striskle

Just to update, I've also attempted to edit HIVEDEF.INF with the following values: U_SHELL_FOLDERS_APPDATA="C:\User\Application Data" U_SHELL_FOLDERS_PERSONAL="C:\User\My Documents" U_SHELL_FOLDERS_MYPICTURES="C:\User\My Documents\My Pictures" U_SHELL_FOLDERS_LOCAL_APPDATA="C:\User\Local Settings\Application Data" But in this scenario the only reg entry that sticks is the "My Pictures" - everything else defaults back to %USERPROFILE% after the OS is installed. (I've read other posts that suggested this wouldn't work but I'm not quite sure why) I have a script that does everything I want it to do: * loads "Documents and Settings\Default User\ntuser.dat" hive, modifies the values, unloads the hive, * copies APPDATA, LOCALAPPDATA and PERSONAL for Administrator to c:\users so any customizations made during app installs are maintained * deletes "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator" so at the next login Administrator will create a new profile with the appropriate registry settings I've tried to use schtasks to create a task at system startup (running as SYSTEM) to do this but the task fails (I don't know why) I can do this with a manual process post-os-install (login as another "user" account, run the script, reboot, login as administrator delete the "user" account), but I'd REALLY like to have it done automatically during the unattended install. (And yes, I know I can script the logging in as the other user etc. but I really think there has to be a simpiler way!)

Yes, that's exactly right, users have ADMIN rights on the workstation so rights are not a problem in this scenario

I'm having troubles with an unattended installation involving moving APPDATA, LOCALAPPDATA and PERSONAL to a central location. We have an educational environment and are attempting to decrease login time for our workstations by moving APPDATA, LOCALAPPDATA and PERSONAL to a central location in c:\users. (Therefore not spending time copying 200MB worth of files at each login.) We are NOT moving the entire profile, just the folders specified above. We use DeepFreeze on our workstations so the users receive a fresh copy of APPDATA, LOCALAPPDATA and PERSONAL each time the workstation is restarted. I know which keys need to be modified: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders] Appdata=C:\User\Application Dara Personal=C:\User\My Documents Local AppData=C:\User\Local Settings\Application Data (I am aware that these are REG_EXPAND_SZ keys, I've just listed them in text here) When I import the registry modifications at T-12 via CMDLINES I receive the dreaded "Windows Cannot Load The Users Profile" for every user who logs in on the workstation. How can I make these registry modifications so that all users (including Administrator) have these common file locations?

I'm looking for a way to hide specific Windows Updates automatically during a scripted XPSP3 install. Specifically I would like to disable showing the Office Live Add-in and Windows Search 4.0 - is there a way to do this automatically with a registry hack or file or something suring s scripted install. We don't want our users seeing this update when they go to the Windows Update web site. I know I can manually "hide this update" but I would like to do it automatically during a build. Thanks.

I've been working on a fully unattended install of XPSP3 and I've hit a little snag. We have Dell E6500 laptops and need to install the BlueTooth software for them. I can silently install the software (Widcomm Bluetooth Software) but it will not run unless the user environment is fully loaded. I've tried putting the install as the last item in my RunOnceEx but if the timing is off it will not install. I've tried rebooting the machine once after RunOnceEx and putting the install into the RunOnce key but I have the same problem. I need a way to ensure the user environment (ie: the "taskbar") is entirely loaded before the setup launches. I've thought of using a "start /wait" command of some sort but I don't think it will do what I need. Any suggestions?

I had been having a problem with a completely unattended install I thought I'd share for everyone's reference. I have created my scripted OS install and have been distributing it to a test machine (Dell 745) for the last few weeks - working out the bugs etc. This week I went to try the same scripted install on another machine to test the "hardware independence" of my image. When I attempted to install it to another workstation (Dell GX620) it would get to the T-30 minute mark when it just completes installing the network and should move on to the "Finalizing" part of the install - instead the machine reboots, shows the "Windows Setup is Restarting" screen and continues installing from T-39. This process loops forever. I thought I had a bad GX620 driver so I ran the scripted install on another Dell 745 test machine I had - it too got to the T-30 minute mark and rebooted back to the T-39 minute mark. I removed the network drivers from my scripted OS install since I beleived the problem was perhaps with the driver - and the install completed without error (no looping). What was happening is this: My UNATTEND.TXT file has a line that specifies the computer name: [userData] ComputerName=SOSIXPSP3 At the T-30 minute mark the network drivers have just finished installing and the network is started. In my case my original test machine was ON when I was attempting to install to the other test machines. As my computer name was set in UNATTENDED, the new scripted install was attempting to start networking with THE SAME NAME as my test machine. This caused the networking startup to fail and in turn caused the scripted install to fail, reboot and restart (loop). I turned off my test machine and presto! setup stopped looping and finished properly. THE SOLUTION: Don't set ComputerName in your UNATTENDED.TXT file. Instead use the: [userData] ComputerName=* And allow XP to randomly generate a name for your computer. Since I couldn't find this problem/solution documented anywhere thought I'd post this to this forum!

I too have found problems with timezone settings in unattended XPSP3 with KB951072 integrated - when I set timezone=035 in unattended, after unatended install is complete the tiemzone shows as "Eastern Standard Time" - but the clock time is 3 hours off (showing Pacific Time). The following is my work around: 1) set timezone=pacific in unattended 2) from CMDLINES.TXT call a batch file called "RESETTIMEZONE.CMD" RESETTIMEZONE.CMD contains the following: -------------------------- cmdow @ /HID @echo off RunDLL32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL timedate.cpl,,/Z Eastern Standard Time EXIT -------------------------- Works like a charm and M$ Update site doesn't bug you about not having KB951072 installed!

The links get created for users when they log in the first time via the STUBPATH: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components Look for the one the key with data that says "Browser Customizations". The StubPath in that key gets run every time a new user logs in - regardless of what customizations you have made to default user Favorites and Links. You can remove the entry from StubPath and the customizations (annoying Microsoft Links) won't get created It's best to backup the registry key first in case you ever want to put it back. Hope that helps - it took me forever to figure out where these were geting set. As a side note - if you have custom branding you have created with IEAK you can use this stub path to ensure that custom branding happens every time a new user logs in.