"},{"desktopAppId":"Microsoft.Office.OUTLOOK.EXE.15"}]}

To deploy the Custom Start Menu we use a Custom Configuration Profile in Intune.
OMA-URI: ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/ConfigureStartPins
Data type: String

The end result is great it overwrites the entire Start Menu layout, Note that if you deploy it after the end user have logged on for the first time it will still apply and overwrite the currently pinned apps.

There are more settings we can do using the new CSPs’ for Windows 11 but more on that in later posts.

  • Windows 11 Customized Start Menu
  • 2 thoughts on “Customize default Windows 11 Start Menu using Intune”

    1. Pär says:
      November 25, 2022 at 7:26 am

      Hello Jörgen,

      This is an old post, I know, but Microsoft seems to have changed the way ConfigureStartPins works with Windows 11 22H2.

      After upgrading to 22H2, any user pinned apps (added after ConfigureStartPins has been successfully deployed) are being removed at restart for us. I have a case with MS and they claim that was the case even in 21H2, but that is not my experience. Have you had the chance to test this on 22H2?

      Cheers, Pär

      Reply
      1. Jörgen Nilsson says:
        December 29, 2022 at 2:16 pm

        I just tested to deploy a new Windows 1 22H2 and that works fine, will test doing an upgrade as well.
        /Jörgen

        Reply

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    My name is Jörgen Nilsson and I work as a Senior Consultant at Onevinn in Malmö, Sweden. This is my blog where I will share tips and stuff for my own and everyone elses use on Enterprise Mobility and Windows related topics.
    All code is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties.

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