Win 11 Start Menu - All apps

C

clarensio

Active Member
Windows 11. In the Start menu -> All apps, after optimization with NTLITE, the item "Get Started" appears which I would like to delete.

Snap8.png

Does anyone know if it is possible with NTLIte (maybe I skipped a few items ...) to disable it or if it needs a script or if it needs to disable some service (and if so: which one) or it cannot be done...

Tnx
 
no you did not skip anything i reported this too. ntlite doesn't support it right now. time will show if it can be done. nuhi is doing his best
 
Last edited:
There's an answer from MDL, which I've confirmed.
https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/solved-how-to-remove-get-started.83745/page-2#post-1695034

Load W11 image in NTLite, and open the mount directory.
Use NSudo to become TrustedInstaller. Or use takeown & icacls to grant permission.

Remove this block of text from Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml
Code: 
#669                 <Application Id="WebExperienceHost" Executable="WebExperienceHostApp.exe" EntryPoint="WebExperienceHostApp.App">
#670                         <uap:VisualElements DisplayName="ms-resource:WebExperienceHostAppName/Text" Square150x150Logo="Assets\GetStartedMedTile.png" Square44x44Logo="Assets\GetStartedAppList.png" Description="ms-resource:WebExperienceHostDescription" BackgroundColor="transparent">
--- more lines ---
#761                         </uap:ApplicationContentUriRules>
#762                 </Application>

Close your window. Now apply changes.

Win7-NTLite-2021-11-14-15-59-09.png
No more icon.


My first reaction was to confirm if running SFC would break the workaround, since AppxManifest.xml is signed. SFC finds corruption, but is unable to restore the old manifest.

2021-11-14 22:15:43, Info CSI 00000161 Hashes for file member [l:16]'AppxManifest.xml' do not match.
2021-11-14 22:15:43, Info CSI 00000162 Hashes for file member [l:16]'AppxManifest.xml' do not match.
2021-11-14 22:15:43, Info CSI 00000163 [SR] Could not reproject corrupted file \??\C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\\AppxManifest.xml; source file in store is also corrupted
Click to expand...

Skip the next part if you don't care about clean up.

To fix the SFC problem, we need to copy over the original AppxManifest.xml during the specialize pass or Post-setup. This time, start over with the untouched image and make a backup copy, keeping the right permissions.

xcopy AppxManifest.xml AppxManifest.xml.bak /o
Click to expand...

Example for overwriting file in autounattend.
Code: 
        <settings pass="specialize">
                <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <RunSynchronous>
                                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                                        <Order>1</Order>
                                        <Path>cmd /c move /y "%WINDIR%\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml.bak" "%WINDIR%\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml"</Path>
                                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                        </RunSynchronous>
                </component>
        </settings>

No more icon, and no SFC errors.

This trick shows we can tamper with AppxManifest on other pre-installed packages, to block user provisioning of specific apps.
NTLite should have no problem making this fix, as the target XML is easily isolated. nuhi?
 
garlin said:
This trick shows we can tamper with AppxManifest on other pre-installed packages, to block user provisioning of specific apps.
NTLite should have no problem making this fix, as the target XML is easily isolated. nuhi?
Click to expand...

Hi i did this to notepad and paint before. but they both failed to open after i did appmanifest.xml edit. can u test paint and notepad and confirm this? because i confirmed the other way around. this trick does not worked for them.

For Paint Open
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Paint_11.2110.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml
For Notepad Open
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_10.2103.7.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml
And remove the line starting with
<uap:FileType uap4:ShellNewFileName=

-

btw i tell you better way instead of exploring mounted content and altering the permissions. copy that file to desktop. do edits. after finishing ntlite process. just open "install.wim" with 7-zip. and change the file via 7-zip.

also in source u give, he says i couldn't remove the icon. but i did remove the app... so u say icon is also removed?
 
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it was to achieve this (remove both from new context menu), and keep the functionality of notepad and paint. i achieved looks, but not functionality.
1636962580786.png

this makes me think other processes of cbs is going to fail. if you tamper with that file. for that i need you to also test paint and notepad.

Note: maybe the reason i failed is: "just open "install.wim" with 7-zip. and change the file via 7-zip." but we can't know without test. do it your way so we understand. i can't restore permissions or edit a file inside that folder.....
 
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Starting from the ISO that had "Get Started", already optimized with NTLITE as per the initial post
------------------------------------------------
Windows 11. In the Start menu -> All apps, after optimization with NTLITE, the item "Get Started" appears which I would like to delete.


Snap8.png



Does anyone know if it is possible with NTLIte (maybe I skipped a few items ...) to disable it or if it needs a script or if it needs to disable some service (and if so: which one) or it cannot be done...
---------------------------------------------------------------
Starting from Garlin's suggestions
--------------------------------------------------------------
Remove this block of text from Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml

Code:
#669 <Application Id="WebExperienceHost" Executable="WebExperienceHostApp.exe" EntryPoint="WebExperienceHostApp.App">
#670 <uap:VisualElements DisplayName="ms-resource:WebExperienceHostAppName/Text" Square150x150Logo="Assets\GetStartedMedTile.png" Square44x44Logo="Assets\GetStartedAppList.png" Description="ms-resource:WebExperienceHostDescription" BackgroundColor="transparent">
--- more lines ---
#761 </uap:ApplicationContentUriRules>
#762 </Application>
--------------------------------------------------------------
I also had difficulty with permissions
-------------------------------------------------------------
[i can't restore permissions or edit a file inside that folder.....]
-------------------------------------------------------------
I followed Crypticus' suggestions
------------------------------------------------------------
btw i tell you better way instead of exploring mounted content and altering the permissions. copy that file to desktop. do edits. after finishing ntlite process. just open "install.wim" with 7-zip. and change the file via 7-zip.
------------------------------------------------------------
I worked like this:
1) extract install.wim from the NTLITE ISO
2) extracted and modified the file Windows \ SystemApps \ MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy \ AppxManifest.xml (deleted lines 669 to 762.
3) saved the AppxManifest.xml file
4) inserted the modified file in install.wim and "saved" with 7ZIP
5) inserted in the ISO the new (modified) install.wim file (with the modified AppxManifest.xml)
6) saved the modified ISO
7) installed with this Windows 11 ISO

The result was that "Get Started" disappeared.
Snap9.png
Snap10.png

Thanks and I'm here if you need to
 

Attachments

  • Snap10.png
    Snap10.png
    182.2 KB
Sooo 7-zip method works and much easier. if you remove something completely. but as i said before if u edit something and try to run it. like i did for paint and notepad. i don't think it will work...

btw you can just edit install.wim before creating iso.

a question for u clarensio, did u remove contentdeliverycomponent? because u have no apps? if not what did u do.

a question for all inluding garlin and nuhi
i'm suspicious about other functionalities of CBS. please someone test if cbs is working or not.
 
i know. i am asking did u remove contentdeliverycomponent or disabled test features on settings. just share preset -.-
 
no then I didn't understand ... those files are the same ones that generated the iso ... (forgive me but I don't speak English well ... I use the translator where I don't arrive)
 
Removing ShellNew from Paint & Notepad's manifest does work for a while, using the same process. Except after Store updated my apps, and installed a newer package with unmodified AppxManifest.

Of course, you can block app updates. What about modding it? That's even worse.

https://www.codeproject.com/Tips/1193583/Reverse-Engineering-UWP-HoloLens-application
It is possible to unpack UWP application (appxbundle and appx) files. You can assume these application files as simple zip files. We can extract it using software like 7zip. But if we extract the application and modify the content of the files, for example updating AppxManifest.xml file, compress it again to .appx file extension, it will not be considered as a valid package. The following error will be thrown when you try to install the modified package on the device using device portal or power shell.

Failure reason: Failed to start deployment. Failure text: Package could not be opened.
(0x80073cf0)

To avoid this error, you should use Microsoft’s official tool App packager (MakeAppx.exe) for Unpacking and Repacking existing UWP application.
Click to expand...

Just for reference, here's my testing for RTM versions of Paint & Notepad.
Code: 
                <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <RunSynchronous>
                                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                                        <Order>1</Order>
                                        <Path>cmd /c move /y "%WINDIR%\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml.bak" "%WINDIR%\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppxManifest.xml"</Path>
                                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                                        <Order>2</Order>
                                        <Path>cmd /c move /y "%ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Paint_10.2104.17.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml.bak" "%ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Paint_10.2104.17.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml"</Path>
                                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                                        <Order>3</Order>
                                        <Path>cmd /c move /y "%ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_10.2102.13.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml.bak" "%ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_10.2102.13.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml"</Path>
                                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                        </RunSynchronous>
                </component>
 
crypticus said:
a question for all inluding garlin and nuhi
i'm suspicious about other functionalities of CBS. please someone test if cbs is working or not.
Click to expand...

Run Windows Update. That's primary function that breaks when users remove Client.CBS.
The skipped block only includes WebExperienceHost (Get Started), which is different from Client.WebExperience (News & Feeds).

MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!PackageMetadata
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.Accounts
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.AppListBackup
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.FileExplorerExtensions
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.HardwareConfirmator
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.SnapLayout
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.SystemTray
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.Taskbar
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!InputApp
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.IrisService
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!ScreenClipping
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!MiniSearchUI
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!CortanaUI
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!FESearchUI
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.StartMenu
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.ValueBanner
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!WebExperienceHost
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.ExperienceExtensions
MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!Global.WsxPackManager
Click to expand...
 
crypticus said:
a question for u clarensio, did u remove contentdeliverycomponent? because u have no apps? if not what did u do.
Click to expand...
I remade my W11 from ZERO with the same features you asked me for.
Snap1.png

I am also attaching the new preset. I hope this time I have been useful to you.
 

Attachments

  • Autosalvataggio 65f2a8bc.xml
    22.4 KB
  • autounattend.xml
    3.4 KB
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