Customize the Windows 10 Start menu layout using an XML file on Virtual Desktop

This guide is for customizing the Windows 10 22H2 Start menu on Citrix Virtual Desktop but the steps will be the same for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) or Remote Desktop services (RDS)

Windows 10 Start menu folder locations

There are three locations for Windows 10 Start menu shortcuts

All Users profile or Common Start menu
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Default User Start menu
C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

User Profile AppData Start menu
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

To create a standard Start menu layout on Windows 10, you'll need to make some changes to the different Start menu locations.

Virtual Desktop Start menu layout

In a Virtual Desktop environment, you most probably want to delete the Default user Start menu and make some changes to the All Users profile Start menu.

This means we don't have to figure out which Start menu items are being applied from which location. 

Removing the default user start menu means it doesn't get applied at all and we only have to customize shortcuts on the All Users profile Start menu

Delete Default user Start menu

On the Master image Virtual Machine, backup then delete the contents of this folder
C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Customize All Users profile or Common Start menu

Backup this folder
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

then delete these folders

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Windows PowerShell
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Maintenance
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessibility
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools

and delete these shortcuts

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories
Internet Explorer
Math Input Panel
Quick Assist
Steps Recorder
Windows Fax and Scan

Create Start menu shortcuts

Next, we'll create some Start menu shortcuts for Control Panel, File Explorer and Logging off

File Explorer Shortcut

Create File Explorershortcut on All Users Start menu
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

File Explorer
%windir%\explorer.exe

Control Panel shortcut

Create Control Panel shortcut on All Users Start menu
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories

Control Panel
C:\Windows\System32\control.exe

Log Off shortcut

Create Log Off shortcut on All Users Start menu
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Log Off
C:\Windows\System32\logoff.exe

Icon path:
%SystemRoot%\System32\SHELL32.dll

Customize Default User Start menu layout

In the next steps, we are going to export the Start menu layout and apply it to the Default user profile. 

This means the Start menu layout will get copied when a new user profile is created, but the layout will not be mandatory. 

Users will be able to pin and unpin items from the Start menu to customize it themselves. So everyone gets the same initial Start menu layout that they can change if they want to.

Create Start menu layout

Pin apps to the Start menu and arrange them to create a new Start menu layout

Export Start menu layout

Export Start menu layout to XML file using PowerShell

Export-StartLayout –path C:\Temp\StartLayout.xml

Edit the Start menu layout XML file

You can edit the XML file to make changes to Start menu shortcuts 

Example Start menu layout XML file

<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">
	<LayoutOptions StartTileGroupCellWidth="6" />
	<DefaultLayoutOverride>
		<StartLayoutCollection>
			<defaultlayout:StartLayout GroupCellWidth="6">
				<start:Group Name="Microsoft Office">
					<start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="4" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Word.lnk" />
					<start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Excel.lnk" />
					<start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Outlook.lnk" />
				</start:Group>
				<start:Group Name="Browsers">
					<start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
					<start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft Edge.lnk" />
				</start:Group>
				<start:Group Name="Utilities">
					<start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Log Off.lnk" />
					<start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="2" Row="0" DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\File Explorer.lnk" />
				</start:Group>
			</defaultlayout:StartLayout>
		</StartLayoutCollection>
	</DefaultLayoutOverride>
</LayoutModificationTemplate> 

Import layout XML to Default user Start menu

Run the following PowerShell to import the new Start menu layout to the Default user profile

Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath "C:\Temp\StartLayout.xml" -MountPath "C:\" 

This PowerShell command imports the start menu layout xml file to the file C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\LayoutModification.xml

Test new Start menu layout

Create a new profile for a user account to test the new Start menu layout

References:

Windows PowerShell - Import-StartLayout
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/startlayout/import-startlayout

Customize and export Start layout
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/customize-and-export-start-layout

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