Short Versions:
- How can I permanently remove (and prevent automatic re-installation of) some of the default Packaged Applications installed on Windows 8 Pro?
- How can I save a customized tile arrangement?
Long Version: I'm configuring a semi-automated testing system using MDT2012 to install Windows 8 to multiple hardware configurations. I would like to be able to remove all of the default applications except for the Desktop, and Internet Explorer. I would like to add applications such as the Command Prompt, and Notepad. Ideally, I would be able to group the tiles in various ways, capture the configuration, and push it to all of the automatically generated accounts so that we get a standard layout when testing with a User Account, a Guest Account, and/or an Administrator account.
Windows 7 and Vista have both been working perfectly for over a year (with MDT2010), and I've managed to update them to work with MDT2012 without too much trouble. I've gotten all of the custom configurations to work, through various means (some scripting, some unattended settings, some task sequence editing, some extensions for the MDT, etc.), however there is one remaining set of configurations that eludes me. The Start Screen.
So far, I have tried running a PowerShell script to perform the Remove-AppxProvisionedPackaged during the Audit-User phase, running sysprep /generalize, and capturing the system to a WIM (both with, and without the CopyProfile setting), and I'm able to get most of the user settings, the exceptions being the Start Screen, and the default view of the various folders. I work around the latter by exporting/importing the Bags registry settings into the default user account; however the former has completely eluded me. I have also tried configuring group policy settings; however those only work with the Enterprise edition (which isn't what our customers will be using, so changing the SKU isn't an option).