Policy
Start Layout
Windows 11 25H2
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
Supported OS tags: Windows10, Windows10RT, Windows11, WindowsServer2016
Specifies the Start layout for users. This setting lets you specify the Start layout for users and prevents them from changing its configuration. The Start layout you specify must be stored in an XML file that was generated by the Export-StartLayout PowerShell cmdlet. To use this setting, you must first manually configure a device's Start layout to the desired look and feel. Once you are done, run the Export-StartLayout PowerShell cmdlet on that same device. The cmdlet will generate an XML file representing the layout you configured. Once the XML file is generated and moved to the desired file path, type the fully qualified path and name of the XML file. You can type a local path, such as C:\StartLayouts\myLayout.xml or a UNC path, such as \\Server\Share\Layout.xml. If the specified file is not available when the user logs on, the layout won't be changed. Users cannot customize their Start screen while this setting is enabled. If you disable this setting or do not configure it, the Start screen layout won't be changed and users will be able to customize it.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
No explicit registry values are set for enabled or disabled states.
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
| Element | Type | Registry mapping | Constraints & behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
Start Layout File ID LockedStartLayout_Name | text | HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\StartLayoutFile Type REG_SZ | None |
Reapply layout at every logon ID LockedStartLayout_ReapplyEveryLogon | boolean | HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\ReapplyStartLayoutEveryLogon Type REG_DWORD | Options: true (), false () True: None · False: None |
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