blinkdt

Yeah, un4given1, I read that info awhile back, long before stumbling across MSFN to be sure. Your comments on RIS have really got me sparkin' here. I'm an elementary school computer instructor working with a small number of machines in a computer lab. We (me and a bunch of sixth graders) just loaded up a screaming lil' server box (housed in a Lian Li 6010 aquarium case, no less) with a 180-day eval copy of Windows Server 2003 and I do dearly love it. I've used Windows 2000 Advanced Server for Web, FTP, and simple shares, but I've never dabbled with the real guts, like Active Directory. I'm currently using Ghost to quickly deploy different configurations, but its usefulness is limited. It's time to take it to the next level. I can see the day when my home-grown expertise--derived solely through Web sites like this one and advice from good friends in the IT biz--turns me into an undocumented network administrator. I don't want to leave the kids and the classroom, but I've got to find a way to supplement my income. Maybe network law offices on the side? At THEIR prices! Am I an IT pro? No way. Am I a home user? Hmmm.... Something more, me thinks.

GreenMachine, thanks again, the instructions you provided above are plenty explicit. My programming skills are minimal, but I'm pretty good at connecting the dots (like implementing AaronXP's excellent hotfix solution and WebMedic/Devil's app install). As for the MS default profile, it's good, but one size never fits all I'll give this a go during the next week or so. From what I have read in this forum, I should probably jettison the default Administrator account following setup via rename/ultra-password, and let the first user who signs in take administrative responsibility and run the show. I'll also work with un4given1's suggestion and your own preference--like mine, me thinks--for the pure registry hack route. One of these two methods surely will do the trick. Unless.... Sir CharLZ, your suggestion as related in MS 305709 appears too good to be true, and therefore will doubtless work flawlessly. Nice find Let it be said: People are basically Good, and you guys (and gals?) are the proof

Snoozer, your reg file route to enabling the Quick Launch for all users works great! Think I'm gonna try adding ALL registry tweaks to the Cmdlines.txt/install.cmd (or in my case, Setup.cmd) portion of my installation and forego the ntuser.dat copy operation. Thanks again, youse guys are gods!

Kenneth, Green Machine, I'm a little slow in the noggin, so bear with me here. If I'm reading this thread correctly, I can use a preconfigured NTUSER.DAT file taken from ComputerX, copy that file onto my installation disc, and then apply those same settings to all user accounts created on ComputerY. I have an NTUSER.DAT file ready to go, about 768kb, but I've doubtless mucked something up 'cause it ain't workin' My Cmdlines.txt file looks like this: [COMMANDS] ".\Setup.cmd" My Setup.cmd file looks like this: CLS @ECHO OFF REGEDIT /S %systemdrive%\Extras\Setup.reg regedit /s %systemdrive%\Extras\qlb.reg copy "%systemdrive%\Extras\NTUSER\ntuser.dat" "%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\Default User\" EXIT My setup.reg file installs my apps per the well-executed Windows Setup method discussed at length in this forum. Works like a charm. I'm getting ready to apply the qlb.reg tweak now, and suspect it will work. But the {{copy "%systemdrive%\Extras\NTUSER\ntuser.dat" "%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\Default User\"}} just isn't right. It seems too simple. What am I missing, other than a few years of expertise. I'm no computer expert, but I'm pretty good at following explicit direction. Thanks.

So, hmmm, I only blew through 25 CDs this weekend. Guess I'm lucky. What's that, about $5 and 36 hours shot in the butt. But not really, I darned near have this thing working! And with style! Just keep plugging away, onkars. Me? I'm reading the threads, searching like a demon, and learning.:newbie: I hope one day to actually contribute something useful and original to this board. Y'all are the best!