Pin Apps to Start when installed

Computer and userNative Intune settingStartPinAppsWhenInstalled

Supported on Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only

25H2 · 1.0

What it does

This policy setting allows pinning apps to Start by default, when they are included by AppID on the list.

What it writes

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Registry key: Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
Value name: StartPinAppsWhenInstalled
When enabled: DWORD 1
When disabled: value removed

Why it needs changes for Intune

Policy references a Windows supportedOn definition.
ADMX-INTUNE-WINDOWS-SUPPORTEDON-REFERENCE

In Intune

Native Intune setting: Yes — Policy CSP

./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_StartMenu/StartPinAppsWhenInstalledADMX_StartMenu on Microsoft LearnADMX-backed: Windows ships this template, so it is set with the template's own values, without an import.Windows builds listed: 10.0.22000, 10.0.19043.1202, 10.0.19042.1202, 10.0.19041.1202.
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_StartMenu/StartPinAppsWhenInstalledADMX_StartMenu on Microsoft LearnADMX-backed: Windows ships this template, so it is set with the template's own values, without an import.Windows builds listed: 10.0.22000, 10.0.19043.1202, 10.0.19042.1202, 10.0.19041.1202.

From Microsoft's Policy CSP DDF files (DDF v2 Files, February 2026), read 18 Oct 2026.

Options

Option	Type	Registry value	Allowed values
Add AppIDs to the list	List of values	`Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\StartPinAppsWhenInstalled`	Any

Configure and deploy

Choose a state and the option values; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.

Enabled · Computer · template defaults

Registry file (.reg)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"StartPinAppsWhenInstalled"=dword:00000001

PowerShell

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

function Set-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
    }

    New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}

function Remove-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return
    }

    foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

# Policy: Pin Apps to Start when installed
# Name: StartPinAppsWhenInstalled
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: StartMenu.admx

Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'StartPinAppsWhenInstalled' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1

These deployment candidates come from the ADMX template; they are separate from the native CSP mapping above.

The OMA-URI is an inferred ADMX-backed Policy CSP candidate derived from the source ADMX file name and policy name.
Some Microsoft policies use built-in Policy CSP pages whose area names don't match the ADMX file name, so verify the candidate against Microsoft Learn before deployment.
The generated payload is incomplete because one or more ADMX element values were not supplied: StartPinAppsWhenInstalled_Name

ADMX profile candidate (OMA-URI)

./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_StartMenu/StartPinAppsWhenInstalled

Intune remediation scripts

Detection

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$reasons = [System.Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()

function Test-RegistryValueExists {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return $false
    }

    return $null -ne (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
}

function Test-RegistryValueEquals {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Kind,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Expected
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return $false
    }

    $valueObject = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($null -eq $valueObject) {
        return $false
    }

    $actual = $valueObject.$Name
    switch ($Kind) {
        'String' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
        'ExpandString' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
        'DWord' { return [uint32]$actual -eq [uint32]$Expected }
        'QWord' { return [uint64]$actual -eq [uint64]$Expected }
        'MultiString' {
            $actualArray = @($actual)
            $expectedArray = @($Expected)
            if ($actualArray.Count -ne $expectedArray.Count) { return $false }
            for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Count; $index++) {
                if ([string]$actualArray[$index] -cne [string]$expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
            }
            return $true
        }
        'Binary' {
            $actualArray = [byte[]]$actual
            $expectedArray = [byte[]]$Expected
            if ($actualArray.Length -ne $expectedArray.Length) { return $false }
            for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Length; $index++) {
                if ($actualArray[$index] -ne $expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
            }
            return $true
        }
        default { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
    }
}

# Policy: Pin Apps to Start when installed
# Name: StartPinAppsWhenInstalled
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: StartMenu.admx

$isMatch = Test-RegistryValueEquals -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'StartPinAppsWhenInstalled' -Kind 'DWord' -Expected 1
if (-not $isMatch) {
    $reasons.Add('Value mismatch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\StartPinAppsWhenInstalled') | Out-Null
}

if ($reasons.Count -eq 0) {
    Write-Output 'Compliant'
    exit 0
}

$reasons | ForEach-Object { Write-Output $_ }
exit 1

Remediation

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

function Set-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
    }

    New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}

function Remove-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return
    }

    foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

# Policy: Pin Apps to Start when installed
# Name: StartPinAppsWhenInstalled
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: StartMenu.admx

Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'StartPinAppsWhenInstalled' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1

History 5 retained releases

22H2 · 1.015 Jul 2024
- Already present in the first release ChangeIntel keeps.

4 later releases left it unchanged.

Template

Internal name: StartPinAppsWhenInstalled
Namespace: Microsoft.Policies.StartMenu
Template file: StartMenu.admx
Release: Windows 11 25H2 · 1.0 · file set de4e49983ebd651f…

Definition, editor controls and support

Definition

<policy class="Both" displayName="$(string.StartPinAppsWhenInstalled)" explainText="$(string.StartPinAppsWhenInstalled_Help)" key="Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" name="StartPinAppsWhenInstalled" presentation="$(presentation.StartPinAppsWhenInstalled)" valueName="StartPinAppsWhenInstalled" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:StartMenu" />
      <supportedOn ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only" />
      <elements>
        <list additive="true" id="StartPinAppsWhenInstalled_Name" key="Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\StartPinAppsWhenInstalled" valuePrefix="" />
      </elements>
    </policy>

Editor controls

<presentation id="StartPinAppsWhenInstalled" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <listBox refId="StartPinAppsWhenInstalled_Name">Add AppIDs to the list:</listBox>
      </presentation>

Supported platforms and category

Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:StartMenu
<category displayName="$(string.StartMenu)" explainText="$(string.StartMenu_Help)" name="StartMenu" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:definition:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only)" name="SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <or>
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT" />
        </or>
      </definition>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:StartMenu
<category displayName="$(string.StartMenu)" explainText="$(string.StartMenu_Help)" name="StartMenu" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:StartMenu">Start Menu and Taskbar</string><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:StartMenu_Help">Contains settings that allow you to add, remove, or disable items from the Start menu, taskbar, and notification area.</string></strings>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:definition:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only)" name="SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <or>
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindowsServer_6_3" />
          <range ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:MicrosoftWindows_6_3_RT" />
        </or>
      </definition>
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows_6_3only">Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only</string></strings>