Windows 10: Backup and Restore Start Layout in Windows 10

How to: Backup and Restore Start Layout in Windows 10

How to Backup and Restore Start Menu Layout in Windows 10


The Live Folders.

This can be handy if you do not want to have to setup your Start menu layout from scratch again. Say after a clean install of Windows 10.

You can restore the backup of a Start menu layout to any user account on the PC.

This tutorial will show you how to back up and restore the Start screen layout of any user account on your Windows 10 PC.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to back up and restore a Start menu layout of any account other than your own.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Backup Start Menu Layout of Current Account
• Option Two: To Restore Start Menu Layout to Current Account

EXAMPLE: Start menu layout in Windows 10










OPTION ONE [/i] To Backup Start Menu Layout of Current Account
1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount




3. Right click on the DefaultAccount key in the left pane of Registry Editor, and click/tap on Export. (see screenshot above)

4. Navigate to where you want to export this DefaultAccount key to as a .reg file, type a file name (ex: "DefaultAccount_for_Brink") you want for this .reg file, and click/tap on Save. (see screenshot below)

*note This .reg file is your backup of the DefaultAccount key



5. You can now close Registry Editor if you like.

6. Open File Explorer (Win+E), click/tap on the icon in the address bar, copy and paste %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell into the address bar, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)



7. Copy the DefaultLayouts.xml file in the "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell" folder. (see screenshot below)



8. Paste the DefaultLayouts.xml file into the same location (ex: "My Start Layout Backup" folder) you exported the .reg file from step 4 above to keep them together as the backup of your Start layout. (see screenshot below)








OPTION TWO [/i] To Restore Start Menu Layout to Current Account

*note This option requires that you already have a Start layout backup created from Option One above.
1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount




3. Right click on the DefaultAccount key in the left pane of Registry Editor, and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot above)

4. Click/tap on Yes to confirm deleting the DefaultAccount key. (see screenshot below)



5. You can now close Registry Editor if you like.

6. Open the location (ex: "My Start Layout Backup" folder) of the Start layout backup created from Option One, and double click/tap on the .reg file (ex: "DefaultAccount_for_Brink") to merge it. (see screenshot below)



7. When prompted, click/tap on Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve merging the .reg file. (see screenshot below)





8. Open File Explorer (Win+E), click/tap on the icon in the address bar, copy and paste %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell into the address bar, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)






9. In a separate File Explorer window, open the location (ex: "My Start Layout Backup" folder) of the Start layout backup created from Option One, right click on the backed up DefaultLayouts.xml file, and click/tap on Copy. (see screenshot below)



10. Paste the backed up DefaultLayouts.xml file from step 9 into the %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell folder from step 8 above. (see screenshot below)



11. When prompted, click/tap on Replace the file in the destination option to replace the current DefaultLayouts.xml file with your backup copy. (see screenshot below)



12. Close File Explorer.

13. sign in to apply the restored Start layout.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Backup and Restore Folders on Start List in Windows 10
• How to Set Default Start Layout for Users in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Changing Start Layout in Windows 10
• How to Reset Start Menu Layout to Default in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off to Use Full-screen Start in Windows 10
• How to Resize your Start Menu in Windows 10
• How to 'Pin to Start' and 'Unpin from Start" items in Windows 10
• How to Resize Tiles on Start Menu and Start Screen in Windows 10
• How to Group your App Tiles on Start in Windows 10
• How to Create and Use Live Folders on Start in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Folders on Start List in Windows 10

:)

 

My windows 10 start menu and taskbar is not opening, and cortana is also not responding, Please Help me!

Try running the Start menu troubleshooter. (download
from MS)

If that does not help, you can copy/restore vedatamodel.edb (which is your Start screen database) from a new user account. Full instructions to backup
or restore Windows 10 Start layout.

 

All the icons are missing from start menu and task bar. What to do?

Try running the
Start menu troubleshooter. (download from MS)

If that does not help, you can copy/restore vedatamodel.edb (which is your Start screen database) from a new user account. Full instructions to

backup or restore Windows 10 Start layout.

 

Hi Shawn. Thanks for this tutorial. It's handy. *Smile

Can this Database folder be exported and used on a different machine signed in with the same account? Or does one have to use another tool to use a WIM?

How about importing an account to another machine?

 

Hey Tony, *Smile

Yep, you can use the backup on another computer.

Anything that was in Start not installed on the other computer just wouldn't be included.

Not sure about importing an account, but you could use the same Microsoft account on both computers and have both set to sync settings to help.

 

Thanks, Shawn. Yes, I have the tower, lappy, and phone all synced and all signing in with the same MS account. The phone I understand would be different, but the tower and lappy just don't seem to mesh in a lot of things. The lock screen and the wallpaper for starters. The lappy has been on Insider, but it seems to be happening since I recently got back into Insider with the tower. I still get OneDrive sync, emails, notifications, location, and the like of course.

I'm thinking it may be a corrupt MS account. I have a feeling it's on the lappy. That's why the Start screen backup, the question on importing an account, and questions on WIM lately to fix. There are Windows ADK tools to import accounts, but I'm going to create a admin local account and delete the original MS account after signing out, then make it a MS account out of the local to see if that works. Does that sound feasible?

BTW, since CU, are you receiving SMS text notifications from your phone and able to answer while on your PCs? That's the cat's meow. *Smile

 

Sure you could do that to for a new account on the PC for your MSA.

Oh yes, I've been able to receive and send SMS text messages on the PC that were synced across from by Windows 10 Mobile phone. Both were signed in with the same MSA. The first time it happened, it took me by surprise for a moment. I like it though.

Turn On or Off App Synchronization Between Devices in Window 10 - Windows 10 Apps Features Tutorials

 

Thanks so much, @Brink.

Took me by surprise too. Great stuff. Wondering if they'll continue to develop that app to initiate a text. Maybe via Skype. That would be sweet.

 

Actually...

Send SMS Text Messages from Skype app on Windows 10 PC - Windows 10 Apps Features Tutorials

 

LOL! Thanks again, Shawn! I have some catching up to do! *Redface

 

LOL, you're most welcome Tony. It can be hard to keep up with all the changes and added features. *Smile

 

I tried this about 4 months ago on an Insider build and it didn't work. Have you tried this on any of the latest builds (currently 16199)?

 

Hello @vijer,

It doesn't appear to be working in my build 16215 either. I'll have to do some more testing to see what is going on.

If folks don't mind, please post if it still works for you or not along with what Windows 10 build you have installed.

 

Could it be it is not working with Creative Update anymore? I tried it, but it didn*t work.
What I also tried is:
Deleting the folder, then only 3 items were left (Office).
I copied over again, still only those 3 items

Next I tried, moving those buttons around.
Deleting the folder again.
After another login, again, those 3 buttons where here, same arrangement.

So it seems, it is saved somehow different.

Not sure what I could be doing wrong, as copyiing this directory is straight forward...

Thanks
Patrick

 

Hello Patrick,

I was hoping it may have just been an issue in a few builds, but it appears to no longer work since build 16215. *Sad