Posted in Tip

Changes to how the Start Menu is Managed using Group Policy

Matt Call from Microsoft has just blog the different with describes the impact of no longer being able to customise the Windows Start menu using the Default Users Profile. In case you did not know you could previously set a users start menu by baking the layout into the Windows OS image default users profile by using a CopyProfile process….

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Posted in Tutorials

How to use Group Policy to configure the Taskbar in Windows 10

In release 1607 of Windows 10, Microsoft has now introduced a way to configured the Windows 10 taskbar using Group Policy. This feature allows Group Policy administrator to now add or replace the application that appear on the taskbar. This actually is the first time since Windows Vista that a Group Policy administrator has been able to configure the taskbar…

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Posted in Tutorials

How to use Group Policy to enable or disable the Power Button on Touch (a.k.a Slate) devices for Windows 8.1 Update

If you have updated your touch/slate device to Windows 8.1 Update you will have noticed that the Search button has appeared on your start menu but not the power button. If you were wondering how to enable this button then unfortunately there is no easy way to do this as it is dictated by the type of hardware that you are…

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Posted in Funny

Updated: How to enable the Windows 8 Start Button and Start Menu using Group Policy

Update: In case you did not realise…. This is an April Fools….  @slooflirpa is @aprilfools backwards… Thanks to a tip off via twitter from @slooflirpa I have discovered some hidden Group Policy setting in the Windows Server 8 Beta that configures that restores the start button and optionally the traditional start menu in Windows 8. Even thought there have been…

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Posted in Setting of the Week

Group Policy Setting of the Week 40 – Remove Homegroup link from Start Menu

Homegroup is a new feature in Windows 7 that allows users on a small network to easily share all their files and printers with each other with a single share password. This greatly simplifies the process to securely share  information on a home network and it can include both domain and non-domain joined computers. As an IT administrator you may…

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Posted in Setting of the Week

Group Policy Setting of the Week 10 – Remove Default Programs link from the Start menu

This weeks group policy setting of the week is about the “Remove Default Programs link from the Start menu” option that can be found under User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. The start menu entry “Default Programs” was was introduced as part of the United States v. Microsoft Antitrust settlement case back in the…

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