Hi All,
I am in the middle of planning a small scale rollout of around 50 desktop machines with Windows 7.
I have created a master image on the new hardware and created a user profile but now wish to make it a default profile for everyone.
Once this is done I will be creating the image using Norton Ghost and sysprep.
Can anyone advise how I can do this?
500 points as its holding up my rollout!
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In XP and also in Vista, you can open Computer (My Computer) -> Properties -> Advanced and click on User Profiles. From there, copy the user to the default profile and give Everyone permission. You need to be Administrator to do this. Also, if you just changed "user" you may have to cold boot the machine for this to work (I have had to do that). This is for XP and for Vista. I don't know Windows 7 but it seems reasonable it might work. ... Thinkpads_User
Windows 7 seems to 'blank' out the 'copy to' option under advanced properties... aka Win XP days..
Reading up and it seems we can no longer do this with Windows 7 but in fact have to use unattended installation files to create default user profiles!
This cant be right surely?
Something I thought would take me a few mins has so far taken me all afternoon.
Ok that doesnt work... started again.
Created new User and gave them local admin rights.
Created new profile setup
Cold booted
Logged in as Administrator
Tried to copy profile via advanced options - blanked out
Tried to copy profile folder into c:\users\default - do not have access rights.
What next? - This is driving me barmy!
Hmm, worked for me on my home PC and my domain-joined work PC.
Create new user, "bob" (he doesn't need local admin rights)
Logon as "bob"
Reboot
Logon as a local administrator
Make sure hidden files are visible in Explorer
open C:\Users\Bob, press CTRL-A, then CTRL-C
Go to C:\Users\Default, press CTRL-V
Let the copy overwrite any files in the destination
I couldnt copy the profile created folder contents into the default contents so renamed the default profile to default_old and renamed the created profikle to default.
This works perfectly except I now have a black desktop screen... obviously far from an ideal solution.
I need a work around that allows me to select the 'copy to' box... I cannot believe this is so difficult to do in Windows 7.
Hmm, like I said, worked fine for me in two cases, so I wouldn't say it's difficult at all. ;)
Probably NTFS permissions on the folder that are causing you grief (since you renamed the folders instead of copying contents); Administrators and SYSTEM should have full access, Users and Everyone should have Read, and the owner is Administrators.
I think your headache was reading from the profile you created, not writing into \Users\Default, try taking ownership of \Users\Bob.
The correct and ONLY supported procedure in Windows 7 for creating default user profile:
http://support.microsoft.c
Now I'm trying to get this to work!
Do on your PC
This answer file can be reused as long as the NEW PC is created from the same Windows 7 DVD.
1. Install the AIK on your PC.
2. Copy install.wim and install_Windows 7 ENTERPRISE.clg to your temp directory from the sources folder on the Windows 7 DVD you used.
3. Run AIK and open install.wim as the windows image file.
4. Create a new answer file.
5. In bottom let pane right click on the Microsoft-Windows-Shell_S
6. Open 4 specialize in Middle Pane.
7. Click on the Microsoft-Windows-Shell_S
8. Save Answer File to your temp directory as unattend.xml
Do on the NEW PC
1. Install Windows 7 on the New PC and sign on as the administrator and set up pc the way you want it (Programs, Start Menu, Power Settings, Home Page&).
2. Copy the unattend.xml to the NEW PC to the windows\system32\sysprep directory
3. Run sysprep /generalize /unattend:unattend.xml from the sysprep directory while signed on as administrator. Choose Generalize and Shut Down.
4. Write Ghost up to server.
This will produce a system independent image. Meaning you should be able to use it on any hardware, pc or laptop.
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: tgerbertPosted on 2009-11-04 at 09:13:26ID: 25741538
You should be able to copy every file/folder out of the profile you created into C:\Users\Default, and any newly created profiles will be a copy of this one.