---
title: Use Shell Launcher to create a Windows 10 kiosk (Windows 10)
description: A single-use device such as a digital sign is easy to set up in Windows 10 for desktop editions (Pro, Enterprise, and Education).
ms.assetid: 428680AE-A05F-43ED-BD59-088024D1BFCC
keywords: ["assigned access", "kiosk", "lockdown", "digital sign", "digital signage"]
ms.prod: w10
ms.mktglfcycl: manage
ms.sitesec: library
author: jdeckerms
ms.localizationpriority: medium
ms.date: 10/01/2018
ms.topic: article
---

# Use Shell Launcher to create a Windows 10 kiosk


**Applies to**
>App type: Windows desktop application
>
>OS edition: Windows 10 Ent, Edu
>
>Account type: Local standard user or administrator, Active Directory, Azure AD


Using Shell Launcher, you can configure a kiosk device that runs a Windows desktop application as the user interface. The application that you specify replaces the default shell (explorer.exe) that usually runs when a user logs on.

>[!NOTE]
>Using the Shell Launcher controls which application the user sees as the shell after sign-in. It does not prevent the user from accessing other desktop applications and system components. 
>
>Methods of controlling access to other desktop applications and system components can be used in addition to using the Shell Launcher. These methods include, but are not limited to:
>- [Group Policy](https://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?id=25250) - example: Prevent access to registry editing tools
>- [AppLocker](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/security/threat-protection/windows-defender-application-control/applocker/applocker-overview) - Application control policies
>- [Mobile Device Management](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/client-management/mdm) - Enterprise management of device security policies
>
>You can also configure a kiosk device that runs a Windows desktop application by using the [Provision kiosk devices wizard](kiosk-single-app.md#wizard).

 

## Requirements

>[!WARNING]
>- Windows 10 doesn’t support setting a custom shell prior to OOBE. If you do, you won’t be able to deploy the resulting image.
>
>- Shell Launcher doesn't support a custom shell with an application that launches a different process and exits. For example, you cannot specify **write.exe** in Shell Launcher. Shell Launcher launches a custom shell and monitors the process to identify when the custom shell exits. **Write.exe** creates a 32-bit wordpad.exe process and exits. Because Shell Launcher is not aware of the newly created wordpad.exe process, Shell Launcher will take action based on the exit code of **Write.exe**, such as restarting the custom shell. 

-   A domain or local user account.

-   A Windows desktop application that is installed for that account. The app can be your own company application or a common app like Internet Explorer.

[See the technical reference for the shell launcher component.](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=618603)


## Configure Shell Launcher

To set a Windows desktop application as the shell, you first turn on the Shell Launcher feature, and then you can set your custom shell as the default using PowerShell.

**To turn on Shell Launcher in Windows features**

1. Go to Control Panel > **Programs and features** > **Turn Windows features on or off**.

2. Expand **Device Lockdown**.

2. Select **Shell Launcher** and **OK**.

Alternatively, you can turn on Shell Launcher using Windows Configuration Designer in a provisioning package, using `SMISettings > ShellLauncher`, or the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) tool.

**To turn on Shell Launcher using DISM**

1.  Open a command prompt as an administrator.
2.  Enter the following command.

    ```
    Dism /online /Enable-Feature /all /FeatureName:Client-EmbeddedShellLauncher
    ```

**To set your custom shell**

Modify the following PowerShell script as appropriate. The comments in the sample script explain the purpose of each section and tell you where you will want to change the script for your purposes. Save your script with the extension .ps1, open Windows PowerShell as administrator, and run the script on the kiosk device.

```
# Check if shell launcher license is enabled
function Check-ShellLauncherLicenseEnabled
{
    [string]$source = @"
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

static class CheckShellLauncherLicense
{
    const int S_OK = 0;

    public static bool IsShellLauncherLicenseEnabled()
    {
        int enabled = 0;

        if (NativeMethods.SLGetWindowsInformationDWORD("EmbeddedFeature-ShellLauncher-Enabled", out enabled) != S_OK) {
            enabled = 0;
        }
        
        return (enabled != 0);
    }

    static class NativeMethods
    {
        [DllImport("Slc.dll")]
        internal static extern int SLGetWindowsInformationDWORD([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)]string valueName, out int value);
    }

}
"@

    $type = Add-Type -TypeDefinition $source -PassThru

    return $type[0]::IsShellLauncherLicenseEnabled()
}

[bool]$result = $false

$result = Check-ShellLauncherLicenseEnabled
"`nShell Launcher license enabled is set to " + $result
if (-not($result))
{
    "`nThis device doesn't have required license to use Shell Launcher"
    exit
}

$COMPUTER = "localhost"
$NAMESPACE = "root\standardcimv2\embedded"

# Create a handle to the class instance so we can call the static methods.
try {
    $ShellLauncherClass = [wmiclass]"\\$COMPUTER\${NAMESPACE}:WESL_UserSetting"
    } catch [Exception] {
    write-host $_.Exception.Message; 
    write-host "Make sure Shell Launcher feature is enabled"
    exit
    }


# This well-known security identifier (SID) corresponds to the BUILTIN\Administrators group.

$Admins_SID = "S-1-5-32-544"

# Create a function to retrieve the SID for a user account on a machine.

function Get-UsernameSID($AccountName) {

    $NTUserObject = New-Object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount($AccountName)
    $NTUserSID = $NTUserObject.Translate([System.Security.Principal.SecurityIdentifier])

    return $NTUserSID.Value
    
}

# Get the SID for a user account named "Cashier". Rename "Cashier" to an existing account on your system to test this script.

$Cashier_SID = Get-UsernameSID("Cashier")

# Define actions to take when the shell program exits.

$restart_shell = 0
$restart_device = 1
$shutdown_device = 2

# Examples. You can change these examples to use the program that you want to use as the shell.

# This example sets the command prompt as the default shell, and restarts the device if the command prompt is closed. 

$ShellLauncherClass.SetDefaultShell("cmd.exe", $restart_device)

# Display the default shell to verify that it was added correctly.

$DefaultShellObject = $ShellLauncherClass.GetDefaultShell()

"`nDefault Shell is set to " + $DefaultShellObject.Shell + " and the default action is set to " + $DefaultShellObject.defaultaction

# Set Internet Explorer as the shell for "Cashier", and restart the machine if Internet Explorer is closed.

$ShellLauncherClass.SetCustomShell($Cashier_SID, "c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe www.microsoft.com", ($null), ($null), $restart_shell)

# Set Explorer as the shell for administrators.

$ShellLauncherClass.SetCustomShell($Admins_SID, "explorer.exe")

# View all the custom shells defined.

"`nCurrent settings for custom shells:"
Get-WmiObject -namespace $NAMESPACE -computer $COMPUTER -class WESL_UserSetting | Select Sid, Shell, DefaultAction

# Enable Shell Launcher

$ShellLauncherClass.SetEnabled($TRUE)

$IsShellLauncherEnabled = $ShellLauncherClass.IsEnabled()

"`nEnabled is set to " + $IsShellLauncherEnabled.Enabled

# Remove the new custom shells.

$ShellLauncherClass.RemoveCustomShell($Admins_SID)

$ShellLauncherClass.RemoveCustomShell($Cashier_SID)

# Disable Shell Launcher

$ShellLauncherClass.SetEnabled($FALSE)

$IsShellLauncherEnabled = $ShellLauncherClass.IsEnabled()

"`nEnabled is set to " + $IsShellLauncherEnabled.Enabled
```