Windows 10: Customize Default User Profile for New Accounts in Windows 10

How to: Customize Default User Profile for New Accounts in Windows 10

How to Customize Default User Profile for New Accounts in Windows 10



Information Default User Profile is stored in a hidden folder in main profile folder Users. When a new user is created, either when installing Windows or any time later, Windows uses this default profile as base for the new user profile. The dafault user profile contains all desktop settings and customizations as well as applications the administrator who has set up the computer want each new user to have.

As you might know Windows does not create the user folders for a new user instantly when the user account is created; instead the user profile folder is first created when the new user signs in to Windows first time. This is why the first sign in to a new user account takes a bit longer, Windows needs some time to copy the default profile to new user profile and create the user.

In this tutorial we customize the default user profile to create a highly customized profile for each new user of the computer.



Note The customization process is already explained for most parts in Ten Forums tutorial System Image - Create Hardware Independent System Image. However as that imaging tutorial is meant to show how to create a system image for later deployment (installation) of Windows, I think a separate tutorial for customizing the default user profile is needed. Parts One to Three in this tutorial are exactly the same than in the imaging tutorial mentioned, only parts Four and Five are different.

CONTENTS:

Part One: Install Windows
Part Two: Customize Default User Profile
Part Three: Create an Unattended Answer File
Part Four: Run Sysprep
Part Five: Finalize installation




Part One [/i] Install Windows, enter Audit Mode

1.1) Boot your computer or virtual machine normally from a valid Windows install media

1.2) Follow the steps in our installation tutorial until you reach Step 15 and see this screen:



1.3) Do not click any buttons nor press Enter. Instead press CTRL + SHIFT + F3 (press and hold down both CTRL and SHIFT keys, press F3, release all keys)

1.4) Windows reboots now entering a so called Audit Mode using the built-in administrator account. When Windows Desktop will be shown you'll notice the System Preparation Tool dialog in the middle of your screen. Close it for now by pressing the Cancel button:






Part Two [/i] Customize Default User Profile

2.1) You can now change the Windows colors, sounds, wallpaper and theme, icon placing and folder view options. You can set Internet Explorer home page and favorites, install applications and so on

2.2) For this tutorial I did the following customizations (numbers in screenshot, see explanations below):

1. Placed shortcuts for Mail and News app and PC Settings to desktop
   
2. Installed VLC Player and Office 2013 Professional. As Office 2013 can be installed without a product key which is first asked when one of the programs in Office suite is launched first time, it can be included in this image and only needs a product key when image is deployed to a computer and its user wants to use Office. If user does not need or want Office, it can then be easily uninstalled. Placed VLC and Office shortcuts to bottom left
   
3. Set Explorer icon view = large icons, set ribbon to be shown, added Libraries to Explorer left pane tree view
   
4. Added my favorite forums to IE favorites
   
5. Changed the default homepage to https://www.tenforums.com/
   
6. Changed the wallpaper and theme colors

2.3) You can change and customize quite a lot but there are a few things that can't be set now for default user profile. Pinned Taskbar icons and Start Menu / Start Screen items for instance will not be copied to default user profile. A rule of thumb: You can customize everything related to themes, fonts, colors, sounds, icons, desktop and IE. You cannot customize anything on Start Menu and Taskbar.




Part Three [/i] Create an Unattended Answer File

3.1) We are almost ready. We just need a so called Unattended Answer File, a set of instructions in an XML script file to tell Sysprep what we want it to do. An answer file must follow strict syntax rules and it contains all command we want to pass to Sysprep in order to modify the Windows image as we want to.

I have prepared the answer file needed for this procedure. Copy and paste the below code to a new file in Notepad:

Code:

Change the following details if needed (see the parts in red in above code):

• The value of variable ProcessorArchitecture must be "amd64" if you are installing a 64 bit Windows regardless of if you have an Intel or AMD processor, and "x86" if you are installing a 32 bit Windows
• The value in CopyProfile tags must be True if you want the customizations to be copied to default user profile
• On the last line of code, change the location of Windows 10 install media. In this example the media is on drive X:
• Following the install media location, separated with #, see that you have the Windows version correctly (Windows 10 HOME, PRO, EDUCATION or ENTERPRISE)
• Notice that the installation media must be present when we continue with Sysprep!

Tip

Warning The below tip describing how to relocate the main profile folder Users does not work in Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 9879; if applied to this build the Sysprep will fail. Use this method to relocate Users if sysprepping Build 9841 or 9860. For advanced users:

I like to use Sysprep and an answer file to completely relocate the main user profile folder Users to another disk, to save space on C: drive. The method is described more in-depth in tutorial here but if you want to, you can easily add the relocation commands to above answer file. See the below example answer file, the lines in red are the additional lines needed in order to tell Sysprep to move the C:\Users to D:\Users. This answer file would not only customize the default user profile but also move the complete Users folder to another drive:
Code:

The new location of the Users folder must be told in <ProfilesDirectory>D:\Users</ProfilesDirectory> tags, in this case D:\Users.

3.2) Save the file as an XML file to root of any drive except C:. In this example I save the answer file there as D:\customize.xml:



3.3) Close the Notepad




Part Four [/i] Run Sysprep

4.1) Press WIN + X, select Command Prompt (Admin). To ensure that WMP Network Sharing Service is stopped, give the following command:

net stop wmpnetworksvc

The service is most probably not running but if it is, it will now be stopped. When this service is running, Sysprep fails.

4.2) Now the Sysprep command itself. Type the following:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /reboot /unattend:d:\customize.xml

The above command tells system to run the Sysprep from Windows\System32\Sysprep folder reading instructions from the unattended answer file D:\customize.xml, generalize Windows (remove all hardware related information), prepare the computer for an OOBE boot (OOBE = the first boot of newly installed Windows) and finally reboot the computer when ready:




4.3) Hit Enter, you will see Sysprep starting to do its magic and when done, reboots the computer:








Part Five [/i] Finalize Windows installation

5.1) Windows boots now to so called OOBE mode, continuing the setup and installation from where we left it to enter Audit Mode in Part One Step 1.2

5.2) Finalize the installation normally as told in Ten Forums tutorial https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...ll.html#step12, starting from Step 12

5.3) When you arrive at Windows 10 Desktop first time you'll notice that all customizing we did in Audit Mode is there. The apps you installed, theme and colors, icons there where you put them, wallpaper, everything.

See the screenshot in Part Two Step 2.2 and compare it to this screenshot after I arrived to desktop first time after installation:

1. Shortcuts for Mail and News app and PC Settings are where we placed them
   
2. Installed apps VLC Player and Office 2013 Professional there, shortcuts exactly where we placed them
   
3. Explorer icon view = large icons, ribbon shown, added Libraries in Explorer left pane tree view, exactly as set in Audit Mode customization
   
4. Favorites as we set them, homepage https://www.tenforums.com/ as set
   
5. If you did as told in the tip for advanced users in Part Three Step 3.1, the main profile folder has been moved to D:

5.4) Last check: Let's create a new local user and login to that account. As we can see, everything really works as we wanted, the new user has all the customizations in his profile as the screenshot shows (I just moved the app shortcuts to show the Start Menu):



5.5) Notice that the synchronization settings of an Microsoft Account override all other customizations. When a Microsoft Account is used to sign in to Windows 10 and following settings are enabled, they override all other customizations:



Customizations work only if the above sync settings are disabled, and on all local user accounts.



That's it, all future user accounts on your computer start with a highly customized profile .

Kari


Related Tutorials

• How to Delete User Profile of an Account in Windows 10

:)

 

How to Customize the default user profile in win 10 like ie settings,start menu,desktop icons and taskbar icons

How to Customize the default user profile in win 10 like IE settings(quit installation), start menu, desktop icons and taskbar icons.

parthi

 

New Account/User Issues

Hi,

When you create a new user account, Windows uses the Default user profile as a template to construct the files for the newly created user account. You might be experiencing issues creating new accounts due to a corrupt Default profile. To
resolve the issue, we suggest reinstating the Default folder in the
Users directory by following these steps:

• Log in as an administrator.
• Open the C:\Users folder using Windows Explorer.
• Rename the Default user profile folder to Default.OLD.
• Download a zip of C:\Users\Default from a Windows 10 installation that doesn't have this problem.
  
• Unzip the non-corrupt Default profile into C:\Users.
• Try logging in to the new user account and check if the problem is resolved.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

You can save it where you want to, also on C: drive. I will edit the tutorial as soon as I find some time, thanks for pointing out an unclear detail in it.



Tip When sysprep is run and no path to an answer file is given ( the /unattend switch), syspreps looks for an answer file unattend.xml in C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep folder. In other words, if you save your answer file as unattend.xml in C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep folder, you can forget the last switch in command told in tutorial and simply use one of the following commands:

• If you want to let your reference computer to reboot to OOBE / Welcome Mode:
  • sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /reboot
• If you want to shutdown Windows after the sysprep to be able to capture the image for deployment:
  • sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown

In both cases the /unattendath_To_AnswerFile switch is not needed because sysprep finds the unattend.xml answer file in C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep folder.

 

Does anyone know why he CopyProfile flag doesn't work? I've been using sysprep for years, and I still can't get Windows 10 (including the latest build in Nov) to work. Some items from my unattend.xml are executed, but the CopyProfile never.

 

CopyProfile works for me each time, although it has a minor bug: All future user profiles get the built-in admin desktop in Quick Access, and the built-in admins recent files shown in File Explorer. To avoid that I remove the desktop from Quick Access and Recent files before sysprepping.

 

I'm afraid I'm not following you on how the Desktop in Quick Access would give you the same wallpaper. My problem is not one of my "customizations" make it through sysprep. I like to show file extensions and hidden folders, and a custom desktop/wallpaper (for example). None of those setting make it through CopyProfile. Custom Homepage in IE and Favorites, some data for OEM Info, no issue. Wallpaper, and Explorer settings, never make it.

 

It works when done correctly, made this video now to show it. The video has no bells and whistles, no narration, no music, just a bunch of explaining texts.

Start situation: I have installed Windows rebooting to Audit Mode from the Settings dialog. I have customized the Desktop and File Explorer and am ready to sysprep.

[youtube]81p7M8dd5yo[/youtube]

What I told about Quick Access and recent files can be seen starting at 4 minute mark.

 

Hi! In section 3.1, What's the proper version syntax in place of #WINDOWS TECHNICALPREVIEW, if I'm trying to do this on Windows 10 Enterprise? Thanks again, I'm going to try this out for sure!

 

My bad, I had not edited the tutorial since the Windows 10 was released in July. Check the step 3.1 again, I have now edited it to show correct options.

 

Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes! I'm building up an image on Monday for a faculty refresh. Thanks for helping California Students!

 

You are welcome. You might want to read this tutorial before you start: Windows 10 Image - Customize in Audit Mode with Sysprep - Windows 10 Forums.

The CopyProfile component in Answer File has a small bug; it works as told in this tutorial and the one I mentioned above but since a few last builds of Windows 10 it leaves the end users the built-in admin's Desktop and Recent Files in File Explorer's Quick Access. I've addressed this issue with a solution in the above mentioned tutorial thread (the quotes below show a question from another member about this issue and my response to it):

The batch file explained:

• echo Y | = Pipes (sends) a letter Y to the command given after the Pipe (|) character
• del %appdata%\microsoft\windows\recent\automaticdestinations\* = Resets the Quick Access to defaults. This command expects the user to enter either Y for Yes or N for No. As the Y will be in this case piped, user interaction is not needed but instead the Y will be entered automatically
• del %0 = Deletes the batch file itself after it has been run. Leaving this away, not deleting the batch file, would reset the Quick Access every time the user signs in

File is now saved in built-in admin's Startup folder, which will be copied among other customizations to Default User Profile when you sysprep with CopyProfile set TRUE using the /generalize switch.

Now whenever a new user account will be created, be it the initial user created in OOBE or any user created anytime later, the batch will be run once for each user resetting the Quick Access to defaults and then removing itself.[/quote]

 

Is there any way to copy over customized settings as well, such as all the privacy settings?

 

Hello Kari

Thanks for your very helpful and detailed tutorials -- I know and read them quite a while know. I started to roll out Windows 10 Pro in our company and for that I build an image with DISM where all of our needed software and tools are installed. I also build an autounattend.xml file to format the HD and stuff. And I also used the <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile> switch so that every user gets some standards.
I build the profile in Audit Mode when I am logged in as Administrator and also started nearly every program so that later on the standard user won't get nagged with Start Screens, or English menus instead of German and so on.

Unfortunatly I found out that with this default profile the IE11 do not work flawlessly. When you start some simple Websites everything is fine. But when you start some "complex" Sites like tagesanzeiger.ch: Nichts verpassen or SPIEGEL ONLINE - Aktuelle Nachrichten you receive an "The website stopped working" error message and IE11 had to be closed or restarts. I tried to reset the IE settings, or other tips I found but nothing helped.

Since using the CopyProfile switch is a recomended method from MS, I like to ask if you experienced the same behaviour or much better a solution to get IE11 running again.

Thanks in advance for your help, have a great time.

-- Hudson

 

I am trying to figure out how to do some of this system admin work for our company and am relying completely on tutorials. I don't have any prior knowledge of this type of stuff...so please excuse my ignorant questions..

We have a computer that is in a conference room and would like to set it up to have a default user profile for users the first time they use the computer. It is a Dell computer that came pre-installed with Win10 and we have already gone through the OOBE experience.

Is this the correct process for creating that default profile on the computer? Or is there some simpler way that I am missing? If this is the correct tutorial for this process - do I just use the 'Backup and Restore' function to create a new image (wim file) and reference that from my answer file?

Thanks!