Windows 7 - Default Profile. How can I edit it?

[Darryl Licht]

I decided to post a through-and-through step by step of what I did in hopes that somebody might be able to notice something I did wrong or something I need to change.

My work laptop is running Windows XP Pro SP3. I installed AIK and from within there I am able to get WSIM rolling.

I create a new answer file by going to file - new answer file. Then in the lower left corner, I navigate to Components / x86_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_6.1.7100.0_neutral_31bf3856ad364e35_nonSxS

I right click it and send to Pass 4 (specialize). Then I adjust CopyProfile to "True". Then, I save the answer file as unattend.xml.

Then I go to my Windows 7 computer, copy the unattend.xml into the C/Windows/System32/Sysprep folder and I double click Sysprep.exe. I check generalize and hit okay.

It applies the settings, reboots, says it's changing stuff in the registry, and I get that error.

Windows could not finish configuring the system. To attempt to resume configuration, restart the computer.

Is this the guide you followed?
How to customize default user profiles in Windows 7

Microsoft states very explicitly:
This is the only supported method of customizing the default user profile for the Windows operating system. If you try to use other methods to customize the default user profile, it may result in extraneous information being included in this new default user profile. Such extraneous information could lead to serious problems with applications and system stability.

Sidenote:
I cannot for the life of me imagine why you would choose not to use roaming profiles, for that many computers.

The way you do it, makes managing such a large network unnecessarily difficult, time consuming and prone to errors.

Good luck.

That's not my call to make. I'm not the network administrator. Plus, I'm not familiar with roaming profiles, but there's one thing we absolutely need and I'm not sure how roaming profiles would apply it.

In the business lab, we need xyz settings which are very unique. In the photoshop lab, we need abc settings which are very unique. Each printer needs to be set up in a particular manner with certain settings. I don't know if a roaming profile can take care of this, but we have NO issues with local profiles, none at all. It's just a total pain when we get the new OS that's supposed to be easier and Microsoft throws us through a loop. Let's just say, I understand why XP will be around, pretty much... forever.

Anyway, I did follow that guide on the Microsoft web site. I hate to say it, but that guide sucks. It's very vague. Luckily I found other guides taht went into more detail than what Microsoft offered.

One guide in particular said this:

"go to “My Computer” and you are going to rename the Default folder to Default.bak (The CopyProfile setting in Sysprep on Windows7 does not seem to work yet)."

So, let me get this straight.

Microsoft has 3 ways to set the default profile. 2 of which are not supported by Microsoft. Those 2 methods also don't necessarily work. With one of them, I can get SOME settings, but not all that I need. Yet the one they support DOESNT WORK?

And I can confirm it doesn't work. I've been pulling out my hair for the last 8 weeks over this...

I guess I just expected better.

Roasted:

First off, remember that there are many die hard MS people here, tread lightly! LOL! Also, please remember that this is a new O.S. and support docs/white papers/etc are probably still being rewritten and edited... have a little patience!

How frequently are you blasting new images out to your library, and other PC's? What imaging product are you using?
So currently none of your common area PCs are in a domain? We have ours in a seperate domain from the administrative and faculty domains.

Give me some more details about your process and perhaps I can help, or point you in the right direction.

 

[SquonkSC]

That's not my call to make. I'm not the network administrator. Plus, I'm not familiar with roaming profiles, but there's one thing we absolutely need and I'm not sure how roaming profiles would apply it.

Anyway, I did follow that guide on the Microsoft web site. I hate to say it, but that guide sucks. It's very vague. Luckily I found other guides taht went into more detail than what Microsoft offered.
How to customize default user profiles in Windows 7

One guide in particular said this:

I guess I just expected better.

Hi roasted,

In an earlier post you stated: "And please, spare me of roaming profiles - it's just not an option."

Roaming profiles is your best option.

In another post you stated: "Are you referring to sysprep? If so, I've tried that route. Granted I know nothing about sysprep so I could be doing something wrong for all I know."

You absolutely need sysprep to accomplish this task without spending hundreds of more hours.

About the link to microsofts guide you said:
"Anyway, I did follow that guide on the Microsoft web site. I hate to say it, but that guide sucks. It's very vague."

I think the article is quite straight forward, not vague at all.
Like MS said it is the only way to get it right.


Now, I'm not trying to be unfriendly or put you down in any way, but if you have little or no knowledge of sysprep and roaming profiles, and you find the MS article vague or complicated, I have to tell you that on this problem you face, you are out of your league.

I strongly suggest you convince your superiors to send you on a short course for sysprep and roaming profiles.
And ask them for a few test machines also, because VM isn't very practical for real world testing.
If you consider how much time you already spent and still haven't succeeded,
you must conclude this is not the way to go.

Roaming profiles is so much more time and cost efficient in both setting up, as managing them.
Once you get to know that, you'll wonder how you ever got by without it.

I wish you good luck.

Michel

 

[Roasted]

"Anyway, I did follow that guide on the Microsoft web site. I hate to say it, but that guide sucks. It's very vague."

I think the article is quite straight forward, not vague at all.
Like MS said it is the only way to get it right.

No. That guide is horrible. Compare it to any other guide out there. All Microsoft says is "start AIK, k good, use copy profile to true, okay good, run sysprep."

I had NO clue that I had to switch over the component setting in the lower left corner. No clue at all. Thanks to other guides on the web, which correlated their steps with the MS guide but went into more detail, I was able to get further - but still no cigar.

I know it sounds like I'm coming off as a total ass, and I apologize for that, but this is incredibly frustrating. I have a whole closet full of computers that belong to special ed. They need to be set up. XP drivers for these things don't exist and we want to use Windows 7. I need to get these rolling. If I don't, it's only hurting the students. I find it SO tough to swallow that the reason they're still in the closet and not accessible to students is because of Microsoft's lack of logic when setting up default profiles. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel at the moment.

In XP, you copied and pasted. Bam. Done. Over. Fact. It worked! It just worked.

In 7, download AIK, then fire up WSIM, then copy over the components and adjust the copy profile setting. Then save the XML file and put it in the sysprep directory of the Win 7 machine. Then run sysprep.exe with the generalize option. Oh, and by the way, we forgot to mention this method doesn't work yet - sorry you already spent 8 weeks trying to figure it out.

That's why I'm so frustrated. Everyone here is saying "But just use this method and it will work it's the method Microsoft supports." It. Does. Not. Work. I have tried on three different computers, all brand new Windows 7 installs. It just doesn't work. I get the same error on each one.

Roaming Profiles - Please, please please please, let's not beat a dead horse here. I am not the network administrator = Fact. I am not in control of setting up roaming profiles = Fact. I am in desktop support = Fact. I need to get these systems rolling... asap... I just need to get them to work. It's not that I don't want roaming profiles, it's not my call to make. Sorry. It's just not.

My imaging situation - I use FOG, which is based on Ubuntu. It's free, open source, supports multicasting, network based, has a TON of features in it - it can catalog all of our systems (inventory) in an instant, manage what's where, run anti virus scans on the systems, wipe the disks, etc etc. It's just such an amazing product and it's incredible that it's free.

So anyway, at the end of the day, I'm doing the best I can with what I have to work with. It's not that I'm stubborn and ignoring everybody, I just sincerely don't have the power to do certain things that are being said to me. I simply need... local default profiles... to work. New OS or not, I find it laughable that something this simple (which worked fine in previous releases) isn't working yet.

I said it once, I'll say it again - I just expected better.

 

[hiattech]

Roaming Profiles - Please, please please please, let's not beat a dead horse here. I am not the network administrator = Fact. I am not in control of setting up roaming profiles = Fact. I am in desktop support = Fact. I need to get these systems rolling... asap... I just need to get them to work. It's not that I don't want roaming profiles, it's not my call to make. Sorry. It's just not.

I'm not sure the reason your administrator wouldn't go roaming profiles, but we don't use them here either. Our reasons are lack of network space. I think many assume that it's just not an issue to be able to do this. But when you're looking at 1k+ students plus faculty and staff each having a roaming profile, the storage begins to become a problem. Our students are not given any local network storage as well due to this problem. They have to bring in thumb drives or use email. We have been forbidden to buy new servers/sans here due to cut-backs so the little amount of space we have is reserved for more important things.

There is obviously a reason roaming profiles aren't being used so constantly being pointed in that direction is pointless. Like you, I would like to get default profiles working as well. This is the route we use here as well and we'll likely be holding off until we can find a solution to this.

 

[SquonkSC]

"Anyway, I did follow that guide on the Microsoft web site. I hate to say it, but that guide sucks. It's very vague."

I think the article is quite straight forward, not vague at all.
Like MS said it is the only way to get it right.

No. That guide is horrible. Compare it to any other guide out there. All Microsoft says is "start AIK, k good, use copy profile to true, okay good, run sysprep."

I had NO clue that I had to switch over the component setting in the lower left corner. No clue at all. Thanks to other guides on the web, which correlated their steps with the MS guide but went into more detail, I was able to get further - but still no cigar.

I know it sounds like I'm coming off as a total ass, and I apologize for that, but this is incredibly frustrating. I have a whole closet full of computers that belong to special ed. They need to be set up. XP drivers for these things don't exist and we want to use Windows 7. I need to get these rolling. If I don't, it's only hurting the students. I find it SO tough to swallow that the reason they're still in the closet and not accessible to students is because of Microsoft's lack of logic when setting up default profiles. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel at the moment.

In XP, you copied and pasted. Bam. Done. Over. Fact. It worked! It just worked.

In 7, download AIK, then fire up WSIM, then copy over the components and adjust the copy profile setting. Then save the XML file and put it in the sysprep directory of the Win 7 machine. Then run sysprep.exe with the generalize option. Oh, and by the way, we forgot to mention this method doesn't work yet - sorry you already spent 8 weeks trying to figure it out.

That's why I'm so frustrated. Everyone here is saying "But just use this method and it will work it's the method Microsoft supports." It. Does. Not. Work. I have tried on three different computers, all brand new Windows 7 installs. It just doesn't work. I get the same error on each one.

Roaming Profiles - Please, please please please, let's not beat a dead horse here. I am not the network administrator = Fact. I am not in control of setting up roaming profiles = Fact. I am in desktop support = Fact. I need to get these systems rolling... asap... I just need to get them to work. It's not that I don't want roaming profiles, it's not my call to make. Sorry. It's just not.

My imaging situation - I use FOG, which is based on Ubuntu. It's free, open source, supports multicasting, network based, has a TON of features in it - it can catalog all of our systems (inventory) in an instant, manage what's where, run anti virus scans on the systems, wipe the disks, etc etc. It's just such an amazing product and it's incredible that it's free.

So anyway, at the end of the day, I'm doing the best I can with what I have to work with. It's not that I'm stubborn and ignoring everybody, I just sincerely don't have the power to do certain things that are being said to me. I simply need... local default profiles... to work. New OS or not, I find it laughable that something this simple (which worked fine in previous releases) isn't working yet.

I said it once, I'll say it again - I just expected better.

Can you tell me why you (being from desktop support) are in charge of a landslide migration to Windows7? (no disrespect intended),

I would not want that responsibility on my shoulders if I didn't have the proper knowledge and skills.

Why do the schools want to move to Win7 so soon after it's out?
Maybe an outsourcing project is called for here, if the inhouse knowledge isn't sufficient.

It will be hard for any of us to solve your problem because we don't know the ins and outs of your system, servers, how they are connected etc...

Good luck man, I don't envy you.

greetings.

 

[Darryl Licht]

My imaging situation - I use FOG, which is based on Ubuntu. It's free, open source, supports multicasting, network based, has a TON of features in it - it can catalog all of our systems (inventory) in an instant, manage what's where, run anti virus scans on the systems, wipe the disks, etc etc. It's just such an amazing product and it's incredible that it's free.

Roasted:

Again... please help me help you... I agree that when MS changes something like this it makes your job difficult... but the change is there, and it is there probably to beef up security!

I work for a large college, I am a teacher but I worked in our Instructional Technology Support Dept for 6 months doing what you do!

How frequently are you blasting new images out to your library, and other PC's? How long does it take you to image, say, 30 PCs using FOG?

So currently none of your common area PCs are in a domain?

Give me some more details about your process and perhaps I can help, or point you in the right direction.

Here are some training links:
http://www.binaryresearch.net/training/best_practices_for_windows_7_deployment/win_7_3-day
http://www.learnit.com/default.aspx?tabid=58&a=3&cID=1533
Simply Google Windows 7 deployment training there are plenty of resources.

But again give me some insight as to how you do things now!


---Squonk:

I can tell you that budget-wise most schools are a complete mess when it comes to projects such as these! Administration just wants it done... and the poor saps at the bottom of the food chain have to deal with it! Outsourcing is outta the question, although a bootcamp intended for OEM System Builders might be the trick...

It's not Roasteds fault!

 

[SquonkSC]

---Squonk:

I can tell you that budget-wise most schools are a complete mess when it comes to projects such as these! Administration just wants it done... and the poor saps at the bottom of the food chain have to deal with it! Outsourcing is outta the question, although a bootcamp intended for OEM System Builders might be the trick...

It's not Roasteds fault!

Hey, I never accused him of anything. I feel sorry for the poor chap.
I'm afraid that if he messes it up, he will take the fall.

I think his chosen name "Roasted" couldn't be more appropriate.

I wish him luck.

 

[Roasted]

hiattech -

I talked to the network administrator, who was very open minded about the thought of roaming profiles. And just like you mentioned, server space came up in the discussion, which is a huge reason why roaming profiles would be an issue. He said it's something we'll have to talk about more, because a bigger storage server will be needed to accomplish that.


SquonkSC -

Well, I fail to see why I wouldn't have some involvement in with the new version of Windows when I'm in desktop support. I have to support desktop computers... a ton of them... and they're running a Windows OS. I'm the one who has to deal with the problems in the schools with this. Sure, I'm not the Director of Technology, but my boss gave me instructions to play with this and see if I can make it work in our environment, so I'm trying best I can to make pigs fly. We're not WANTING to go to Windows 7, but we got a bunch of new computers and no XP drivers exist for them. I found all of the drivers on the individual manufacturer's web sites except the chipset. The manufacturer just doesn't make an XP chipset driver, so I was stuck. Currently, I'm looking at considering putting Vista on these systems. It'd be so painful to do that, but XP won't work, 7 won't work, what choice do I have? I could throw Linux on it I guess.


Darryl Licht -

Yes, we're all on a domain. All buildings are on 1 domain. With FOG, despite it supporting multicast, I use unicast because my 24 port gigabit switch I do imaging with does not support multicast. I can fire an image to 23 computers (last port is for my FOG laptop) in about 20 minutes. This of course depends on the size of the image. If it's a standard XP image with Office 07, Firefox, maybe some basic applications, etc (typical of Middle and Elementary labs) than 23 computers in 20 minutes is accurate. The images begin to get bigger when you start talking about CADD labs, business labs, Photoshop labs, etc (High School). That's where the imaging process can be a bit longer - but even still, I can image an entire lab of 30 computers in about an hour's time, assuming worst case scenario with big images.

I image labs once a year regardless of whether or not there are any issues with them. It's typical maintenance. I could go to each computer, defrag it, make sure it has the latest updates, run CCleaner, delete any garbage students might have installed, etc. But it's far easier to walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time. FOG is something that we can put on our main network, however it really isn't in the cards since our buildings are pretty far apart, and I need to be making changes on the FOG server to choose which image to deploy, etc. So I keep things mobile and use a switch + laptop. Works out pretty nice, too! But like I said, our imaging solution is free and can do so much more than Ghost can ever hope to achieve. And uh, did I mention, it's Linux based?


At the end of the day, I'm just sitting here with a bunch of computers that are currently useless to us. Windows 7 cannot do local default profiles. I've followed each guide, including Microsoft's sub-par guide. The more I googled last night, the more people I saw confirming it doesn't work. To do roaming profiles it would almost guarantee the need of a larger server which just won't happen overnight. I just really think we need to drop back to Vista, despite how ever so badly I've tried to avoid doing that, and try to get Vista to play nice with local profiles as well.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me here. I just have very little patience with Microsoft at this time considering the situation at hand. But we'll get something working somehow.

 

[Zidane24]

hiattech -

I talked to the network administrator, who was very open minded about the thought of roaming profiles. And just like you mentioned, server space came up in the discussion, which is a huge reason why roaming profiles would be an issue. He said it's something we'll have to talk about more, because a bigger storage server will be needed to accomplish that.


SquonkSC -

Well, I fail to see why I wouldn't have some involvement in with the new version of Windows when I'm in desktop support. I have to support desktop computers... a ton of them... and they're running a Windows OS. I'm the one who has to deal with the problems in the schools with this. Sure, I'm not the Director of Technology, but my boss gave me instructions to play with this and see if I can make it work in our environment, so I'm trying best I can to make pigs fly. We're not WANTING to go to Windows 7, but we got a bunch of new computers and no XP drivers exist for them. I found all of the drivers on the individual manufacturer's web sites except the chipset. The manufacturer just doesn't make an XP chipset driver, so I was stuck. Currently, I'm looking at considering putting Vista on these systems. It'd be so painful to do that, but XP won't work, 7 won't work, what choice do I have? I could throw Linux on it I guess.


Darryl Licht -

Yes, we're all on a domain. All buildings are on 1 domain. With FOG, despite it supporting multicast, I use unicast because my 24 port gigabit switch I do imaging with does not support multicast. I can fire an image to 23 computers (last port is for my FOG laptop) in about 20 minutes. This of course depends on the size of the image. If it's a standard XP image with Office 07, Firefox, maybe some basic applications, etc (typical of Middle and Elementary labs) than 23 computers in 20 minutes is accurate. The images begin to get bigger when you start talking about CADD labs, business labs, Photoshop labs, etc (High School). That's where the imaging process can be a bit longer - but even still, I can image an entire lab of 30 computers in about an hour's time, assuming worst case scenario with big images.

I image labs once a year regardless of whether or not there are any issues with them. It's typical maintenance. I could go to each computer, defrag it, make sure it has the latest updates, run CCleaner, delete any garbage students might have installed, etc. But it's far easier to walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time. FOG is something that we can put on our main network, however it really isn't in the cards since our buildings are pretty far apart, and I need to be making changes on the FOG server to choose which image to deploy, etc. So I keep things mobile and use a switch + laptop. Works out pretty nice, too! But like I said, our imaging solution is free and can do so much more than Ghost can ever hope to achieve. And uh, did I mention, it's Linux based?


At the end of the day, I'm just sitting here with a bunch of computers that are currently useless to us. Windows 7 cannot do local default profiles. I've followed each guide, including Microsoft's sub-par guide. The more I googled last night, the more people I saw confirming it doesn't work. To do roaming profiles it would almost guarantee the need of a larger server which just won't happen overnight. I just really think we need to drop back to Vista, despite how ever so badly I've tried to avoid doing that, and try to get Vista to play nice with local profiles as well.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me here. I just have very little patience with Microsoft at this time considering the situation at hand. But we'll get something working somehow.

I hope you find a solution...I really do...

One question though...Why hasn't your school labs deployed deepfreeze to prevent permanent student installed junk and other changes a student might have done to a computer?

 

[Roasted]

hiattech -

I talked to the network administrator, who was very open minded about the thought of roaming profiles. And just like you mentioned, server space came up in the discussion, which is a huge reason why roaming profiles would be an issue. He said it's something we'll have to talk about more, because a bigger storage server will be needed to accomplish that.


SquonkSC -

Well, I fail to see why I wouldn't have some involvement in with the new version of Windows when I'm in desktop support. I have to support desktop computers... a ton of them... and they're running a Windows OS. I'm the one who has to deal with the problems in the schools with this. Sure, I'm not the Director of Technology, but my boss gave me instructions to play with this and see if I can make it work in our environment, so I'm trying best I can to make pigs fly. We're not WANTING to go to Windows 7, but we got a bunch of new computers and no XP drivers exist for them. I found all of the drivers on the individual manufacturer's web sites except the chipset. The manufacturer just doesn't make an XP chipset driver, so I was stuck. Currently, I'm looking at considering putting Vista on these systems. It'd be so painful to do that, but XP won't work, 7 won't work, what choice do I have? I could throw Linux on it I guess.


Darryl Licht -

Yes, we're all on a domain. All buildings are on 1 domain. With FOG, despite it supporting multicast, I use unicast because my 24 port gigabit switch I do imaging with does not support multicast. I can fire an image to 23 computers (last port is for my FOG laptop) in about 20 minutes. This of course depends on the size of the image. If it's a standard XP image with Office 07, Firefox, maybe some basic applications, etc (typical of Middle and Elementary labs) than 23 computers in 20 minutes is accurate. The images begin to get bigger when you start talking about CADD labs, business labs, Photoshop labs, etc (High School). That's where the imaging process can be a bit longer - but even still, I can image an entire lab of 30 computers in about an hour's time, assuming worst case scenario with big images.

I image labs once a year regardless of whether or not there are any issues with them. It's typical maintenance. I could go to each computer, defrag it, make sure it has the latest updates, run CCleaner, delete any garbage students might have installed, etc. But it's far easier to walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time. FOG is something that we can put on our main network, however it really isn't in the cards since our buildings are pretty far apart, and I need to be making changes on the FOG server to choose which image to deploy, etc. So I keep things mobile and use a switch + laptop. Works out pretty nice, too! But like I said, our imaging solution is free and can do so much more than Ghost can ever hope to achieve. And uh, did I mention, it's Linux based?


At the end of the day, I'm just sitting here with a bunch of computers that are currently useless to us. Windows 7 cannot do local default profiles. I've followed each guide, including Microsoft's sub-par guide. The more I googled last night, the more people I saw confirming it doesn't work. To do roaming profiles it would almost guarantee the need of a larger server which just won't happen overnight. I just really think we need to drop back to Vista, despite how ever so badly I've tried to avoid doing that, and try to get Vista to play nice with local profiles as well.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me here. I just have very little patience with Microsoft at this time considering the situation at hand. But we'll get something working somehow.

I hope you find a solution...I really do...

One question though...Why hasn't your school labs deployed deepfreeze to prevent permanent student installed junk and other changes a student might have done to a computer?

We have deployed it, and we recently removed it. Deepfreeze doesn't play nice with a lot of the software the students use. I forget the exact reasoning because I am not assigned to the high school, even though I help out here a lot. The other tech in the department is more familiar with exact reasoning behind problems with the software we ran into.

Ever since we removed Deepfreeze, things have been a lot better in terms of flexibility in the classroom. Now we just implement more group policies and filtering to allow the students to do their jobs on the machines while still having some sort of security implemented.

I'm installing Vista at the moment to try and figure this out. There's also another tech in the department helping me with another computer as well. It's just difficult because with 7 or Vista, it's a lose-lose. Who uses default local profiles? Schools. Who uses Vista and 7 in schools? Nobody.

Insert fork into temple.

That's all right, though. It was almost comforting to hear other users had issues with sysprep. It made me feel like an idiot to be trying it step by step and it erroring out. So even though it's a step back knowing 7 won't fly just yet, at least I know I'm not a total moron.

 

[Zidane24]

hiattech -

I talked to the network administrator, who was very open minded about the thought of roaming profiles. And just like you mentioned, server space came up in the discussion, which is a huge reason why roaming profiles would be an issue. He said it's something we'll have to talk about more, because a bigger storage server will be needed to accomplish that.


SquonkSC -

Well, I fail to see why I wouldn't have some involvement in with the new version of Windows when I'm in desktop support. I have to support desktop computers... a ton of them... and they're running a Windows OS. I'm the one who has to deal with the problems in the schools with this. Sure, I'm not the Director of Technology, but my boss gave me instructions to play with this and see if I can make it work in our environment, so I'm trying best I can to make pigs fly. We're not WANTING to go to Windows 7, but we got a bunch of new computers and no XP drivers exist for them. I found all of the drivers on the individual manufacturer's web sites except the chipset. The manufacturer just doesn't make an XP chipset driver, so I was stuck. Currently, I'm looking at considering putting Vista on these systems. It'd be so painful to do that, but XP won't work, 7 won't work, what choice do I have? I could throw Linux on it I guess.


Darryl Licht -

Yes, we're all on a domain. All buildings are on 1 domain. With FOG, despite it supporting multicast, I use unicast because my 24 port gigabit switch I do imaging with does not support multicast. I can fire an image to 23 computers (last port is for my FOG laptop) in about 20 minutes. This of course depends on the size of the image. If it's a standard XP image with Office 07, Firefox, maybe some basic applications, etc (typical of Middle and Elementary labs) than 23 computers in 20 minutes is accurate. The images begin to get bigger when you start talking about CADD labs, business labs, Photoshop labs, etc (High School). That's where the imaging process can be a bit longer - but even still, I can image an entire lab of 30 computers in about an hour's time, assuming worst case scenario with big images.

I image labs once a year regardless of whether or not there are any issues with them. It's typical maintenance. I could go to each computer, defrag it, make sure it has the latest updates, run CCleaner, delete any garbage students might have installed, etc. But it's far easier to walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time. FOG is something that we can put on our main network, however it really isn't in the cards since our buildings are pretty far apart, and I need to be making changes on the FOG server to choose which image to deploy, etc. So I keep things mobile and use a switch + laptop. Works out pretty nice, too! But like I said, our imaging solution is free and can do so much more than Ghost can ever hope to achieve. And uh, did I mention, it's Linux based?


At the end of the day, I'm just sitting here with a bunch of computers that are currently useless to us. Windows 7 cannot do local default profiles. I've followed each guide, including Microsoft's sub-par guide. The more I googled last night, the more people I saw confirming it doesn't work. To do roaming profiles it would almost guarantee the need of a larger server which just won't happen overnight. I just really think we need to drop back to Vista, despite how ever so badly I've tried to avoid doing that, and try to get Vista to play nice with local profiles as well.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me here. I just have very little patience with Microsoft at this time considering the situation at hand. But we'll get something working somehow.

I hope you find a solution...I really do...

One question though...Why hasn't your school labs deployed deepfreeze to prevent permanent student installed junk and other changes a student might have done to a computer?

We have deployed it, and we recently removed it. Deepfreeze doesn't play nice with a lot of the software the students use. I forget the exact reasoning because I am not assigned to the high school, even though I help out here a lot. The other tech in the department is more familiar with exact reasoning behind problems with the software we ran into.

Ever since we removed Deepfreeze, things have been a lot better in terms of flexibility in the classroom. Now we just implement more group policies and filtering to allow the students to do their jobs on the machines while still having some sort of security implemented.

I'm installing Vista at the moment to try and figure this out. There's also another tech in the department helping me with another computer as well. It's just difficult because with 7 or Vista, it's a lose-lose. Who uses default local profiles? Schools. Who uses Vista and 7 in schools? Nobody.

Insert fork into temple.

That's all right, though. It was almost comforting to hear other users had issues with sysprep. It made me feel like an idiot to be trying it step by step and it erroring out. So even though it's a step back knowing 7 won't fly just yet, at least I know I'm not a total moron.

This might be to your fancy Roasted...

http://www.sevenforums.com/news/38192-announcing-windows-7-windows-server-2008-r2-deploym.html

 

[Roasted]

Oh, happy day.

Vista needs the clg file from the Vista CD in order to continue. I did a scan of my Vista Business DVD - no clg file exists on it. As a result, it errors out.

Happy. Happy. Happy. Joy. Kill. Happy. Stab. Smile.

 

[Zidane24]

Oh, happy day.

Vista needs the clg file from the Vista CD in order to continue. I did a scan of my Vista Business DVD - no clg file exists on it. As a result, it errors out.

Happy. Happy. Happy. Joy. Kill. Happy. Stab. Smile.

So I assume that you managed to find an excuse to not install Vista?

*Chuckle*

 

[Roasted]

Oh, happy day.

Vista needs the clg file from the Vista CD in order to continue. I did a scan of my Vista Business DVD - no clg file exists on it. As a result, it errors out.

Happy. Happy. Happy. Joy. Kill. Happy. Stab. Smile.

So I assume that you managed to find an excuse to not install Vista?

*Chuckle*

As if I need an excuse to not install Vista. The name alone presents a library of reasons.

But hey - we're gonna try anyway. I refuse to let a computer tell me "no" twice in one day.

 

[Zidane24]

Oh, happy day.

Vista needs the clg file from the Vista CD in order to continue. I did a scan of my Vista Business DVD - no clg file exists on it. As a result, it errors out.

Happy. Happy. Happy. Joy. Kill. Happy. Stab. Smile.

So I assume that you managed to find an excuse to not install Vista?

*Chuckle*

As if I need an excuse to not install Vista. The name alone presents a library of reasons.

But hey - we're gonna try anyway. I refuse to let a computer tell me "no" twice in one day.

Original Vista...yes

Vista SP2 on the other hand is a solid OS...don't shoot it down from the get go

 

[Darryl Licht]

hiattech -

I talked to the network administrator, who was very open minded about the thought of roaming profiles. And just like you mentioned, server space came up in the discussion, which is a huge reason why roaming profiles would be an issue. He said it's something we'll have to talk about more, because a bigger storage server will be needed to accomplish that.


Darryl Licht -

Yes, we're all on a domain. All buildings are on 1 domain. With FOG, despite it supporting multicast, I use unicast because my 24 port gigabit switch I do imaging with does not support multicast. I can fire an image to 23 computers (last port is for my FOG laptop) in about 20 minutes. This of course depends on the size of the image. If it's a standard XP image with Office 07, Firefox, maybe some basic applications, etc (typical of Middle and Elementary labs) than 23 computers in 20 minutes is accurate. The images begin to get bigger when you start talking about CADD labs, business labs, Photoshop labs, etc (High School). That's where the imaging process can be a bit longer - but even still, I can image an entire lab of 30 computers in about an hour's time, assuming worst case scenario with big images.

I image labs once a year regardless of whether or not there are any issues with them. It's typical maintenance. I could go to each computer, defrag it, make sure it has the latest updates, run CCleaner, delete any garbage students might have installed, etc. But it's far easier to walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time. FOG is something that we can put on our main network, however it really isn't in the cards since our buildings are pretty far apart, and I need to be making changes on the FOG server to choose which image to deploy, etc. So I keep things mobile and use a switch + laptop. Works out pretty nice, too! But like I said, our imaging solution is free and can do so much more than Ghost can ever hope to achieve. And uh, did I mention, it's Linux based?


At the end of the day, I'm just sitting here with a bunch of computers that are currently useless to us. Windows 7 cannot do local default profiles. I've followed each guide, including Microsoft's sub-par guide. The more I googled last night, the more people I saw confirming it doesn't work. To do roaming profiles it would almost guarantee the need of a larger server which just won't happen overnight. I just really think we need to drop back to Vista, despite how ever so badly I've tried to avoid doing that, and try to get Vista to play nice with local profiles as well.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me here. I just have very little patience with Microsoft at this time considering the situation at hand. But we'll get something working somehow.

First off... you dont need, nor do you want roaming profiles in the sense of an Enterprise... I think what you are trying to achieve uniformity of systems within a certain classroom or lab. Right?

We use profiles in conjunction with GPOs... each lab has a default user name of lab123 with no password... so really u'd have 1 profile for each classroom/lab.

I dont understand why in the world if you have every PC networked why you:

walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time

Good lord man that's moving 1 step in the wrong direction! Back to Sneakernet!
I understand that your infrastructure may be CAT 5 and 100mbps switches... but you can image from the comfort of your office over the network... AT NIGHT! Who cares if it takes 5 hours instead of 1! Also, start upgrading your switches and wiring.

Then in a K-12 environment you only reimage ONCE a year??? I'm at the Community College level and we image at least once each semester... even more often on library and lab PC's. I'm certain the k-12 youngsters do more damage than at my level!

I really hope you find a solution... I really do... but that solution may not be a "perfect" fit!

My friend as good as the open source stuff has become... we live in a Microsoft dominated world, and you must adapt! Resistance is futile!





CHUCKLE CHUCKLE CHUCKLE!!!

 

[Roasted]

hiattech -

I talked to the network administrator, who was very open minded about the thought of roaming profiles. And just like you mentioned, server space came up in the discussion, which is a huge reason why roaming profiles would be an issue. He said it's something we'll have to talk about more, because a bigger storage server will be needed to accomplish that.


Darryl Licht -

Yes, we're all on a domain. All buildings are on 1 domain. With FOG, despite it supporting multicast, I use unicast because my 24 port gigabit switch I do imaging with does not support multicast. I can fire an image to 23 computers (last port is for my FOG laptop) in about 20 minutes. This of course depends on the size of the image. If it's a standard XP image with Office 07, Firefox, maybe some basic applications, etc (typical of Middle and Elementary labs) than 23 computers in 20 minutes is accurate. The images begin to get bigger when you start talking about CADD labs, business labs, Photoshop labs, etc (High School). That's where the imaging process can be a bit longer - but even still, I can image an entire lab of 30 computers in about an hour's time, assuming worst case scenario with big images.

I image labs once a year regardless of whether or not there are any issues with them. It's typical maintenance. I could go to each computer, defrag it, make sure it has the latest updates, run CCleaner, delete any garbage students might have installed, etc. But it's far easier to walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time. FOG is something that we can put on our main network, however it really isn't in the cards since our buildings are pretty far apart, and I need to be making changes on the FOG server to choose which image to deploy, etc. So I keep things mobile and use a switch + laptop. Works out pretty nice, too! But like I said, our imaging solution is free and can do so much more than Ghost can ever hope to achieve. And uh, did I mention, it's Linux based?


At the end of the day, I'm just sitting here with a bunch of computers that are currently useless to us. Windows 7 cannot do local default profiles. I've followed each guide, including Microsoft's sub-par guide. The more I googled last night, the more people I saw confirming it doesn't work. To do roaming profiles it would almost guarantee the need of a larger server which just won't happen overnight. I just really think we need to drop back to Vista, despite how ever so badly I've tried to avoid doing that, and try to get Vista to play nice with local profiles as well.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me here. I just have very little patience with Microsoft at this time considering the situation at hand. But we'll get something working somehow.

First off... you dont need, nor do you want roaming profiles in the sense of an Enterprise... I think what you are trying to achieve uniformity of systems within a certain classroom or lab. Right?

We use profiles in conjunction with GPOs... each lab has a default user name of lab123 with no password... so really u'd have 1 profile for each classroom/lab.

I dont understand why in the world if you have every PC networked why you:

walk in with my FOG laptop, a 24 port switch, a ball of ethernet wires, and just get the job done in no time

Good lord man that's moving 1 step in the wrong direction! Back to Sneakernet!
I understand that your infrastructure may be CAT 5 and 100mbps switches... but you can image from the comfort of your office over the network... AT NIGHT! Who cares if it takes 5 hours instead of 1! Also, start upgrading your switches and wiring.

Then in a K-12 environment you only reimage ONCE a year??? I'm at the Community College level and we image at least once each semester... even more often on library and lab PC's. I'm certain the k-12 youngsters do more damage than at my level!

I really hope you find a solution... I really do... but that solution may not be a "perfect" fit!

My friend as good as the open source stuff has become... we live in a Microsoft dominated world, and you must adapt! Resistance is futile!





CHUCKLE CHUCKLE CHUCKLE!!!

Not only do we have 100 meg switches here and there in the closets which would -severely- bottleneck the imaging process (which are slowly being upgraded), we also have a long distance in between each building. To effectively implement an imaging server with decent results would mean to add a server in each building.

Some day it may be implemented to the main network, but the reality is, I played with FOG on my own without anybody knowing. I didn't want to add something to the main network and it somehow backfire and be on my plate. Now that I've used it for about 10 months with great success, I'd feel more comfortable doing that now - but there's still a lack of hardware to make it happen.

Plus, when I work on a lab, I need it done that night. I don't want to have to come in early that morning to add all of the computers to the domain and rename them. I think it's easier to do everything in 1 shot so if I wake up in the morning and something critical came up, at least I don't have 1 emergency + a lab down.

FOG does have scheduled imaging built in, which simply requires me to select PXE boot on LAN as the first boot option in the BIOS of the lab I'm working on. Then if FOG has a task assigned to that MAC address, it takes off with imaging. It's very solid, but right now, it's not a step backward at all to be using it on my laptop with a switch - it's really probably the most efficient way I can be doing this with what I have to work with considering I don't have more hardware to do what I'd like to do.

If someday we get a server dropped in each building that will tie into our existing DHCP servers and somehow centrally synchronize all images across the entire district, I'll hop on board. But right now I have a gig switch, some cat5e, and a decently spec'd laptop which'll barf out images plenty quick for my liking.

About the imaging process - Like every single IT department in the world, we're short people. There's things that I have to get done on a daily basis. Couple that with random fires that blow up and new wiring jobs and hooking this up and fixing that and fixing this teacher's problem and ID-10-T errors left and right and you suddenly have no free time whatsoever to even consider imaging in the middle of the school year. As a result, regular maintenance is done once a year with anything in between that's required. I'm getting prepped as we speak to image a lab I did in April. It was only used for May + Sept/Oct and already I'm re-imaging it since a few issues came up with that lab. As you may or may not know, being in the tech department means 2 things - if you're hearing anything, it's always bad. If you're not hearing a peep, you know things are running good. I don't touch the labs unless I'm hearing issues about them - otherwise I let them alone until yearly maintenance rolls around. "If it aint broke don't fix it."

We do the best we can with what we have to work with. But God gave us 24 hours in a day, not 200. Otherwise things might be different.

Oh, please - spare me of the Microsoft dominated talk. I have used a lot of open source software in the last few years. If it wasn't for open source software, I wouldn't be in IT today. There's so much about closed source and proprietary software that causes shortfalls in comparison to what open source software can often times offer a user or business, no matter how large or small.

Speaking as unbiased as I possibly can - Every Microsoft counterpart that I've used that is open source has almost always been as good or better than the Microsoft version. I'm sure I'll get pommelled by a bunch of MS fanatics here, but I'm not just spouting off my naive thoughts - I work in IT every day - I know what works for me, I know what gets the job done, and I know how efficiently (and cost effectively) I can get my work done. That's something that Microsoft (in my opinion) hasn't been an "ace" in - something that more and more tech departments in the nation are also beginning to realize. I accept that Microsoft is existent in the world, and I think they have their place in the IT industry and that will forever remain, but I will just never hop on board with the "oh, well, they own everything so let's just move forward with it." There's choices out there, and the must be considered. If they're simply avoided, it's nobody's loss but your own.

Sorry guys - but you dug my opinion out of me. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[SquonkSC]

Like every single IT department in the world, we're short people.

Speak for your self!

:roflmao:

 

[Roasted]

Like every single IT department in the world, we're short people.

Speak for your self!

:roflmao:

LOL. You caught me. You know darn well what I meant though!

In all seriousness - 5'11" isn't that short - is it?

 

[hiattech]

LOL. You caught me. You know darn well what I meant though!

In all seriousness - 5'11" isn't that short - is it?

Well, I'm only 5'9".. soooo.. Though now that I think about it. I'm bout 2-3 inches shorter than almost everyone in my department.....