https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/deploymentguys/2016/03/07/windows-10-start-layout-customization/
Export the Start Layout
When you have the Start screen layout that you want your users to see, use the Export-StartLayout cmdlet in Windows PowerShell to export the Start screen to an .xml file.
- From Start, open Windows PowerShell.
- At the Windows PowerShell command prompt, enter the following command:
Export-StartLayout –path <path><file name>.xml
Figure 3. Export-StartLayout cmdlet
PowerShell
When you have the Start screen layout exported, use the Import-StartLayout cmdlet in Windows PowerShell to manually import the .xml file into the system.
- From Start, open Windows PowerShell.
- At the Windows PowerShell command prompt, enter the following command:
Import-StartLayout –LayoutPath <path><file name>.xml –MountPath %systemdrive%
Copy Profile
BTW , unlock how many time of sysprep
It can happen, the need of re-syspreping an already syspreped machine, why ? maybe you lost your Image master. so.. you running the setup process, adding the changes you want, relocating the XML answerfile, running the sysprep with /generalize switch.. the process is running for few seconds and then the sysprep window is disappeared. well.. open the sysprep log file under \sysprep\Panther … there you will find setup error log, if the logfile contains this line :
Date Time, Error [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn’t update the recorded state, dwRet = 31
well… it’s not so true… this error indicates that you syspreped the machine more then 3 times, you cant do that… if the windows system was already activated by pre OEM activation you cant even re-arm the machine.. so you have 2 problems, one – can’t sysprep anymore and probably you can’t re-arm your machine (it wont let you sysprep if you cant re-arm..).
so, first check if you can re-arm by runing the
slmgr.vbs /dlv and check the re-arm counter, if it set to zero.. you need to do the following :
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929828 (set the <SkipRearm>1</SkipRearm> like in the example, note: this option will make the product key window to appear in the setup process).
you can also try running : slmgr.vbs –rearm, to rearm Windows.
after that, let’s come back to the sysprep process.. for syspreping already syspreped machine we have to change few keys in the registry :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Status\SysprepStatus\GeneralizationState\
CleanupState:2
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Status\SysprepStatus\GeneralizationState\
GeneralizationState:7
After done with the registry, do the following :
- Start -> Run : msdtc -uninstall (wait few seconds)
- Start -> Run : msdtc -install (wait few seconds)
- Restart the machine
- Check the registry for the right registry keys values
- sysprep with the new XML answerfile.
- and.. Walla !
- Have fun.
