Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 16, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Logging and tracing Description
This policy setting allows you to configure the level of detail recorded by event logging for the Start Menu preference extension, and to turn on tracing for the Start Menu extension. Logging and tracing provide diagnostic information for troubleshooting. If you enable this policy setting, you can configure event logging and turn on tracing for the Start Menu extension for client computers. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, by default event logging for this extension includes only warnings and errors, and tracing for this extension is turned off. Notes: 1. User Configuration tracing: To perform tracing for items in this preference extension listed under User Configuration, you must provide a path in the "User trace" box to the location where a user trace file can be created on the client computer, and you must turn on the "Tracing" option. If there are no preference items under User Configuration in this extension, no user trace file is created. 2. Computer Configuration tracing: This preference extension is available under User Configuration only, so computer configuration tracing is not applicable. 3. Group Policy Modeling query tracing: To perform tracing for items in this preference extension when you perform a Group Policy Modeling query, you must provide a path in the "Planning trace" box to the location where a planning trace file can be created on the computer where you run modeling, and you must turn on the "Tracing" option. If you are not performing Group Policy Modeling or there are no preference items in this extension, no planning trace file is created.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18} Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}]
"LogLevel"=dword:00000002
"TraceLevel"=dword:00000000
"TraceFilePathUser"=""
"TraceFilePathPlanning"=""
"TraceFileMaxSize"=dword:00000400More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogLevel' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceLevel' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFilePathUser' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFilePathPlanning' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFileMaxSize' -Value 1024 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'LogLevel' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceLevel' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceFilePathUser' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceFilePathPlanning' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceFileMaxSize' -Expected 1024 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogLevel' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceLevel' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFilePathUser' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFilePathPlanning' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFileMaxSize' -Value 1024 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'LogLevel' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceLevel' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceFilePathUser' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceFilePathPlanning' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}' -Name 'TraceFileMaxSize' -Expected 1024 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Start Menu preference logging and tracing
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Group Policy\{E4F48E54-F38D-4884-BFB9-D4D2E5729C18}'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LogLevel' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceLevel' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFilePathUser' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFilePathPlanning' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'TraceFileMaxSize' -Value 1024 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.