Windows 10: Backup and Restore Start Layout in Windows 10

I've been messing with this in 1709 (mostly because I'm testing some customized start layouts and it's kind of hard when you cant see the results of applying a new menu)

Anyway, there is a reg key;

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount

This has a lot of subkeys so I'm not sure which one is responsible for the start menu. Maybe it's more than 1? All i know is if I delete the entire "DefaultAccount" key, on the next reboot the start menu will be rebuilt. In my case I'm using a customized start layout but if I wasn't I'm guessing it would revert to whatever layout is saved in AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell. For most people that will be the DefaultLayouts.xml file.

If you want it to be something else, you can run export-startlayout –path <path><file name>.xml to export your layout. Then you can run Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath .\the_xml_you_exported.xml -MountPath C:\ and that will re import it. But you need to be careful, that command will only import it into the default user profile (to be used if a new user account is created). If you want it in your own user profile you'll need to go into AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell for the default user profile and copy LayoutModifications.xml into the same folder in your user profile. Once the LayoutModifications.xml file exists in your AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell, forcing a rebuild by deleting that registry key above will make it use your modified layout instead of DefaultLayouts.xml



edit:
Just did a bit more testing. If you delete that reg key, you don't need to reboot. Killing and restarting explorer is enough to make the start menu use the backup config.

 

Thank you geoken2, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

I'll have to give this a play with.

 

No problem. The tutorials you posted have helped me a lot while configuring a baseline image to use for deployment. Especially with disabling start suggestions, this was the only place I could find updated instructions that worked on 1709. I Appreciate the efforts in keeping the tutorials up to date so I hoped to be able to give back a bit.

 

Hello, geoken2. Welcome to TenForums. *Smile

Thanks so much for this information! As a huge fan of the Start (Start Screen in 8/8.1 > full screen in 10 with "Show extra tiles") and since Brink's tutorial here no longer works, I've been searching for a way to backup and migrate the layout for quite some time.

If it be any help to both of you, I found this older tutorial by a gentleman that gets into using Group Policy Editor. I've tried it, but so far as I know it no longer works.

How to backup or reset the start menu in Windows 10 - gHacks Tech News

It will be a glorious day to have a method of importing a layout! Here's what I have to assemble upon a clean install. This is approximately 90% finished.

 

Ok. Here's what's working for me now streamlined from what @geoken2 posted above to backup and restore your Start layout.

Please test @HippsieGypsie and others, and let me know if you're seeing the same before I update the tutorial with it.

To Backup:
1) Export HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount registry key.

2) Copy DefaultLayouts.xml file in the %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell folder.

3) Keep these two items saved somewhere as your backup.

To Restore:
1) Delete current HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount registry key.

2) Merge .reg file from backup above to restore the backed up HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount registry key.

3) Open the %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell folder, and copy the backup DefaultLayouts.xml file into this folder to replace the current one.

4) Sign out and sign in to apply.

 

Thanks, Shawn. I'll get on this asap. *Smile

 

Tutorial has now been updated with a new working method to backup and restore your Start layout. *Smile

 

@Brink

To be sure before I import this.

HKCU is HKEY_CURRENT_USER yes?

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell is C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell yes?

Edit: Never mind. I see you have it updated.

 

Well, it was a no go importing into my Insider 17040, which I thought wouldn't work. Gave it a go anyway. Really didn't care for it's a messed up update via WU and need to clean install anyway. Interesting results, though. I had Start set to full screen with extra tiles and not to list apps as I always do. Import changed the Start settings. I forgot to take a screenshot of the original Start before importing, but it was similar to what I have in above prior post.

Also, strange thing is it reinstalled the unwanted apps I uninstalled. That's what those down arrows on the tiles are. I pressed on one and it said "New app coming soon" or similar to that. Hopefully it installs the wanted apps upon clean install. That would be great.





Went into the Settings app and changed the settings back and got this. By the time I came back it had the unwanted apps installed already. LOL!





Well, so much for that. I'm going to try it on the old Acer FCU to see how that goes. I have to install Office and some apps first. I'll clean install my FCU on my Asus here later to test. This is the OS I copied key and folder from.

 

Imported into my Acer FCU. Worked rather well. Forgot to take a before pic again, but I hardly had any tiles on this Start screen. Being that it's a smaller monitor, it placed what was the right column on the other PC at the bottom under another one. I placed text boxes of tiles that didn't work, although it placed tiles in the correct places. Even folder and drive tiles that belong to the other PC. The Drawboard PDF app that I didn't have installed had the down arrow on the tile, which I learned is or will install by clicking on the tile a the Tips app opened with an explanation. Rather ingenious.

Like I said, I'll clean install on my Asus FCU later, which is what we're really after. Overall, I think this is going to work, guys! *Smile

Right now it's nap time. *Sleepy

 

Clean install mission accomplished. This does indeed work on the same FCU PC. From default Start settings it reset it to full screen with extra tiles and no All Apps column as I had it. I went ahead and imported without installing apps to see what would happen. It set tiles and columns with their titles exactly as it was, but tiles were blank. As I installed Store/UWP apps and win32 programs the tiles filled out. Favorite Weather cities. favorite World Time cities, folders, drives, and Edge pages all need to be repinned, but all use the same tile. That I can live with.

I'm very happy how this works! Thank you, @Shawn and @geoken2!

Hopefully this works with each feature update.

 

Thank you for confirming Tony. *Smile

 

You're welcome, Shawn. I was so happy and excited after tapping the WinKey and seeing it I almost peed my pants! *chuckle

 

Unless I made a mistake, this method did not work in a clean install of IP 17040.

 

It should work in 17040 as well. It's what I tested it in.