Applying custom theme to Default User

[UglyBagofWater]

A similar topic has been discussed in the Unattend Section of the forums, but this is a slightly different take.

I have a Windows XP build imaged and ready to roll out to our clients. One of the items we wanted to setup was the ability to standardize on a corporate theme, based on the ForeverBlue style. It works fine for all users when an Unattended install is performed, but we have chosen to image that install using PQI and WinPE ('cuz it's frellin' fast!).

So, we set up the ForverBlue theme under a secondary account on the local master machine, copied that profile to Default Users, blah, blah, blah, and syprepped and imaged. But now when the image is downloaded and the first user w/o a local profile logs on (thus using the Default Profile), they get the default XP theme w/o wallpaper. If you go to Display proerties, the modified ForeverBlue theme is selected, but it doesn't get applied unless we hit the Apply button. We want this to be automatically applied to any new user who logs in from the domain.

We are not using any modified uxtheme.dll (we just want to use the icons and wallpaper from ForeverBlue), nor were any reg hacks applied or GPO's in place to turn themes off. It just doesn't seem to get applied to the user w/o going to Display properties and clicking the Apply button. And remember, in Unattend fashion of an install, the theme works properly for all users. Just not when it is imaged.

Any ideas please?

[UglyBagofWater]

Anyone? Please?!

[Noise]

I didn't realize that you could copy a "template" user over the the default user profile in XP. In NT you used the My Computer/Properties/User Profiles/Copy To... to copy a template profile over to the default. This would clear some SIDS so things wouldn't get screwed up (but missed some and still messed up). Are you using Explorer or the Command Prompt to do this copying?

I used to do this in NT with limited success but found that it screwed up some things. SIDS were duplicated for all accounts, directories pointing to the template users profile.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TAKE ANOTHER APPROACH. You are just asking for some weird s*** to happen down the line that will drive you crazy.

[gosh]

If everything works until you sysprep, then sysprep is removing some registry keys. After you use sysprep, you can use winpe to load the ntuser.dat hive, and check the registry entries. You also want to load the system hive to make sure you have the right entries. My site gosh.msfnhosting.com/server2003.htm shows the exact registry keys you need.

-gosh

[UglyBagofWater]

I didn't realize that you could copy a "template" user over the the default user profile in XP.  In NT you used the My Computer/Properties/User Profiles/Copy To... to copy a template profile over to the default. This would clear some SIDS so things wouldn't get screwed up (but missed some and still messed up). Are you using Explorer or the Command Prompt to do this copying?

I used to do this in NT with limited success but found that it screwed up some things. SIDS were duplicated for all accounts, directories pointing to the template users profile.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TAKE ANOTHER APPROACH. You are just asking for some weird s*** to happen down the line that will drive you crazy.

Thanx Nois, but this is a very common and documented way of setting up a default user profile for imaging. Been using it for years now. This isjust the first time I was asked to create a default theme.

You can also use the NTUSER.dat way of doing it too as Gosh suggested.

[UglyBagofWater]

Gosh, you continue to be my mentor! Those keys for themes are what is hanging me up... for some reason, perhaps as you explained sysprep is doing something, they are being reset to luna theme and no wallpaper. Under a strict unattend, this doesn't seem to happen, so it must be sysprep.

At least now I know what to resolve! Thanks once again!