How to add customized user settings when you run Sysprep in Windows 2000 (291586)

SUMMARY

This article describes how to add customized user settings when you run the Sysprep utility (Sysprep.exe). When you run the Sysprep utility, some user settings cannot be captured in a .reg file and applied after Setup is complete. The settings also cannot be scripted and applied to all new users. To work around this issue, copy a customized user's settings to the Default User profile before you run Sysprep.exe.

Note Customized user settings are not applied when you use mini-setup after the Sysprep.exe process is complete finished.

Before you start the procedure described in this section, the following conditions must exist:

• A full working installation of Windows 2000 or Windows XP is installed on a desktop or laptop computer.
• The computer is not part of a domain.
• All of the user programs have been preinstalled, and are functioning correctly.

Note You can use the procedure described in this section to customize any aspect of a client computer's desktop settings if these settings are stored in the user's profile. For example, you can use this procedure to configure the Auto-hide the taskbar option and the Show small icons in the Start menu option for all users. Settings that are stored outside of a user's profile cannot be customized when you use this procedure.

The following procedure describes how to deploy customized power options settings for all new users.

Create a test user with administrative rights

1. Log on to the client as the local administrator.
2. Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
   
   Note The Local Users and Groups feature of the Computer Management console is disabled if Active Directory is installed. If you are carrying out this procedure from a Domain Controller (DC) computer with Active Directory, you will need to create the new user account using Active Directory Users and Computers.
3. Double-click Local Users and Groups, right-click Users, and then click New User.
4. Type testuser in the User name box, type a password, click to clear the User must change password at next logon check box, and then click Create.
5. Close the New User dialog box.
6. In Local Users and Groups, click Groups, double-click Administrators, and then click Add.
7. Click the Testuser account on the local computer, click Add, and then click OK.
8. Click OK to close the Administrators properties.
9. Quit Computer Management.

Create custom settings for test user

1. Log off, and then use the Testuser account to log on.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Power Options, and then enter the settings for the Monitor, Hard disks, Standby, and Hibernate options that you want to use as the default settings for all users. Note: You can make other customizations as you see fit. This particular setting is just used as an example.

Copy the test user's profile folder to the default user profile folder

1. Log off of the Testuser account, and then log on again as an administrator.
2. Right-click Start, and then click Explore to start Microsoft Windows Explorer.
3. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
4. In the Advanced Settings box, click to select Show hidden files and folders.
5. Quit Windows Explorer.
6. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
7. Click the User Profiles tab (Windows 2000), or (Windows XP) click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under User Profiles.
8. Click the Testuser account, and then click Copy To.
9. Type %systemdrive%\documents and settings\default user in the Path box, or click Browse to locate the Default User folder.
10. In the Permitted to use section, click Change.
11. Double-click Everyone in the Local Computer Name box, and then click OK.
12. Click OK in the Copy To dialog box, and then click Yes to confirm the copy.
13. Click OK to close the User Profile dialog box.
14. Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
15. Click Local Users and Groups, click Users, click the Testuser account, and then delete it.
16. Quit Computer Management.
17. Begin the Sysprep process when you are ready.

When you complete this procedure, the new customized power option settings are applied when a new user account is created.