Solved How to export Windows 11 22H2 start menu layout?

How can one install Windows 11 22H2 with a blank start menu, i.e., with no pinned and recommended apps? How to export the Windows 11 22H2 start menu layout and import it to an ISO?

Can't answer about export as I don't think it can be done, but here is how to clear recommended. Clear Start Menu Recommended Section in Windows 11 Tutorial

glasskuter said:

Can't answer about export as I don't think it can be done, but here is how to clear recommended. Clear Start Menu Recommended Section in Windows 11 Tutorial

Click to expand...

Already did that but they still show up.

You can try remove pinned items using a Powershell script. Then you can export the new Start Menu as a JSON file, and distribute to your other machines. See:

I wouldn't be able to recommend a Powershell script, because I haven't used it. However, there seems plenty on the web who tried.

glasskuter said:

Can't answer about export as I don't think it can be done

Click to expand...

Yes it can - see this tutorial Backup and Restore Pinned Items on Start Menu in Windows 11

Don't know about how you can insert into a .iso though.

iko22 said:

You can try remove pinned items using a Powershell script. Then you can export the new Start Menu as a JSON file, and distribute to your other machines. See:

Customize and export the Start layout - Configure Windows

Learn how to customize the Windows Start layout and export the configuration to apply to other devices.

learn.microsoft.com

I wouldn't be able to recommend a Powershell script, because I haven't used it. However, there seems plenty on the web who tried.

Click to expand...

How can I import JSON files to an ISO?

Windows 11 User said:

How can I import JSON files to an ISO?

Click to expand...

Hi,

does this help:
?

IanMosley said:

Yes it can - see this tutorial Backup and Restore Pinned Items on Start Menu in Windows 11

Don't know about how you can insert into a .iso though.

Click to expand...

I'll try that since I can import it using NTLite.

iko22 said:

Hi,

does this help:

Customize the Windows 11 Start menu

How to pin OEM apps in the Windows 11 start menu

learn.microsoft.com

?

Click to expand...

To be honest, it's too hard for me. I'll try what @IanMosley mentioned.

iko22 said:

You can try remove pinned items using a Powershell script. Then you can export the new Start Menu as a JSON file, and distribute to your other machines. See:

Customize and export the Start layout - Configure Windows

Learn how to customize the Windows Start layout and export the configuration to apply to other devices.

learn.microsoft.com

I wouldn't be able to recommend a Powershell script, because I haven't used it. However, there seems plenty on the web who tried.

Click to expand...

So, I removed all the pinned and recommended apps from my current install, uchecked some start menu options in Settings, copied the start2.bin file, imported it to a loaded image using NTLite, created a new ISO, used it to install Windows 11 and confirmed this method worked although apps in the recommended section shortly after but I can make them disappear by unchecking some start menu options in Settings.

After all, after restarting the PC, apps show up in the recommended section, as well as after installing new ones.

After removing recommended apps in Group Policy Editor, copying and integrating the policy, copying and integrating the start2.bin file and disabling some start menu settings in NTLite after loading an extracted image, creating a new ISO and using it to install Windows 11, recommended apps no longer appear (even the name "Recommended" was removed from the start menu) after restarting the PC. Maybe disabling some start menu settings in NTLite does nothing but shouldn't one not need to integrate both the start2.bin file and the mentioned policy?

If disabling some start menu settings in NTLite and integrating the start2.bin file, I have no pinned and recommended apps until I restart the PC and recommended apps reappear, and if disabling some start menu settings in NTLite and integrating the mentioned policy, I have pinned apps even before restarting the PC.

How can I recover Chrome's jump list?

I removed all the pinned and recommended apps from my current install, copied the "Packages" folder (only with the "Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy" and "LocalState" folders inside and with the "start2.bin" [I don't know why it's called "start2" and not "start"] file inside the latter), extracted an image and loaded it with NTLite, integrated the "Packages" folder into it, disabled the "Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more" setting, created a new ISO, used it to install Windows 11 and although no pinned apps appear in the start menu, recommended ones still do.

EDIT: After enabling the Remove Recommended section from start menu in Group Policy Editor in the current install, the Recommended section from the start menu was removed. I copied and integrated this policy (by copying the "Machine" and "User" folders and the "gpt.ini" file from "C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy"), extracted an image and loaded it with NTLite, integrated the "Machine" and "User" folders and the "gpt.ini" file into it, created a new ISO, used it to install Windows 11 and the Recommended section (and apps inside it) still appears in the start menu. It was supposed for the Recommended section to have been removed. I also don't get why apps still appear in the Recommended section in the start menu in both the current install and in the new one after disabling the "Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more" setting in NTLite or Windows.

you can use Sordums start menu tool to backup the start menu to a file.
if you want to build an iso without the start menu recommended section (completely gone), use education edition.

dacrone said:

you can use Sordums start menu tool to backup the start menu to a file.
if you want to build an iso without the start menu recommended section (completely gone), use education edition.

Click to expand...

I prefer not having to use a program. I have the Enterprise edition and even so I can only remove the Recommended section via GPO for the current install.

ent/edu.. either works. you can remove that section via reg through cmd and bake it into the iso via ntlite. sordum's portable app was just a suggestion to get you the backup file to make into the iso. it will give you the backup, and you can see where it is supposed to go and use cmd in ntlite to overwrite the default file with your exported one. thus no program required after install.

dacrone said:

ent/edu.. either works. you can remove that section via reg through cmd and bake it into the iso via ntlite. sordum's portable app was just a suggestion to get you the backup file to make into the iso. it will give you the backup, and you can see where it is supposed to go and use cmd in ntlite to overwrite the default file with your exported one. thus no program required after install.

Click to expand...

I already tried it and it only works on a live install and not on a new one.

editing the start menu reg via cmd on ntlite?... i've built custom isos for work doing this multiple times...

dacrone said:

editing the start menu reg via cmd on ntlite?... i've built custom isos for work doing this multiple times...

Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant I exported a REG key and integrated it with NTLite and it doesn't work. Do I have to use CMD?

I followed this site's method 5, exported the REG key, integrated it with NTLite and I don't have the Recommended section. Combined with the integrated "Packages" folder, I still have the Pinned section but it's empty.