Customize base image - Default User

...works up to the latest Win 10 Build(1709) and thought I'd share in case it can help someone in the future. What I did was I added a setupcomplete.cmd script to the image which basically is a runonce script that runs right after sysprep. Here are instructions to set it up:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/add-a-custom-script-to-windows-setup

Than what you do is export the XML of the default App Associations using powershell to your local drive:

Dism /Online /Export-DefaultAppAssociations:<File Path>

Than you add a command to Setupcomplete.cmd that imports the config:

Dism /Online /Import-DefaultAppAssociations:<File Path>

You can also add the following command to delete the XML file:

Del <filepath>

So your Setupcomplete script should be something like this:

dism /online /import-defaultappassociations:c:\AppAssoc.xml

del C:\AppAssoc.xml

Once Sysprep runs it should apply the default AppAssociations once its complete and voila it works!! Works with non domain and domain accounts. Hope this helps!

--

Fire the system up and log in as User or something

UAC

Remove Candy Crush and other ads from the MS Store - Based on info from

HERE

, just delete

C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\DefaultLayouts.xml

There's a Spiceworks thread

HERE

where I guy modified the XML rather than deleting it...

defaultlayouts.xml

DefProf has been recommended on Spiceworks...

Boot into Audit Mode - from an Admin CMD, type:

C:\Windows\System32\SysPrep\SysPrep /Audit

Customize

Delete the User account you started with

Clean up Start and Taskbar, set preferences - Do NOT Pin things to the Taskbar

This PC icon on Desktop

Folder View settings

Advanced Settings

, uncheck

Show sync provider notifications

Internet Options / IE settings

Desktop icons

Set Default Programs to IE, Nitro <- this doesn't carry over

Copy the Answer file to the computer or provide it on USB

This AnswerFile has been customized: Modified to Preserve Device Drivers, CopyProfile

For other choices, generate a new answer file using Windows System Image Manager - details on SysPrep Notes

Once customizations have been finished, run this command in PowerShell:

C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:F:\CopyProfile.xml

Image the system without booting it
Restore system to another computer

NOTES:

Taskbar shortcuts are not maintained - They come over in the folder but don't show up C:\Users\%user%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar They're there, but they're not used. Sooo, when you pin it again, it says "Outlook 2016 (2)"
Program defaults are not maintained

Also didn't work

Trying to combine this profile copy scenario:

https://saihaynes.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/windows-10-default-profile/

but right-click on Start does nothing.

Pinned taskbar items come over, but not pinned start item

But, with this registry scenario:

But, with this registry scenario:
Registry Update
1. Open regedit
2. Click HKEY_USERS
3. File -> Load Hive
4. Navigate to C:\Users\Default\
5. In the file text box type "NTUSER.DAT" w/o the quotes and press enter
6. You'll be asked to name the hive. Make sure you name it something unique such as "MyWin10Profile"
7. Right click the "MyWin10Profile" and click export. Save it somewhere.
8. Open Explorer and navigate to where you saved the file
9. Right click the file and click edit
10. Do a find and replace (CTRL + H ...I believe) to replace the username of the account you used for your profile template with the variable %USERNAME%. Ex: I login to a user I make called "CustomProfileTemplate" and make my profile customizations and then copy it over. I would the do a find and replace to replace CustomProfileTemplate" with "%USERNAME" (again without quotes)
11. Save text file
12. Double click file and click yes to import into registry
13. Go back to regedit and click "MyWin10Profile"
14. Go to File -> Unload Hive *****IF YOU DONT DO THIS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOGIN WITH NEW USERS*****
15. Logout and test the profile with a NEW user.

Limitations:

File defaults (IE and Nitro) get automatically reset to Edge

Start Menu Search does not show everything - 'Control..." give the Control Panel, but 'User' does not give User Accounts

Work around is to copy a functional accounts

C:\Users\

Username

\AppData\Local\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy

This MAY be resolved by not deleting the files when the ProfileSetup account is deleted

THIS DID NOT WORK ON THE SECOND BATCH OF COMPUTERS I TRIED IT ON

Desktop shortcut in QuickAccess does not include All Users

Create a ProfileSetup Account if you didn't during initial startup

Open Control Panel > User Accounts > User Accounts > Manage another account > Add a new user in PC settings > Add someone else to this PC > I don't have this person's sign-in information > Add a user without a Microsoft account

Enter the account name: ProfileSetup

Set the password for the ProfileSetup account, otherwise it automatically logs in when you reboot. I usually use

with a hint of

Click on the newly created account and [Change account type]

Change type to Administrator, click [OK]

Just for the sake of argument, in case there is a need to backtrack, also create an Admin user with the original default profile

Customize

While logged in as ProfileSetup, perform all of your customizations.

HOLD OFF ON ANTI VIRUS INSTALLATION UNTIL CUSTOMIZED DEFAULT PROFILE IS COPIED!

Also, MS Office I think. Installing Office experimentally using the ClickToRun Deployment Tool

https://prajwaldesai.com/deploy-office-2016-using-click-to-run-deployment-tool/

Most recent test 3/6/17 required an Office repair, kept prompting to accept automatic updates after rebooting

Clean up Start and Taskbar, set preferences

This PC icon on Desktop

Folder View settings

Internet Options / IE settings

Desktop icons

Set Default Programs - FOR SOME REASON THIS DOESN'T TAKE CURRENTLY AND HAS TO BE REDONE ON INDIVIDUAL NEW USERS

Nitro

UAC

Create Test and Test2 Users, same process as above

TEST: Use the regedit file to prevent the default profile from resetting file associations from IE and Nitro to Edge

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/windows-10-resetting-file-associations/

Copy the Customized Profile to Default

Logout as ProfileSetup and login as Administrator

Rename the ProfileSetup user profile folder to Default:

Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to C:\Users

Set View Options

Hidden files and folders

is set to

Show

Hide protected operating system files

is unchecked

Rename the original default profile folder: C:\Users\Default -> C:\Users\Default.Original

Copy C:\Users\ProfileSetup -> C:\Users\Default

Delete

C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Packages

Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperiencehost...\LocalState\

Delete the ProfileSetup account: ??

Open Control Panel > Add or remove user accounts

Click on the ProfileSetup account

Click Delete the account

Click Delete Files

DO NOT DELETE FILES!! MAYBE THIS WILL RESOLVE REMAINING ISSUES

Click Delete Account

Clean up the Registry

Open regedit as Administrator

Click HKEY_USERS

File -> Load Hive

Navigate to C:\Users\Default\

In the file text box type "NTUSER.DAT" w/o the quotes and press enter

Name the Hive

TempKey

Right click the

TempKey

and click export. Save it somewhere.

Open Explorer and navigate to where you saved the file

Right click the file and click edit

Do a find and replace (CTRL + H) to replace ProfileSetup with the variable %USERNAME%

Save text file

EXIT ANTI VIRUS SOFTWARE

Double click file and click yes to import into registry

Had an error about the import... It still brought in all the right entries, but left some of the ProfileSetup entries. Manually searched the TempKey hive and removed the remaining ProfileSetup entries

Mostly were related to OneDrive

Go back to regedit and click

TempKey

Go to File -> Unload Hive *****IF YOU DONT DO THIS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOGIN WITH NEW USERS*****

Logout and test the profile with a NEW user.

Install AV

Is Administrator showing in the Login Screen? If you don't want it to, Admin CMD:

net user administrator /active:no

START MENU SEARCH ISSUES

2017-03-6 CalCSC Laptops: I had an issue where the ADMIN account I set up worked fine, but an account set up using the customized default profile would not find everything from a Start Menu search - Control Panel would show, but not User Accounts. The solution was to copy

C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy

- also copied to the same location in the customized Default User folder

This worked on one batch of computers, but not on another... the package folder from the computer that did work seems to have fixed the completely different computers from the batch that didn't work.

windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy.zip

Didn't Work

Create a ProfileSetup Account if you didn't during initial startup

Enter the account name: ProfileSetup

Set the password for the ProfileSetup account, otherwise it automatically logs in when you reboot. I usually use

with a hint of

Click on the newly created account and [Change account type]

Change type to Administrator, click [OK]

Customize

While logged in as ProfileSetup, perform all of your customizations.

Clean up Start and Taskbar, set preferences

This PC icon on Desktop

Folder View settings

Internet Options / IE settings

Desktop icons

Set Default Programs

Nitro

UAC

Create Test and Test2 Users, same process as above

Copy the Customized Profile to Default

Logout as ProfileSetup and login as Administrator

Rename the ProfileSetup user profile folder to Default:

Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to C:\Users

Set View Options

Hidden files and folders

is set to

Show

Hide protected operating system files

is unchecked

Rename the original default profile folder: C:\Users\Default -> C:\Users\Default.Original

Rename the customized profile folder: C:\Users\ProfileSetup -> C:\Users\Default

Copy the customized profile folder using the Windows profile copying utility:

Open Control Panel > System and Security > System

Click Advanced system settings on the left

Click the Settings… button under User Profiles

Highlight Default Profile

Click Copy To…

Copy profile to: C:\Users\DefaultCopy

Click Change under Permitted to use

Enter Everyone and click OK

Click OK

Note: C:\Users\Default contains the original customized profile. The same profile also resides in C:\Users\DefaultCopy. The DefaultCopy folder is the one which has had the Windows profile copying utility transformations applied to it.

Rename the Default profile folder to ProfileSetup

Rename the DefaultCopy folder to Default

Delete

C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Packages

Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperiencehost...\LocalState\

Delete the ProfileSetup account: ??

Open Control Panel > Add or remove user accounts

Click on the ProfileSetup account

Click Delete the account

Click Delete Files

Click Delete Account

Clean up the Registry

Open regedit as Administrator

Click HKEY_USERS

File -> Load Hive

Navigate to C:\Users\Default\

In the file text box type "NTUSER.DAT" w/o the quotes and press enter

Name the Hive

TempKey

Right click the

TempKey

and click export. Save it somewhere.

Open Explorer and navigate to where you saved the file

Right click the file and click edit

Do a find and replace (CTRL + H) to replace DefaultSetup with the variable %USERNAME%

Save text file

EXIT ANTI VIRUS SOFTWARE

Double click file and click yes to import into registry

Were related to OneDrive

Go back to regedit and click

TempKey

Go to File -> Unload Hive *****IF YOU DONT DO THIS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOGIN WITH NEW USERS*****

Logout and test the profile with a NEW user.

Started Working on getting things polished, still an issue

Set it up using a user named UserProfileDefault - set some password, will auto-login using previous login otherwise. I usually use

This PC icon on desktop

Clean up Start and set options

File Explorer - View Options

Internet Options

Install Utilities

Create a User2 and a Test account, both admins

Reboot

Rename

C:\Users\Default

to ...

Default.original

Copy

C:\Users\UserProfileDefault

C:\Users\Default

Delete

C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Packages

Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperiencehost...\LocalState\

Set security on the new

C:\Users\Default

- AND ALL SUBFOLDERS

Reboot

Log back in as User and clean up other accounts

OLD STUFF

Set it up using a user named User - set some password, will auto-login using previous login otherwise

Create a User2 and a Test account

Reboot

Log out and log back in as User2

Rename

C:\Users\Default

to ...Default.old

Copy

C:\Users\User

C:\Users\Default

Delete

C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Packages

Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperiencehost\LocalState\

Set security on the new

C:\Users\Default

- AND ALL SUBFOLDERS

Reboot

Log back in as User and clean up other accounts

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