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

Here's the tutorial for setting up Hyper-V: Hyper-V virtualization - Setup and Use in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Hi Kari.

Following on from my earlier question:
:
I noticed that Windows 10 has installed the System Reserved partition on my second (Aux) drive which is a 500GB spinner. I didn't choose this and the OS itself has been correctly installed the 'primary' SSD drive which I did specify. I was going to reinstall, but thought that perhaps there's a good reason for this since both drives were unformatted empty space. Is this the best configuration?Kari:
System reserved partitions are as the name says a system partition. There's no reason to be worried about them, nor should they be removed. Thay are so small they do not affect your storage capacity.

:
My comment about the System Reserved partition was not that there's any problem with it - like you say it's very small. I just wondered why Windows chose to put this on the second drive which is a 500GB spinner when the rest of the OS is on the first drive, a 256GB SSD, which is the location I specified during install. Is this normal? Is Windows doing this for a good reason? Maybe the SR partition doesn't need to be on the primary partition and Windows has put it on the HDD to conserve space on the primary partition? ...or maybe it's function is better served in a location that's physically separate from the primary? Just curious to know, really.

Kari:
I have pretty much given up to understand the placement of System reserved, and various recovery partitions created in UEFI systems. My policy: Windows knows what it is doing.

:
You may well be right about that, but not being sure or knowing why is a bit of a leap of faith. As I said, it's likely there's a good reason Windows has put the System Reserved partition on my second drive, but I've not seen it do this before and it seems both illogical and contrary to what I understand is common good practice. For example, what happens when it comes to doing an image backup of the system - I'd normally include all OS partitions in a backup and since the image is best saved to a physically separate drive, I'd have to exclude the SR partition because it's already located on the target drive.

I'd like to take your advice and leave it alone, but as you can see, it's not that simple. Do you think it would be worth posting a new topic about this on TenFoums?

In the meantime I'll see if I can get some input from Macrium on this.

I'm glad I looked into this further. Here's the conversation with Macrium:

...okay, well I tried to include the conversation with Macrium (redacting as necessary), but after 30 minutes of trying I can't seem to find a way to do this that includes the in-line screen shots and preserves some degree of formatting/control. Any ideas for doing this?

The bottom line is that I was right that the SR partition should be on the same physical drive as the rest of the OS if only from a backup point of view of taking a backup image.

Even though I'd specified the SSD as the install location in the Windows installation wizard, the fact that the HDD was connected and selected by default in a 'secondary' boot sequence menu in the BIOS of this mobo meant that the SR partition got installed there. Macrium's suggestion was to disconnect the HDD during install, although once I'd found this setting and changed it, I did get the installation with bot partitions on the SSD without having to disconnect the HDD.

Windows may know what it's doing, but it's not doing a very good job here. Just as well I bothered to look in Disk Management.

.

 

I use several cloud-based storage services (currently Dropbox, OneDrive Personal, OneDrive Business and Google Drive) and would like to include one or more of these in my customisation if possible.

I know that OneDrive personal is part of Windows, but I don't think the new sync client (NGSC) is included yet, so this upgrade would have to be done at this stage if I wanted include in my customisation.

Is it possible to install these clients under the Administrator account in Audit Mode?

.

 

Hi

Can I create the answer file on my normal PC and then use the answer file on my tablet, where I create the customized image with Sysprep and DISM? Or do I have to install Windows ADK on my tablet?



Best regards,

 

You can create an answer file on any computer and use on any other computer / Windows installation. An example: When the first preview versions of Windows 10 was released October 2014, I used my Windows 8.1 to install Windows 10 ADK and create Windows 10 answer files, which I then saved on a flash drive to use in my WIndows 10 customization tests.

 

Hi Kari

Thanks for your response.

But I have one more question about that. At the very end of the part in your tutorial you check the answer file. On the last line there is the location of the .wim file. When I want to use this answer file with another pc and Windows installation do I have to edit this path?

This is what I actually do with my devices:
I boot the tablet in Audit Mode and make some changes. After this I use Sysprep. Then I boot from our Recovery Stick we got from the manufacturer and capture the Image with DISM. At the very end of that I copy the new .swm files to my USB device and boot other devices with the new captured Image.

(All settings and programs will be saved but I need also to capture the user settings e.g. Desktop, Startmenue, etc.)



Best regards,

 

The CPI offline image line in answer file is not obligatory, it can be deleted.

The example answer file as in this tutorial, unnecessary line highlighted:

Code: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"> <settings pass="specialize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" 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> <cpifflineImage cpi:source="wim:X:/sources/install.wim#Windows 10 Pro" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> </unattend>[/quote]
You can remove that line and use the same answer file like this on any computer as long as the Windows version, edition and bit architecture remain the same:

Code: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"> <settings pass="specialize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" 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> </unattend>[/quote]
To create an answer file we needed a catalog file. That was created from the install.wim file. When answer file is done, we have no longer need for it, nor do we need to service an offline image. Therefore, although that line is OK to leave in answer file showing either the path to the catalog file, or path to an install.wim file, it is in no means necessary and can be completely removed.

I hope this answers your question.

 

Already said thanks on other post but this one goes more in detail about subject so have to give credit were credit is due!! Thank you once again Kari!!

 

Hi Kari
I am in the process of doing your customization with Win 10 Enterprise build 1607. After sysprep OOB the pc just keeps rebooting. I'm a little confused as to what I have to a answer file. At one point in your post, it changes. Below is my answer file that I copied from your post. I put my answer file on a thumb drive.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="specialize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" 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 : fflineImage cpi:source="wim:X:/sources/install.wim#Windows 10 Pro" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

 

Hi Mark, welcome to Ten Forums.

This tutorial is a "child product" of complete Windows 10 install image customization tutorial. My sincere recommendation is you take first a look of that walkthrough tutorial, especially watch the videos in it to see if you do something differently.

The tutorial in question is here: Windows 10 Image - Customize in Audit Mode with Sysprep - Windows 10 Forums

 

Thank you. I put the unattend.xml in the sysprep folder on the C drive, ran the sysprep command. The pc is still in a reboot cycle after the settings page. I don't have a .wim file, do I need one?

 

No, you don't need wim file. In fact you can completely remove CPI source reference from answer file, the highlighted part:

If you have a preinstalled OEM Windows I recommend to restore a system image and forget this procedure, some OEM installations have other measures in place preventing successful sysprep.

If Windows is clean installed by you, you have two options: either re-install or restore a system image and try again, or re-install and forget this procedure.

 

Kari,
Thank you for posting this thread. I followed the steps provided to create a deployable image; but have encountered an error.
The copyprofile process creates a situation where the "Windows Search" button located on the taskbar and start menu does not work. Has anyone encountered this and do you have a fix?
Thank you,

 

This is an interesting tutorial.

I had a problem yesterday of not being able to create a new user account on my desktop PC following installing the Anniversary Update. This was due to a corrupt default user profile. I corrected the problem by copying the default user profile from my Laptop running the AU version. I don't know the best way to restore the default user profile - see https://www.tenforums.com/user-accou...tml#post888553

Should I use your method to create a new unmodified default user profile or just copy one of the sources mentioned in my link above?

 

Hello Kari The Finn,
I am from Brazil and I am homologating Windows 10 PRO in the company where I work I need to get a big doubt, I made the processes as informed up everything worked properly the profile copy, but when I create another user it correctly appears the customizations that I did before , Only that I need that does not appear to me the standard applications of Windows 10 ex. (GET THE OFFICE, GET THE SKYPE Etc ...), when I was in authoring mode customizing Windows I got to remove all these apps, but when, would there be some way for me to do not show these apps to the Other user I create.