SysPrep HELL! Sysprep wipes changes.

[KB]

In my office we're new to ghosting XP machines (we skipped the 2k
erra). I'm having problems with getting a good image after
sysprep/ghost.

Sysprep and ghosting are not really the problem, its what is done to
the image after Sysprep.

Install OS on PC, install apps, updates, etc.. etc.

Then I make a temp local user, configure my desktop, background, snds
off, turn off the fade junk, register progs, etc. Log back in a local
admin, copy the temp user profile to default user. All is good.

I can now login to the network as a "new" user (as far as that box is
concerned) and get a default profile. The desktop is ready to go,
they way I want it. No register this, configure this. My stock corp.
desktop in place.

Now if I sysprep, ghost, restore on a new machine. I loose a ton of my
settings, get new icons (Mediaplayer), new items in start menu. My
s/w configs, background, etc.. are gone. There are MS articles
regarding added icons, but... don't seem to apply to the big picture
here.

Whats up. I'm temped to try the ghost SID resetter, like you'd use
w/NT thats avail, but it has limitations such as hostname sizes.

I also see other posts regarding Sysprep wiping the reg entries
regarding sec patches. My SUS server will just love that....

How can one get a solid, predictable corp desktop in XP???

 

[Rob Elder, MVP-Networking]

You need to copy the administrator profile to the default user folder. Its
a hidden folder so change your settings. Copying must be done through
System Properties, Advanced, User Profiles.

Never had updates go away with sysprep.

 

[KB]

Are you saying, configure all my settings (background, no snd, no
fade, theme, 3rd party configs such as realplayer, registrations,
etc..) as local admin, then copy the local admin profile RATHER THAN
my "config user's" profile to default user?

I'm not sure how this makes anything different. Does sysprep SPARE
the local or domain admin profiles, but smashes other users?

With my "config user", I am logging in as local admin, allowing hidden
folders to view, and copying via System Prop/Adv/User Profile
(security to Everyone) as noted in MS KB319974
(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;319974&Product=winxp)

But while getting the link above, I did come across this article,
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;291586&Product=winxp,
which looks promising. I'll give it a try tomarrow.

"When you run the Sysprep utility (Sysprep.exe), 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."

Reading this, I can understand now, why all setting are not retained.
It would seem in order to create new SID's users are dumped, and
re-imported per say. Not a great way of doing it...

 

[Rob Elder, MVP-Networking]

Are you saying, configure all my settings (background, no snd, no
fade, theme, 3rd party configs such as realplayer, registrations,
etc..) as local admin, then copy the local admin profile RATHER THAN
my "config user's" profile to default user?

YES. All user accounts and profiles are deleted when running sysprep.
Since new profiles are created from default user, that's where the profile
needs to be copied.

 

[KB]

But I am copying my prefered profile, to Default users. I'm just not
configuring my prefered settings as an Administrative user.

If I'm not changing things such as Power Config, etc... I shouldn't
need to "mock up" in an admin user. Once I've copied to Default
profile there should be no difference.

Some settings are retained after sysprep, but many are not.

 

[KB]

Update:

After trying a myriad set of methods of pre-sysprep default user
setup, I've found that no matter what - Sysprep kills lots of settings
in default user.

Dumping the default user registry, and trying to restore after ghost
restore (post sysprep) doesn't work either, as import will not work
due to system component running, etc...

So, I've had to rebuild my default user POST ghosting. I just got 4
machines done in the time I normally ghost 20 98 machines! Kudo's to
Microsoft on making ghosting close to full reinstalling.

I don't want to hear about TCO, as my Total Cost of installation has
just gone up big time. And I've got a 200 machine rollout comming.

 

[Randy Reimers]

I use Ghost all the time - I set up 2 images to use in our network, 1 is a
"base" minimal image, the other has MS Office XP and other stuff. I don't
have much problems with Sysprep, it keeps almost all the settings from the
pre-sysprep to when a new user logs in. If you want some of the documents
that I have on how I prepare an image for Sysprep, email me at rreimers (at)
hotmail (dot) com, make sure the subject line has "sysprep" in it (so I can
find it in all the SPAM), and I will try to help.

Randy Reimers

 

[Brian]

as far as I can see your doing the right thing and creating a user to do
your set up of your image,then copying it to the default user. you might
want to check that any of these icons that are appearing are not in the all
users folder. thus placing them in your desktop or start menu. if windows
media player still goes on the desktop there is a gpo to prevent the
creation of one. I leave the user that I have created on the computer and
use that account when logging back in at a latter date to do trouble
shooting. I have never had this account disappear on me or any setting
change after sysprep has been run

 

[KB]

I have no problems with using Sysprep, and I have no problems with
ghosting.

The problem is that the sysprep process kills information stored in
the default profile. And since the default profile isn't a "user" it
shouldn't have any SID info to be adjusted, I would think.

I can adjust the default profile however I want. New users get the
profiles attributes perfectly. Once I sysprep - goodbye to some of
the settings. Some carry, but many do not.

Thus, to regain the settings, I have to configure post ghosting.
Which, of course, kinda kills one of the reasons to Ghost in the first
place.

Frustrating, frustrating.

 

[KB]

My issue isn't so much with creation of icons. Sure, there is the
good ole Media player icon, and the Entertainment folder in
accessories, and Outlook express.

My issue is with settings. Desktop .bmp is lost, listview in folders
& classic desktop are lost, etc.

Settings to 3rd party programs are lost (only after sysprep). For
instance, we use a prn screen utility, which needs some registration,
etc... I also make some adj to Office (perhaps there are GPO's for
that, haven't use them, but what about my non-AD domains).

I can copy to default, make new users and the profile works 100%.
Once I run sysprep, I loose stuff.

 

[KB]

It seems everyone is stumped with other ideas. I'm pretty much taking
it that Sysprep will always WIPE portions of my default user (nice one
MS).

The only other easy way to restore (short of rebuilding on each
machine post ghost) would be to dump the default user registry back in
after ghosting from a seperate file.

However, when I try to do this I get errors that it can't be done,
system files, open, etc....

Is there a way to force data into the registry? Overide checks
regarding open files, etc...