Win8.1 Enterprise Edition adds start screen setting function

Recently, Microsoft highlighted in the official blog that the enterprise version of Windows 8.1 Enterprise system supports IT administrators to set and change the default layout characteristics of the system start screen. The blog post says: “Win8.1 Enterprise Edition has now opened one of the new features for start screen control. Designed for IT professionals to set a default start screen layout for users within a workgroup and prevent other users from changing the new features of the layout. ”

After using this feature, professional users can more easily set up the tile layout of the Windows 8.1 Enterprise start screen according to their own ideas. As shown below, we can pin the most commonly used Office components, traditional desktops, and IE browsers to the start screen.

In addition, we can also export the tile layout of the Windows 8.1 Enterprise start screen that you are used to. Methods as below.

Use the following PowerShell command to export a file in xml format:

PS C:> Export-StartLayout–As XML–Path contoso-mgmtLayouts$ManagedUser.xml

Then access the Group Policy Manager, use Win+R to call up the running interface, enter gpedit.msc to enter. Select User Configuration > Manage Templates >”Start“Menu & Taskbar, and find the Start Page Layout Policy item and configure Open.

The final step is to link to the start screen layout file exported via PowerShell. This way, the start screen layout is completely locked and the user will not be able to make changes to the layout. Ordinary users cannot add new tiles, or delete tiles and reorder tiles.