Automate New Profile Settings

[Zacreth]

Is there a way where you can automate the settings for a new user when they log into the machine for the first time? Such as when a new user logs in it will set up settings such as use classic start menu, set IE home page and other settings in windows by chance or could I do it in Microsoft Deployment and through scripts?

[cluberti]

Log onto a machine matching the one you're automating (same software, etc) and get things the way you want. Then, log out (and reboot to make sure handles to the profile are indeed unloaded), and then as another user copy the %userprofile%\ntuser.dat file off the system. Now, place this in the \Documents and Settings\Default User\ folder on systems you want to use these settings for - all new profiles on that system will get their settings from the default user ntuser.dat file on first logon.

[Zacreth]

That is a good way and easier way of doing things.... though curious, will it also do settings in other applications as well? As if I set McAfee to have it update and do a scan at a particular time and day. Will those settings also transfer from the computer I setup originally to the target machine?

[cluberti]

That depends - ntuser.dat is the user's HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry hive, so if it stores changes there, then yes. If it stores changes elsewhere in the registry or in the filesystem, then no, it will not.

[Zacreth]

Okay I understand. Thanks for the great information.