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How to avoid Start menu's Apps Icons & Live Tiles on Win10

start menu icons tiles

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#1 alacran

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Posted 14 August 2018 - 04:53 AM

If you as me do not like to have a Win10 Start menu full of Apps icons and Live Tiles connecting to internet by temself without you running them, you may do this:

 

You need to put LayoutModification.xml on Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\ during install, before the first run.

 

LayoutModification.xml

<LayoutModificationTemplate Version="1" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification">
  <DefaultLayoutOverride>
    <StartLayoutCollection>
      <defaultlayout:StartLayout GroupCellWidth="6" xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout">
        <start:Group Name="" xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout">
          <start:DesktopApplicationTile Size="2x2" Column="0" Row="0" DesktopApplicationID="{D65231B0-B2F1-4857-A4CE-A8E7C6EA7D27}\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" />
        </start:Group>
      </defaultlayout:StartLayout>
    </StartLayoutCollection>
  </DefaultLayoutOverride>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

Using this you will only have a PowerShell Icon (there is a requirement to have at least one icon) on Start menu where usually all Tiles are located, and you are free to add latter your own prefered Icons if you want.

 

NOTE: This do not prevent copying all Apps on your OS, this only prevent all those annoying Tyles on Start Menu.

 

As putting this LayoutModification.xml on Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\ during install, before the first run is not an easy task, I have made for your convenience an $OEM$ file that you can put on sources file on your install USB device or ISO before burning it, and this will do it for you.  Only download and decompress attached 7z file on required location.

 

alacran

Attached Files

  • Attached File  $OEM$.7z   643bytes   9 downloads

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#2 Guest_AnonVendetta_*

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Posted 14 August 2018 - 06:31 PM

Your approach might get rid of the live tiles, but it still won't prevent them from connecting to the Net. For that it's better just to remove them. Besides, Windows 10's default start menu is ugly anyway, I just install Classic Shell.
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#3 alacran

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Posted 24 June 2020 - 07:29 PM

You may customize furter your Win10 ISOs before install using this fantastic free tool: https://msmgtoolkit.in/

 

alacran



#4 Tokener

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Posted 25 June 2020 - 11:07 PM

Dear alacran

thanks for sharing LayoutModification.xml on the board.

 

What if this file was placed in any image of the install.wim by command?

wimlib-imagex.exe update "H:\sources\install.wim" 1 --command="add 'B:\LayoutModification.xml' '\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\LayoutModification.xml'"

When adding a new User (after installation) the XML file should be in charge.

 

Best Regards   T.



#5 alacran

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Posted 27 June 2020 - 11:31 PM

Hi retokener

 

Yes my friend you are right, it will work same way, the $OEM$ folder does same thing copying LayoutModification.xml to same location during install.

 

But I think, $OEM$ or $oem$ (as you prefer) folder is more versatile, it can be located outside the ISO or  the *.wim/*.esd and used during install by means of WinNTSetup too, without the need to modify the *.wim/*.esd or the ISO, and also allow us to add many other things to the install as add certain programs to lets say the root of the partition or the Documents folder, to have them available if we latter want to install them, and it is easier to just modify/update the $OEM$ folder content.

 

As an example I have into it:

 

$oem$\$1\Users\Default\Documents\Classic Shell

$oem$\$1\Users\Default\Documents\O&O ShutUp10

$oem$\$1\fab

etc.

 

Wich can be downloaded respectively from:

 

http://classicshell.net/

https://www.oo-softw...com/en/shutup10

https://www.sordum.o...ocker-fab-v1-7/

 

Also I may put some portables I frecuently use as:

 

$oem$\$1\Users\Default\Documents\wimlib-clc                                                                 http://reboot.pro/fi...588-wimlib-clc/

$oem$\$1\Users\Default\Documents\SwiftSearch                                                              https://sourceforge....ts/swiftsearch/

$oem$\$1\Users\Default\Documents\BOOTICE                                                                  http://reboot.pro/fi...-bootice-v1332/

$oem$\$1\Users\Default\Documents\InSpectre                                                                  https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm

etc.

 

alacran


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#6 Tokener

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Posted 29 June 2020 - 11:20 AM

Dear alacran

Thanks a lot for the detailed info my friend.

 

But I think, $OEM$ or $oem$ (as you prefer) folder is more versatile, it can be located outside the ISO (...)

When using WinNTSetup I am not getting the point where the $OEM$ folder has to be located.  :o

Can you give further info where to place it?

 

Thanks in advance   T.

 

 

 

 



#7 alacran

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Posted 29 June 2020 - 09:00 PM

Dear alacran

Thanks a lot for the detailed info my friend.

When using WinNTSetup I am not getting the point where the $OEM$ folder has to be located.  :o

Can you give further info where to place it?

 

Thanks in advance   T.

 

Of course to use WinNTSetup you have to run it from a working OS, a *.vhd or a WinPE.  Basically you can put $oem$ folder anywhere on the booting device. After selecting install button on WinNTSetup, on the new screen you have several options, one of them in blue color is \sources\$OEM$ make a left click on it and select the location of your $OEM$ folder. (See attached picture)

 

Easy way is to boot from a USB device with one or several VHDs and/or WinPEs and have there WinNTSetup and also folders for Win7, Win8.x and Win10 (as required), into each one of them you can have the respective *.esd or *.wim +  $oem$ folder + unattend.xml (if available, but a requirement for Win10). Only suggestion is try to keep the path short, just in case.

 

This thread is usefull to make your own updated *.esd and unattend.xml: http://reboot.pro/to...l-oss-from-usb/

 

alacran

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