Changing the default user profile

[Bruce]

Hi,

We have recently installed WinXP on our 300 client PCs using RIS.
However, we find that the settings in that everyone is inheriting
(from the default profile on the clients machines which are being
transfered to their roaming profiles) aren't as we would like them.
For example wrong keyboard (US rather than UK), power saving on
monitor, Do not show files extensions for known files types, WinXP
theme (rather than classic). We would therefore like to change the
default profile that all new users will get.

To do this I am thinkinbg we could logon to a XP PC and setup
everything exactly how we want it then make a copy of the resultant
ntuser.dat (in the user's profile directory). We could then copy that
ntuser.dat to every PC into the directory c:\documents and
settings\default user\. That way all new users will inherit the ideal
settings.

My question is, would that be OK, or is it likely to cause problems?
Is there any easier way of doing it?

Also, rather than copying the ntuser.dat manually to each PC, could we
copy it in the logon script?

Thanks,

Bruce.

 

[Jetro]

Rename template ntuser.dat to ntuser.man, place it on the server shared
directory and assign it to the users:
Create and run script or batch with "net user {username}
/profilepath:\\server\share /domain" lines.

 

[Bruce]

Rename template ntuser.dat to ntuser.man, place it on the server shared
directory and assign it to the users:
Create and run script or batch with "net user {username}
/profilepath:\\server\share /domain" lines.

Hi Jetro,

Thanks for replying.

Would this change the profile path of the users to point to the the
same mandantory profile on the server? I don't think we want that,
they all need separate profiles and they need to be able to change
them. We just want to change the default profile (ntuser.dat) that all
users inherit.

Or have I got it wrong, will that command line you mentioned just set
the default profile to the one on the server share?

Going back to the fundamental question, do you think there is a
problem with creating a ntuser.dat file yourself and letting other
users ihnerit that file (or is there any data in that file that is
very specific to that user that will cause problems with other people
- the last thing we want it everyone ending up with a "corrupt"
profile)?

Thanks,

Bruce.

 

[Mark V]

Bruce wrote in

Hi Jetro,

Thanks for replying.

Would this change the profile path of the users to point to the
the same mandantory profile on the server? I don't think we want
that, they all need separate profiles and they need to be able to
change them. We just want to change the default profile
(ntuser.dat) that all users inherit.

Or have I got it wrong, will that command line you mentioned just
set the default profile to the one on the server share?

Going back to the fundamental question, do you think there is a
problem with creating a ntuser.dat file yourself and letting other
users ihnerit that file (or is there any data in that file that is
very specific to that user that will cause problems with other
people - the last thing we want it everyone ending up with a
"corrupt" profile)?

Yes that is a potential problem. Although the actual file
(ntuser.dat) should inherit the appropriate ACLs on copy, inside that
registry hive are also (registry) ACLs and that _may_ be a problem.
I think you will find machine-specific and user-specific items.
You'd need to do some testing to find the answers. And although many
valuenames use REG_EXPAND_SZ and can adjust to local variations, many
do not.

I suspect that Domain Group Policies might be applied to make the
desired alterations. But have not done that here.