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Import-StartLayout KACE SDA

Hi,

Seen a lot of post's regarding Import-StartLayout and I thought I'd share how I got it working for KACE users and hopefully it will help you all out too.

You can do this a few ways, I find the best way is to Export to a Share and call it via KACE or Upload to KACE and call it from the Directory. 

  1. On a machine standardize your Start bar & Taskbar
  2. Open Powershell ISE as Admin and use the following command line

    Export-StartLayout.xml -Path \\PATH\Share\StartTaskLayout.xml

  3. Open & Edit the 'StartTaskLayout.xml' by copying the following to the very beginning of the XML.

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <LayoutModificationTemplate
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification"
    xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
    xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout"
    xmlns:taskbar="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/TaskbarLayout"
    Version="1">

  4. Now add the following below '<\DefaultLayoutOverride>' this allows for Taskbar customisation

    <CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection PinListPlacement="Replace">
        <defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
            <taskbar:TaskbarPinList>

  5. You must now add in the applications you want to be pinned to the taskbar, these must be correct folder locations. ##See below for Word,Excel,Outlook,FileExplorer,Chrome & Snipping tool, taskbar layout.

    <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Word.lnk" />
        <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Excel.lnk" />
        <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Outlook.lnk" />
        <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools\File Explorer.lnk" />
        <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Google Chrome.lnk" />
        <taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationLinkPath="%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Snipping Tool.lnk" />

  6. Now add the end code below the above code.

       </taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
        </defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
    </CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
    </LayoutModificationTemplate>

  7. Save this file in your UNC path.

  8. In Powershell ISE (Admin) use the following and save it as 'ImportStartLayout.ps1' file.

    Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath "\\Path\Share\StartTaskLayout.xml" -MountPath -C:\

  9. You can now upload 'ImportStartLayout.ps1' to your KACE SDA as a Post Installation Task > Choose Action New > Powershell Script and you're good to go.

    dysEMj.png

  10.  For anyone not wanting to call it from a NAS you can zip up the 'StartTaskLayout.Xml' along with a Powershell Script containing the following

    Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath "$PSScriptRoot\StartTaskLayout.xml" -MountPath -C:\

    ##$PSScriptRoot calls the current directory just like %dp0

  11. After all of that you should get something like this


One of my first blogs on here, so apologies if I've missed something, if you'd like more info drop me a message and I'll get back to you, hopefully this helps in standardising Windows 10.

Hopefully this helps.
:)

Comments

  • I love this! so awesome! Thanks for sharing - brucegoose03 6 years ago
  • Good guide, please specify which version of Windows 10 was used for this.

    e.g. Windows 10 Enterprise 1709. - Channeler 6 years ago
    • Hi, I used this for Windows 10 Pro/Ent Ver 1709 - 1809. It has been tested on all of them. I will edit the Blog thanks. - Ziggi 6 years ago
  • Thanks for the info. I have been having an issue with this running on my post install tasks. I have chosen to zip it together (as stated in #10) but when it trys to run it gives me a error saying the specified file can't be found. Does the zip file need to be copied over to the PC before it runs? I am new to KACE and am struggling with this task. - rypalcovic 5 years ago
    • make sure there are no folders inside your zip file, after unzipping a file the KACE SDA needs to find the files right there, without the need of navigating to a folder - Channeler 5 years ago
  • Yeah I though about that too but i zipped the files with windows and just selected the two files with no folders and I am still getting the error. - rypalcovic 5 years ago
  • Does this need to be modified if all my files match Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath "$PSScriptRoot\StartTaskLayout.xml" -MountPath -C:\ - rypalcovic 5 years ago
  • I'm having trouble with this as a post-install task. I have tried it both the first way, and as a zip file. I believe it is due to the Set-ExecutionPolicy cmd failing because it needs user input. I have the scope set to process but no luck. - jpnps 5 years ago
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