Default Profile in XP w/o sysprep

[dinodod]

I'm reading up on creating a default profile for PC's and I came across
a little snafu. The recommended practice would involve using Sysprep.
My situation is that I already have 400 PCs on the floor that are in
production that I can not simply re-image. I also need to be able to
do a custom location for the My Documents folder.

Per the article
(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321281), I
might be successful if I delete the Owner's name from the INI file to
avoid the default name from appearing.

Is there a way to make a default profile and copy it on multiple PC's?
I already have my template profile all setup and ready to go. Could I
simply go into c:\documents & settings\template profile and copy that
folder with all the subfolders & hidden / system files included to the
Default User Profile and replace it?

Besides the My Documents issue, are there any other known issues that I
need to know about? I read about the security setting to allow
Everyone read access.

Thanks!

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello,
This is not supported and the potential for problems is very high. There
are many pointers both in the registry or in files(shortcuts is one
exampel) that point back to the source profiles as well as registry
permissions for the user that are specific to that user.
If all users are administrators, some of the issues may not appear, but
there are other items that certainly can are are affected by doing
something like this.
This is not a good idea.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
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[dinodod]

Will there any option to make a Default User Profile easier to create
and the be able to put it onto several PC's w/o using AD?

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello,
Sp2 copies over the Administrator profile to Default User after running
Sysprep.
AS far as I know those are the only plans for this.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------