Customizing the Windows 11 Taskbar with Windows Master Images
Customizing Windows 11 – Step-by-step guide to Customizing the Windows 11 Taskbar with Windows Master Images, including configuration, deployment, troubleshooting and practical
Useful external reference: Microsoft Learn.
Customizing Windows 11 – Generate the XML Script for Taskbar Configuration
Useful external reference: Microsoft Learn.
Customizing Windows 11 – Start by creating an XML file that specifies which applications you want to pin to the taskbar. Below is a script that generates such an XML:
Useful external reference: Microsoft Learn.
- Here is the script to generate the XML
$taskbarFile = "$env:windirTaskbar.xml"
[xml]$taskbarXml = @"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LayoutModificationTemplate
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification"
xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout"
xmlns:taskbar="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/TaskbarLayout"
Version="1">
<CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection PinListPlacement="Replace">
<defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
<taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Windows.Explorer" />
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="Chrome"/>
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.OUTLOOK.EXE.15" />
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.EXCEL.EXE.15" />
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Office.WINWORD.EXE.15" />
</taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
</defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
</CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>
"@
if (-NOT[string]::IsNullOrEmpty($taskbarXml)) { $taskbarXml.Save($taskbarFile) }
Import-StartLayout -LayoutPath $taskbarFile -MountPath $env:SystemDrive
Customizing Windows 11 – Identifying Applications for Pinning:
Useful external reference: Microsoft Learn.
Customizing Windows 11 – To determine which applications you can pin to the taskbar, use the following command:
Useful external reference: Microsoft Learn.
Get-StartApps
Customizing Windows 11 – This command will provide a list of all the applications available for pinning.
Useful external reference: Microsoft Learn.