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Pkafkas

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How to disable the start menu in WIndows 2012 R2

I am preparing to update our Citrix Farm and that includes moving away from Windows 2008 R2 and using Windows 2012 R2 for our Terminal Serves.  The Start menu and search features are different from Windows 2008 R2.

2008 R2
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2012 R2
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I discovered a round- about way to add the 'start' - 'programs' feature back in windows 2012 R2 ( https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/40005-miss-the-old-start-menu-on-windows-server-2012-try-this )  But I have 2 questions today:  

Question1:  Is there a better way to add the start menu functionality back tahn what is listed in the website ( https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/40005-miss-the-old-start-menu-on-windows-server-2012-try-this) ?

Question2:  Is there a way to prevent the start screen from coming up,

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..if you click on the 'windows-start' icon, located in the lower left-hand corner of the task bar?
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I just see our users getting frustrated from clicking on that icon by mistake.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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James Rankin
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Pkafkas

ASKER

Mr. Rankin, can you elaborate a bit more?
Windows 8.1 (or 2012 R2) has various open-source "Start Menu replacements". Classic Shell is the best known (it's no longer developed, because Windows 10 moves too fast), and there is also Start8

https://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

http://www.classicshell.net/

Here is my Start Menu on Windows 8.1
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ASKER

This looks to be a 3rd party software program. Is there any danger of this not being compatible with other software programs? A danger that some software might not work well with this 'Shell' program?

Equally important are the 2 above mentioned web sites good sources for downloads?  Will it install any spyware or any other harmful software?
I've been running it for years on 8.1, never had an issue. SourceForge is a well-known open-source repository and Stardock is a commercial entity. No spyware in them that I've ever seen. As with *any* third-party software, there could be issues with other software - but that goes for absolutely anything, from Notepad++ to ArcGIS. I've seen several deployments use Classic Shell and never heard of any issues. The *only* problem I ever see with ClassicShell is if someone who is used to right-clicking on the Start Menu (like me!) does it, sometimes you can accidentally hit *Exit* and have to restart Classic Shell, but that's only for users who've already gotten used to the Windows 10-style interface and can't handle going back :-)

Of course, if you *really* want the Start Menu back and don't want to install a third-party piece of software, just go to Server 2016 instead. Problem completely solved.
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ASKER

Very interesting and good information,

Windows 2106 does not have the same windows interface as 2012 R2?  Well we must use 2012 because that is what a specific application has approved for us.  That same application is not tested out for Windows 2016 yet.

I wonder if using these type of 3rd party software program will be problematic with Group policy? Fir example, if we wan to disable the remote desktop users from seeing 'Shutdown' option (from the start menu).  Do you know if this classic shell works with Group Policy regarding those types of settings?

We will test it out; but, I am wondering if anyone has any experience with that?
No, 2016 is a Windows 10-style interface. It has the Start Menu back.

Give me two minutes and I will see if Classic Shell respects the GPO setting for "Disable Shut Down"....
Yes, my Classic Shell respects the GPO for "Remove and prevent access to Shut Down, etc."

As soon as I enable this policy, the Shut Down options disappear. Remove the policy and they come back. So looks like it uses the same Registry settings as the Windows Start Menu itself does to configure Group Policy, which I'd expect given the level of development that was done for it.
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ASKER

After installing the classic shell program, it seems to work great!!!  I did find a couple of concerns and I wonder if tehre is a way to control the settings better.

1.  Before I installed the classic shell program the remove users had the opportunity to sign off or log off.  BY default, this new program disables that option.

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I needed to navigate to the old start menu to actually log off.

2.  I found a setting to enable the 'Shutdown', option for remote users and that worked; but it allowed the shutdown capability.

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My question is how to enable the option to logoff, while logged on remotely and sue this new classic shell program?

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Don't use the program's settings. Leave the Classic Shell options to show everything as default.

Then just use the GPO to turn them off User Conf | Adm Templates | Start Menu and Taskbar | Remove and prevent access to Shut Down, Restart, Sleep and Hibernate commands

That should work fine
Pkafkas,
It seems like you want to boot directly to the desktop in server2012, correct?  If so-

ref link:  https://www.petri.com/bypass-start-screen-windows-8-1-server-2012-r2
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ASKER

If, I enable the default settings for the Classic shell program, then the remote users will not be able to log off easily.  It will be a very confusing process for them and anyone.

If I do change the GPO to turn them off User Conf | Adm Templates | Start Menu and Taskbar | Remove and prevent access to Shut Down, Restart, Sleep and Hibernate commands, then no one will be able to shutdown the Server, not even if logged on as administrator.

There must be a better way.
Why won't the remote users be able to log off?  Is this a vm?
The Log Off command is still there if you enable it. Simply turn it on and it is there! All users can log off.

Then configure a GPO to hide the Shut Down commands and filter it to the non-admin users. Then admins can shut down and normal users can see the log off command. I have just configured this on a server and it works fine.
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ASKER

Yes it is a VM.

But, hold the Phone......  If you are logged in remotely and you click the 'shutdown option.  It only kicks you off.  Equally important if you are logged on remotely and you try to restart the server it does tno do anything.  I think we can live with that.
That is because you have switched the Classic Shell "shutdown" behaviour to "log off"

Let me send some screenshots....
1. Install Classic Shell
2. Right-click Classic Shell Start button
3. go to Main Menu
4. Select these options

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3. open Group Policy Management
4. Configure the policy User Config | Admin Templates | Start Menu and Taskbar | Remove and prevent access to the Shutdown, Sleep, restart and Hibernate commands
5. Set it to Enabled
6. Close the Policy and switch to the Scope tab
7. Security Filter the group so that it only applies to non-admin users
8. Apply the policy
9. Admins get this

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Non-admins get this

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Advantage of this method is that if users accidentally close Classic Shell the GPO will still enforce the options for the non-Classic Shell interface.

Also, you may need to capture the CS Registry settings which set the options and apply them to users at logon.
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ASKER

Interesting, I am almost ready to close this question; but, I just thought about a few things.

1.  How may I capture the Client Shell registry settings so I can eventually apply then at login?

2.  How can I apply the setting at login?  Group Policy and execute a script?
        a.  I was planning on logging in as every user and them verifying that the settings are applied.

3.  Do you think that the Classic Shell settings will be part of the roaming profile?
1. I would set up Classic Shell the way you want it and then export out the settings from HKCU\Software\Ivosoft. Then import these Registry settings for each user one time as they log on (you could maybe even put them in the default profile?)

2. Yes you could do Group Policy logon scripts or Group Policy Preferences. GPP would allow you to set a "apply once" setting so that you don't overwrite them at each logon.

3. Yes they would capture as part of the roaming profile assuming that they don't store anything in %LOCALAPPDATA%, as a roaming profile doesn't capture this folder by default. However you can add folders to be captured to the roaming profile by modifying a Registry value if this turns out to be where anything is stored.
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ASKER

OK,  I just want to verify I understand how to capture the settings.

1.  I will need to setup they way we want.
       a.  Export the settings from regedit "HKCU\Software\Ivosoft" and save teh .reg file somewhere.

2.  Then login as the new user on a terminal server that has tjhe classi shell software installed on it and execute that .reg file.

3.  The of course test everything out and make sure the new settings get saved and are roaming to other terminal servers.
Yes, that would work. However it would be easiest to set the .reg file up as a Group Policy Preference, then you can use the "apply once and do not reapply" flag so the reg file will be processed at first logon and then is not processed ever again.
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ASKER

The classic shell program has been working like a champ.  Thank you for the advice.