Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of Garry Shape
Garry ShapeFlag for United States of America

asked on

Windows 7 - customize Default User profile?

What's the easiest way to configure the settings for the Default User in Windows 7?
Windows setting such as Power/Screensaver Settings, added printers, etc?
Avatar of Giovanni
Giovanni
Flag of United States of America image

1# Use the built-in local Administrator account, and log on to Windows.

2# Open the User Accounts control panel, and remove all added user accounts except for the one Administrator-level user account that you used when you logged on.

3# Configure the settings that you want to copy to the default user profile. This includes desktop settings, favorites, and Start menu options.

4# Copy the contents of the admin profile to the default user profile folder
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of John
John
Flag of Canada image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
As Thinkpads already said, the method described in the first reply may be well-intentioned, but unfortunately it really doesn't work well on Windows 7 for several reasons.  Here is an excellent article from the TechNet blogs describing the pros & conss in-depth, along with the supported capabilities:

Configuring Default User Settings – Full Update for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Some additional perspective from my personal experience...

In the past, our team has created some great Windows 7 images without making any elaborate modifications to the default user profile.  You can easily customize a Windows build by adding applications, installing printer drivers, modifying any local group policies, and copying important shortcuts to the Public user desktop as well as the Default user's Windows Explorer favorites (found in %systemdrive%\Users\Default\Links).  Once you are done with that, run Sysprep and clone it with Ghost or something similar.
Try this:

Customize a user profile as needed
Go to Control Panel and create a new dummy admininstrator
Reboot, log in as the dummy admin
Browse to C: and go into the Folder settings and Show all hidden/system files
Browse to C:\Users and CTRL-drag the Default folder to make a second (backup) copy of it
Browse to C:\Users and CTRL-drag the customized user profile to make a second copy of it
SHIFT-DEL the original Default folder
Rename the customized folder copy to Default
Create a new dummy admin and reboot/log in to test it
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Well said...
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Thanks, John.  As always, it's nice to have an opportunity to work with you again.

While I certainly admire the enthusiasm and good intentions of some of our newer EE community members, it's important that we look out for one another to ensure that people seeking a reliable tech solution aren't inadvertently led astray.
Avatar of Garry Shape

ASKER

Ok thanks I just got back sorry for delay so a lot of solutions Here. I'm going to thank you all and accept the ones inline with sysprep or imaging and group policy as I can't take the chance of the "Copy from Administrator profile" solutions in my environment.
Thanks again
Thank you and thanks for the update. ... Thinkpads_User
You are doing yourself a good service in the long run by not going the easy route......

Best of luck!!
Good to hear... I think that you will be very pleased with the results of your efforts!