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Is there way to modify default profile setting beforehand?


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In Windows XP, Durring Unattended installation, I would run my registry tweaks at the T13 point which would put the settings in HKEY_CURRENT_USER which in turn would effect the Default user template (C:\Documents and Settings\Default User)

How do I do this in Vista either before the very first user account is setup or afterwards so that any additional users that are setup with have the settings I want?

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This is something I'd like to know aswell.

In numerous topics accross the internet, I read about using the "copyprofile".

E.g. : http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista...3.mspx?mfr=true

I am not able to test this yet (not at home for a while and typing from work ;), yet I'd love to have some info in beforehand,

to start with adding the code to my existing Autounattend.xml right away.

For better understanding:

During Vista Setup, I'd love to auto-login with the administrator account, import a file like "mySettings.reg" with some personal

settings (slim startmenu etc) and have this user profile copied over to "Default User", as a template for every new user created

further on.

Basicly Thinkster and me are on the same boat ;)

In case this can be done all within one go (inside Autounattend.xml, during Setup) - Would anyone having a clue bring some

light into this and post in which pass / order and command you have to work this out ?

Kind regards

Sony

P.S: I have used the search function already, but so far, I could not find a working solution yet

(or did not realise a working one, due to limited knowledge about this matter)

Edited by SonyXP
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Hey mate,

thanks for you reply :) I will try your method alternatively (for testing).

I managed to get my solution finally working.

The Most important part is in the codebox.

- Calling Audit mode in OOBE pass (the old fashioned way to do so in specialize pass throws errors since SP1)

- Admin account does auto-login in and calls my "install.cmd" (which imports (reg import) my tweaks and does other funky stuff)

- Quitting audit-mode with the additional flag "generalize" <-- This was needed to make it work

In addtion, I am using a 2nd file "unattend.xml" where OOBE settings (Audit / Reseal mode in Autounattend.xml will skip everything else in OOBE)

and most important, the "CopyProfile" command is set (in specialze pass).


<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Reseal>
<Mode>Audit</Mode>
</Reseal>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="auditSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" 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>5</LogonCount>
<Username>Administrator</Username>
</AutoLogon>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="auditUser">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="x86" 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>10</Order>
<Path>cmd /c %AppsRoot%\Install\Install.cmd</Path>
<Description>Installiere Anwendungen & Registry Settings</Description>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Order>20</Order>
<Path>%WINDIR%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /quiet /oobe /reboot /unattend:%AppsRoot%\Install\Unattend.xml</Path>
<Description>Audit-Mode beenden & OOBE starten</Description>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
</RunSynchronous>
</component>
</settings>

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It sounds like your on the right track Sony,

In XP unattended, I had cmdlines.txt run Explorer.cmd which was a simple script whose main line was: start /wait regedit.exe /s %systemdrive%\packages\custmusr.reg

My custmusr.reg file contained all the reg tweaks that would effect the default profile that Windows was creating at that stage of the installation. Therefore when Windows finished installing and I would go to add the first account, it would inherit those same settings that were applied to the default profile.

So to do this in Vista, you have to do your settings in an Audit mode after Vista has finished installing, not During?

And does this only apply to local accounts of Domain accounts as well?

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Hello Thinkster :)

I am sorry for the late reply, real life got me busy there.

My solution is working as stated in my previous post. I am using 2 XML files. One's called "Autounatted.xml"

and goes naturally to the DVD's root folder. The 2nd one's called "Unattend.xml" and I have put it into a folder

called "Install".

Autounattend.xml comes along with the normal stuff you want to be automated but has an empty OOBE pass,

besides one command:

<Reseal>
<Mode>Audit</Mode>
</Reseal>

If you would add more code to the OOBE pass in Autounnattend.xml, it will just be ignored, because this method

to enter Audit Mode will leave the OOBE pass immeadiately (skipping everything in line). Hence, we call OOBE

again, in a 2ndary Unattend.xml file

You see, in the OOBE pass (basicly when main installation is done),audit mode is told to boot up. Right after, we tell the built-in admin

account to autologin (not visible to the user during installation), in "audit-system" pass.

<AutoLogon>
<Enabled>true</Enabled>
<LogonCount>5</LogonCount>
<Username>Administrator</Username>
</AutoLogon>

Finally the "audit-user" pass is our target to put down all our scripts & installations we want to run. When done, it shall quit Audit Mode like :

<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Order>20</Order>
<Path>%WINDIR%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /quiet /oobe /reboot /unattend:%AppsRoot%\Install\Unattend.xml</Path>
</RunSynchronousCommand>

which calls and starts the 2nd file "Unattend.xml". In there I am using the specialize pass, to setup things like

<TimeZone>W. Europe Standard Time</TimeZone>
<ProductKey>xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx</ProductKey>
<ComputerName>MyPC</ComputerName>
<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile> <-- ***
<RegisteredOrganization>-</RegisteredOrganization>
<RegisteredOwner>-</RegisteredOwner>

*** most important line. This will copy everything that has been done (registry changes and whatnot) during Audit Mode / Admin login into the "default user",

which then will serve as template for every additional user you create during setup.

As mentioned before, we have to swap the OOBE to the Unattend.xml (the 2nd file), because the first time it was skipped to boot into audit-mode.

I for once, create my standard user in there (e.g. Sony) and have a script running upon first logon (to clean up the temp folders and whatnot, after installation)

<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
<ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
<SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
</OOBE>
<TimeZone>W. Europe Standard Time</TimeZone>
<UserAccounts>
<LocalAccounts>
<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
<Group>Administrators</Group>
<Name>Sony</Name>
<DisplayName>Sony</DisplayName>
<Password>
<Value>mypassword</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
</LocalAccount>
</LocalAccounts>
</UserAccounts>
<FirstLogonCommands>
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<CommandLine>%AppsRoot%\Install\CleanUp.cmd</CommandLine>
</SynchronousCommand>
</FirstLogonCommands>

I am in a hurry once again, writing this, but I do hope, I could clarify this a wee bit :)

Have a nice weekend !

Greetings

Sony

Edited by SonyXP
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Thanks Sony for the explanations!

It's starting to make sense now! Just when I had XP unattended mastered, I have to move on to something completely different and have to relearn everything!

I still got some more reading to do to better understand WAIK and proper XML creation and the different phases..

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