Best Practices

Sysprep does not remove the store. If you have a MSVLC agreement you can login and download the LTSC version and use that.  (you can add the store back later if needed)

You can pin 3 items to the taskbar max using the answer file.

I create a master image and configure the administrator how I want everybody to look like and copy that to default during sysprep.

when I sysprep a machine I run a batch file and execute these 2 tasks to create files for mid level configuration tasks

Dism /Online /Export-DefaultAppAssociations:c:\temp\AppAssoc.xml

powershell –ExecutionPolicy Bypass Export-Startlayout -path c:\temp\layout.xml

to pin office apps to task bar after I post install them I have a pin.ps1 I run.  You can use this as a post or SMA kscript and pin what you want by using the same verbiage for other apps

(New-Object -ComObject shell.application).Namespace('C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\').parsename('excel.exe').invokeverb('pintostartscreen')

(New-Object -ComObject shell.application).Namespace('C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\').parsename('powerpnt.exe').invokeverb('pintostartscreen')

(New-Object -ComObject shell.application).Namespace('C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\').parsename('winword.exe').invokeverb('pintostartscreen')

Here is my win10ltsc2019 ans file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="generalize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" 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">
            <OEMInformation>
                <Manufacturer>TMCC ITO</Manufacturer>
                <Model>Admin Image</Model>
                <SupportHours>8-5</SupportHours>
                <SupportPhone>673-7800</SupportPhone>
                <SupportURL>http://www.tmcc.edu/it/contact/</SupportURL>
            </OEMInformation>
            <DoNotCleanTaskBar>true</DoNotCleanTaskBar>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <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>net user administrator /active:yes</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
            </RunSynchronous>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" 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">
            <TaskbarLinks>
                <Link0>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\File Explorer.lnk</Link0>
                <Link1>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Firefox.lnk</Link1>
                <Link2>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\google chrome.lnk</Link2>
                </TaskbarLinks>
            <DoNotCleanTaskBar>true</DoNotCleanTaskBar>
            <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
            <ProductKey>M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D</ProductKey>
            <EnableStartMenu>true</EnableStartMenu>
            <ComputerName>*</ComputerName>
            <WindowsFeatures>
                <ShowInternetExplorer>true</ShowInternetExplorer>
                <ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>true</ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>
            </WindowsFeatures>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" 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">
            <AutoLogon>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>7</LogonCount>
                <Username>administrator</Username>
                <Password>
                    <Value>VABNAEHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgZAA=</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </Password>
            </AutoLogon>
            <UserAccounts>
                <AdministratorPassword>
                    <Value>VABNAEMAQHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgdABvAHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </AdministratorPassword>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <Value>VABNHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgAGQA</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                        <DisplayName>Student</DisplayName>
                        <Group>administrators</Group>
                        <Name>Student</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <RegisteredOrganization>TMCC</RegisteredOrganization>
            <RegisteredOwner>Staff</RegisteredOwner>
            <EnableStartMenu>true</EnableStartMenu>
            <DoNotCleanTaskBar>true</DoNotCleanTaskBar>
            <DesktopOptimization>
                <GoToDesktopOnSignIn>true</GoToDesktopOnSignIn>
            </DesktopOptimization>
            <OOBE>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <HideLocalAccountScreen>false</HideLocalAccountScreen>
                <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
            </OOBE>
            <WindowsFeatures>
                <ShowInternetExplorer>true</ShowInternetExplorer>
                <ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>true</ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>
            </WindowsFeatures>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" 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">
            <InputLocale>en-us</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-us</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-us</UILanguage>
            <UserLocale>en-us</UserLocale>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:f:/win10_ltsc/install.wim#Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>