Start11 v2 for Business - Deployment Documentation

Start11 v2 for Business contains features and functionality that are not present in the home version of the software. For customers who have purchased the business version of Start11 v2, the following documentation will enable you to deploy controlled scenarios like locking Start menu content and layouts.

Getting Started

Locating your version

To make sure that you have the correct version installed, open Start11 v2 and navigate to the About section. In this section, you should see the words Business edition listed.

If you do not see the Business edition branding, you need to locate your Start11 v2 Business key and activate the product. You may need to restart Start11 v2 after changing your keys to see the updated branding.

Updating

We recommend you update the app before creating any deployments by clicking the “Check now” button in the About panel.

Creating the deployment file

Creating the deployment is easy, create the layout you would like to deploy, export the settings, and then link to the deployment file from the registry key.

Creating your Layout

Create your Start menu layout by opening the Start11 v2 configuration panel and assigning the desired specifications to your layout.

Once you have your desired layout, you will need to export the configuration. You can do this by opening the configuration panel, clicking “Settings backup” and then clicking Backup settings to a file.

After clicking the export, you will need to select the location where you are saving the file

Limitations

There are limitations for Windows 7 style and Modern style. These two layouts do not currently support the deployment of pinned apps to the Start menu, we would recommend choosing the Windows 10 style for these scenarios where app order is important.

In addition, pinned items on the taskbar are currently not supported for deployments.

If Windows 7 or Modern style with pinned apps are required for your deployment, please contact corpsales@stardock.com as we can provide additional assistance with these scenarios.

Deploying the Configuration

To ingest a configuration, you will need to create a new registry key, define the path to the file created during the export, and then restart Explorer or reboot your device.

Assign Loading Configuration

In the registry, navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

You will need to create a new String Value called

SettingsImportPath

After the value has been created, double-click the value and enter the path to your configuration file. If done correctly, it will look like the image below.

Click OK once you have entered the file location.

Override Deployments for Specific Devices

Start11 v2 contains functionality that allows you to assign a default configuration file and then lets you assign device-specific configuration files too.

In the same directory:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

Add the String Value with a value of 1

AllowLocalImportPath

This feature is useful for scenarios where you have a specific set of devices that need a customized menu.

The key for this is SettingsImportPath which takes a full path to a settings backup saved from S11.  This is stored here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

If AllowLocalImportPath is in the same place with a value of 1 then it will try to read the key from HKCU\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8 first

Lock Menu Configurations

For scenarios where you not only want to deploy a standard configuration but also want to lock the menu from manipulation, Start11 v2 has options to lock the Start menu from being altered by the end user.

Enable Lockdown Mode

To enable the lockdown feature, navigate to the following location in the registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

Add the following String Value with a Value data of 1

S11_MenuLockDownMode

After entering this registry setting, you will need to restart Explorer (or reboot) for the change to take effect. After

Override Lockdown Mode

When deploying Start11 v2 with a locked-down configuration, it is possible to override local devices that need the ability to change the default configuration.

Navigate to the following directory in the Registry Editor

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

Add the following String value

S11_MenuLockDownModeAllowUserOverride

Set the Value data to 1

Then navigate to:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8

and add the String value

S11_MenuLockDownMode

with a value of 0

After completing these steps, the endpoints will load the configuration file that was created along with the desired controls for locking and unlocking.

If you run into any scenarios where the configuration is not applying correctly, please reach out to support for additional assistance.