User Profile - Customize During Installation

How to Customize Default User Profile in Audit Mode​

   Note

Audit Mode is a very practical way to prepare and customize Windows. This tutorial will show you how to enter Audit Mode to customize the default user profile during the installation of Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8.

If you have used Windows already you might have noticed that the main user profile folder (default location C:\Users) not only contains individual folders for each user of the PC as for instance C:\Users\Kari, but also a hidden user folder called Default:

When a new user account is created and the user logs in first time, Windows creates the basic set of personal folders (Pictures, Videos, Documents, Favorites etc.) under the user profile folder which is a first level subfolder in the main user profile folder. The default location is as mentioned C:\Users. For instance my personal profile folder would be by default at C:\Users\Kari and my Documents folder at C:\Users\Kari\Documents.

In addition to these standard, default folders and settings system looks now the Default User Profile folder to copy all customized settings to newly created user folder. These can include display and desktop settings, IE favorites, saved searches and so on.

Customizing the Default User Profile in Audit Mode using Windows System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) is only possible if no user accounts except the built-in administrator account exist, hence using this method is only practical when installing Windows and entering Audit Mode during the installation.

If however you want to use this method on an already running Windows setup it is possible. You need to boot to Audit Mode which automatically uses the built-in administrator account, then delete all existing user accounts before proceeding. This is really important so I repeat: You cannot use this method to modify Default User Profile if any user accounts exist!

To boot to Audit Mode from existing Windows setup, close all applications and Explorer windows, press CTRL + R to open the Run dialog, type %windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /audit /reboot and hit Enter. Notice that when this method is used on an existing Windows installation, you need to have your product key ready as you need to reactivate the Windows after exiting Audit Mode and returning to normal (OOBE) mode.

This tutorial takes you through following steps:

1. Installing Windows and entering Audit Mode during first boot after the installation
2. Customizing Default User Profile in Audit Mode
3. Running System Preparation Tool to save modified Default User Profile
4. Booting Windows normally to Windows Welcome (OOBE) to finalize installation

This method is valid for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

   Warning

Notice that as an upgraded Windows cannot be sysprepped and as a so called repair install is also considered as an upgrade (in-place to same edition), this method only works on cleanly installed Windows 7 and 8. When using this method on an existing Windows setup, it only works if the Windows was installed clean and has never been repaired using repair install.

Step 1:

Install Windows

Start Windows installation normally. Consult the respective tutorials if you need any help:

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/257-windows-7-tutorial-index-2.html#post1072
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html
• Clean Install - Windows 8
• UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 8 with
• Clean Install with Windows 8 Upgrade

At the end phase of the installation when Windows 7 asks your initial user name and Windows 8 starts the Personalization phase, do not enter a username or a computer name but instead press CTRL + SHIFT + F3 to make Windows to reboot to Audit Mode:

In Vista and Windows 7:

In Windows 8:

After the reboot and automatic login as built-in administrator close the Sysprep dialog by clicking Cancel:

Step 2:

Customize Default User Profile

Install the applications you want to be ready for all users, do not install software that you want to install only for you. Create and edit IE favorites as you wish, or install another browser and set favorites and homepage to it. Modify desktop settings, wallpaper and colors, delete and add shortcuts, make the desktop and your Windows as you would like every new user account to have it.

   Note

Notice that pinned Taskbar items cannot be set now. Pinning simply does not survive the sysprep process.

When you have the Default User Profile set as you wish, open Windows Notepad and type or Copy / Paste following lines to a new document:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="[B][COLOR=darkred][HL]amd64[/HL][/COLOR][/B]" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="[B][COLOR=darkred][HL]wim:E:/sources/install.wim[/HL][/COLOR][/B][HL]#[B][COLOR=darkred]Windows 7 ULTIMATE[/COLOR][/B][/HL]" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Notice the two highlighted values in above answer file script:

• Line 4 > The value of the variable ProcessorArchitecture must be amd64 if you are installing a 64 bit Windows (even on Intel processors) and x86 if you are installing a 32 bit Windows
• Line 8 > The value of cpi:source must be as follows:
  • Path to install.wim file on your install media followed by # and the exact Windows version and edition. The original install media containing install.wim file must be on a drive when you sysprep the system later in Step 3
  • The install.wim is by default located in Sources folder > if the install DVD is on drive D: the path is D:\Sources\install.wim. Also important is to notice that whereas you normally would use the backslash (\) as folder separator in paths (D:\Sources\install.wim), the XML syntax uses slashes instead (D:/Sources/install.wim)
  • The version and edition information with capital letters as follows:
    • WINDOWS 7 HOMEPREMIUM
    • WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL
    • WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE
    • WINDOWS 7 ENTERPRISE
    • WINDOWS 8
    • WINDOWS 8 PRO
    • WINDOWS 8 ENTERPRISE
    • WINDOWS 8.1
    • WINDOWS 8.1 PRO
    • WINDOWS 8.1 ENTERPRISE

This answer file must be saved as an XML file on the root of an external media like for instance a USB stick. To do this, insert the media, select Save As from Notepad's File menu, select Save As Type as All Files, name the file as DefaultProfile.xml and save it:

Step 3:

Sysprep Windows

Put the original Windows install media on drive, insert the USB stick where the answer file is saved.

Open an elevated command prompt and type this:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /reboot /unattend:[HL]E:[/HL]\DefaultProfile.xml

Change the drive letter (highlighted above) accordingly so it points to your USB stick where the DefaultProfile.xml is saved. If you are preparing a Windows image to be captured for deployment, change the /reboot switch to /shutdown. Press Enter to start the sysprep process.

When Sysprep is ready, Windows boots normally and continues the last phase of installation you interrupted by booting to the Audit Mode. Alternatively if the /shutdown switch was used Windows shuts down allowing the image to be captured. Your Default User Profile will now be used when you create new user accounts.

Have Fun!

Kari

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Relocate User Profiles to another Partition or Disk in Windows 8
• How to Change the Default Location of a User Profile in Windows 7 and Vista
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/117308-user-folders-moving-user-folders-modular-script.html
• How to Change the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Restore the Default Location of Windows 7 User Folders
• How to Create Your Own Special User Folder

 

[Britton30]

I appreciate your work with Sysprep and Audit Mode. I'll be doing a clean new install and changing the motherboard and CPU in another while reusing the drives.

As a note, I have changed the graphics card a few times and no reactivation was needed. Others may have different experience though.

 

[cvcorv8]

I have set everything up through sysprep command but that does not help

 

[Kari]

I have set everything up through sysprep command but that does not help

Please see my response to you in your earlier thread:

I have set everything up through sysprep command but that does not help

If you follow the instructions told in that tutorial I mentioned in my first post to the letter, it sets a default home page and favorites for Internet Explorer for all future user accounts which will be created. Users can then later change these as they wish.

The instructions in the tutorial are 100% correct and valid. If you want to do this on an existing Windows installation you need to remember what I told earlier, also in my first post:

Notice that default user profile customization with Sysprep can only be done when no other user accounts exist than the Windows built-in administrator. Because of this limitation the customization should be done when installing, prior to creating any user accounts; if done later you need first reboot to Audit Mode and when there, remove all existing user accounts before using the Sysprep command.

If my tutorial is difficult to read and / or understand, you can find official Microsoft instructions in this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973289/en-us

The same official Microsoft support article in Dutch here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973289/nl-nl

EDIT: On an existing Windows setup, you can reboot to Audit Mode by giving this command in Command Prompt or the Run dialog (WIN + R):

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /audit /reboot

 

[RangerZ]

Hi Kari

I am trying to make sure I understand the wim file needed for the DefaultProfile.xml file. I have an HP 840 that did not come with CDs. I retrieved the WIM files from the OS, there were 2 on a bigger file. I a stripped out Win 7 Pro basic and another a more robust business version with HP trust center and other stuff. I can put this in a folder called source on my USB drive, but not sure if that is what I need.

I have a Win 7 PRO OEM disk that I assume will have a file, but it's not the file I installed the OS from.

Can you please guide me?

 

[Kari]

Hi Kari

I am trying to make sure I understand the wim file needed for the DefaultProfile.xml file. I have an HP 840 that did not come with CDs. I retrieved the WIM files from the OS, there were 2 on a bigger file. I a stripped out Win 7 Pro basic and another a more robust business version with HP trust center and other stuff. I can put this in a folder called source on my USB drive, but not sure if that is what I need.

I have a Win 7 PRO OEM disk that I assume will have a file, but it's not the file I installed the OS from.

Can you please guide me?

You can use the install.wim file from your OEM disk. Insert the disk in the DVD drive before sysprepping and make your answer file (the script) to point to that file, for example if your DVD drive is drive X:, point to X:\Sources\install.wim.

Kari

 

[RangerZ]

Thanks for the quick reply

I am running into another issue. When I hit the CTRL-SHIFT-F3 the system appears to shut down, restart and I see the message "Processing Cleanup Phase Sysprep Plugins" or similar, but the computer immediately shuts down and restarts as if it were new again.

Any ideas? Some other threads indicate a fatal message which I do not see. The extracted system is brand new, never booted before.

 

[Amistar]

Hello,

I got a few Questions:

1. can I install Symantec Entpoint Protection Client?
2. can I join a Domain?
3. do I have to do a Restart after every Installation and or Driver Pack?
4. Does the USB-Stick have to be in the USB-Port during Sysprep and Capture?
5. can i remove the CD from the Drive during Capture?
6. are any Windows-Updates needed?
7. what about the User-Mode-Driver Framework?(needed)
8. what about the Kernel-Mode-Driver Framework?(needed)

Thanks