Mortagen Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Hello,I'd like to make an unattended Windows 2000 Professional installation. I'd like to modify it so that a wallpaper is applied as 'centered' and change the background colour around the wallpaper. This on it's own is pretty easy... but how do i do this for not just the first 'Administrator' account - but all new accounts created thereafter? I'd like to set these settings for when no user is logged on also - if i can?I understand most concepts of unattended installs (winnt.sif, cmdlines, oem folders etc) so could a more advanced user please give me a hand with this?Thanks for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 You would have to use the reg load command to load NTUSER.DAT from Default User. Then reg add, reg unload, etc. I don't have the exact syntax but if you type reg at a command prompt you can perhaps figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortagen Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 There is no way to have it automated to new user accounts when they're made? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Yeah, this only needs to be done once during setup. Once you modify the default ntuser.dat any accounts created will have those settings applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortagen Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) I had a read about NTUSER.DAT and unattended installations including a couple of threads here on MSFN. From what i understand.. this is what i have to do?1. Create a new account2. Log on to the account3. Set the wallpaper c:\wallpaper.bmp as centered and set the desktop background colour4. Apply changes.5. Log off the account6. Log on to another account.7. Copy the NTUSER.DAT file from the account i just created and set the wallpaper/desktop bg colour forThen place the following files in my $OEM$ directories on my Windows 2000 CD (With WINNT.SIF configured for OEM pre-install folders enabled)$OEM$\$1\wallpaper.bmp$OEM$\$1\Documents and Settings\Default User\NTUSER.DATThen when i burn the image to CD, install Windows 2000, login to the administrator account (first account) it should have the wallpaper.bmp set as centered with whatever desktop background colour i set previously AND these settings will also be applied to all future user accounts created?Thanks for your help EDIT: How can i edit the NTUSER.DAT in a text editor? I'd like to change the "C:\wallpaper.jpg" to read "%systemdrive%\wallpaper.jpg" in case i install Windows on a drive letter other than C: Edited June 22, 2011 by Mortagen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I had a read about NTUSER.DAT and unattended installations including a couple of threads here on MSFN. From what i understand.. this is what i have to do?Not 100% sure but that should work.$OEM$\$1\Documents and Settings\Default User\NTUSER.DATShould be $OEM$\$Docs\Default User but I guess your way will work too.How can i edit the NTUSER.DAT in a text editor?You can't. You need to load it in regedit and edit it there.Start regedit, highlight HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, click on file, load hive, browse to ntuser,dat, give it a name, edit it, click file,, unload hive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen2 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) Don't do your step 5 and after as ntuser.Dat might contain the login hardcoded: 5 - export this registry branch as for desktop_settings.reg:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop6 - logofff7 - copy your files to $oem$8 - edit with notepad the file desktop_settings.reg and replace "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\" with "HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\" and save9 - create a runonce using the tutorial there10 - The needed command will be something like this depending on where you copy the .reg:regedit /s %systemdrive%\desktop_settings.regYou should have what you wanted with this.Also if you need to edit anything in ntuser.dat use regedit and regedt32. Edited June 22, 2011 by allen2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 8 - edit with notepad the file desktop_settings.reg and replace "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\" with "HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\" and saveHKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\ is the hive the SYSTEM uses when no one is logged it. It's not a template that new accounts use. Documents and Settings\Default User\NTUSER.DAT is the template that's used to create new accounts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen2 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I don't have a 2000 to try but i was remembering doing it like this.So he will need to have 2 reg files one (the original desktop_settings.reg) and the second edited to have the wallpaper set when noone is loggeg on.He'll need to add two commands runonce :- one for the system profile- the second to add a reg entry under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" with a value named desktop_settings which will launch a batch %systemroot%\desktop_settings.cmd like this:Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]"desktop_settings"="%systemroot%\\desktop_settings.cmd"desktop_settings.cmd:regedit /s %systemdrive%\desktop_settings.reg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortagen Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 I did all of the above instructed by you, X. I did the regedit and modified the NTUSER.DAT to say %WINDIR%\Wallpaper.bmp instead of C:\Windows\Wallpaper.bmpNow when i install Windows, everything gets copied from my OEM folders (the wallpaper to the windows directory, various other stuff to program files, all users desktops etc... but NTUSER.DAT isn't being copied into the Default User folder?Is it something to do with the Default User folder and NTUSER.DAT being hidden?Thanks for your help.I'll worry about the HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\ registry stuff for when no user is logged on after i get this first bit sorted.Regards, Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 You are going to have to do it the way I first suggested. I'll try to help you out and figure out the exact syntax but give me a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 (edited) Sorry for the delay. Here's the syntax...REG LOAD "HKU\CUSTOM" "%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\Default User\NTUSER.DAT"REG ADD "HKU\CUSTOM\Control Panel\Colors" /v Background /d "0 0 0" /fREG ADD "HKU\CUSTOM\Control Panel\Desktop" /v Wallpaper /d %SystemRoot%\Wallpaper.bmp /fREG UNLOAD HKU\CUSTOMChange "0 0 0" in the 2nd one to anything you like. "0 0 0" = blackChange %SystemRoot%\Wallpaper.bmp in the 3rd one to anything you like. %SystemRoot%\Wallpaper.bmp = C:\Windows\Wallpaper.bmp (presuming C:\Windows is where the OS is installed)I suggest you create a batch script with the commands in your $OEM$ folders and call it from GuiRunOnce. Edited June 28, 2011 by -X- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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