windows-itpro-docs/windows/configuration/start/configure.md

title, description, ms.topic, ms.date

title	description	ms.topic	ms.date
Configure the Start menu	Learn about the available options to configure the Windows Start menu and how to configure them via Configuration Service Providers (CSP) or group policy (GPO).	how-to	03/15/2024

Configure the Start menu

To configure the Start menu, you can use one of the following options:

• Configuration Service Provider (CSP): this option is commonly used for devices managed by a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution, like Microsoft Intune. The Start Policy CSP is used to configure the Start menu.
• Group policy (GPO): this option can be used for devices that are joined to an Active Directory domain and aren't managed by a device management solution. Group policy can also be used for devices that aren't joined to an Active Directory domain, using the local group policy editor

Note

While many of the Start menu policy settings can be configured using both CSP and GPO, there are some settings that are only available using the Start Policy CSP.

Policy settings

This section describes the policy settings to configure the Start menu via configuration service provider (CSP) and group policy (GPO).

Policy settings list

The list of settings is sorted alphabetically and organized in four categories:

• Start layout: settings to control the Start menu layout
• Pinned folders: settings to control the folders pinned for quick access
• User options: settings to control the options exposed when selecting the user icon
• Power options: settings to control the options exposed when selecting the power icon

Select one of the tabs to see the list of available settings:

:::image type="icon" source="../images/icons/start.svg"::: Start layout

The following table lists the policies that control the Start menu layout. Select the policy name for more details.

Policy name	CSP	GPO
ConfigureStartPins	✅
DisableContextMenus	✅
ForceStartSize	✅
HideAppList	✅
HideFrequentlyUsedApps	✅
HideRecentJumplists	✅
HideRecentlyAddedApps	✅
HideRecommendedPersonalizedSites	✅
HideRecommendedSection	✅
ImportEdgeAssets	✅
ShowOrHideMostUsedApps	✅
StartLayout	✅

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Policy name	CSP	GPO
Allow standard user encryption	✅	❌
Choose default folder for recovery password	❌	✅
Choose drive encryption method and cipher strength	✅	✅
Configure recovery password rotation	✅	❌
Disable new DMA devices when this computer is locked	❌	✅
Prevent memory overwrite on restart	❌	✅
Provide the unique identifiers for your organization	✅	✅
Require device encryption	✅	❌
Validate smart card certificate usage rule compliance	❌	✅

[!INCLUDE allow-standard-user-encryption] [!INCLUDE choose-default-folder-for-recovery-password] [!INCLUDE choose-drive-encryption-method-and-cipher-strength] [!INCLUDE configure-recovery-password-rotation] [!INCLUDE disable-new-dma-devices-when-this-computer-is-locked] [!INCLUDE prevent-memory-overwrite-on-restart] [!INCLUDE provide-the-unique-identifiers-for-your-organization] [!INCLUDE require-device-encryption] [!INCLUDE validate-smart-card-certificate-usage-rule-compliance] -->

:::image type="icon" source="../images/icons/folder.svg"::: Pinned folders

:::image type="icon" source="../images/icons/user.svg"::: User options

:::image type="icon" source="../images/icons/power.svg"::: Power options

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Next steps

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