Need autounattend.xml which puts profiles on D drive

[ruudboek]

I already have a working autounattend.xml available for Vista, which changes the profilesdirectory from C:\users to D:\users .

It does this by setting <ProfilesDirectory>D:\Users</ProfilesDirectory> during the oobeSystem pass.

I'm having a hard time to get this to work in windows 7.

Apparently the command "sysprep.exe /quiet /audit" to get into audit mode no longer works in windows 7.

I've found out that you now have to change the mode from OOBE to Audit in Microsoft-Windows-Deployment\Reseal, but i just don't know where to then put that Windows-Deployment\Reseal. Should it be in audit System or in audit User?

Basically what i want is this:

1. Change the profiles directory to D:\users.

2. Add a few registry settings to the default user, so that those registry will be valid for every newly created user.

If anyone has a working autounattend.xml that can do that, i would really appreciate it if they would be so kind to post it here.

[MrJinje]

From the unattend.chm

<FolderLocations>

<ProfilesDirectory>%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Profiles</ProfilesDirectory>

<ProgramData>%SYSTEMDRIVE%\ProgramData</ProgramData>

</FolderLocations>

There is the syntax. Doing so may bork you image slightly. Has big red warning at the top.

Caution:

This setting should be used only in a test environment. If you change the default location of the user-profile directories or program-data folders to a volume other than the system volume, you cannot service your image. Any updates, fixes, or service packs will not be applied to the installation.

For a list of known issues with this setting, see Description of known issues with the FolderLocation settings..

Using this setting to redirect folders to a drive other than the system volume blocks upgrades. Using ProfilesDirectory to point to a directory that is not the system volume will block SKU edition upgrades and upgrades to future versions of Windows®. For example, if you use Windows 7 Home Premium with ProfilesDirectory set to D:\, you will not be able to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate or to the next version of Windows. The servicing stack does not handle cross-volume transactions, and it blocks upgrades.

This means you won't be able to DISM /ADD-PACKAGES to your offline images anymore, not sure if that matters to you. Edited November 18, 2009 by MrJinje

[ruudboek]

@MrJinje, thx so much for your reply, i really appreciate it.

I don't think i need to be able to "DISM /ADD-PACKAGE".

However, i thought about this, maybe it would be better to simply change almost all the User Shell Folders in the registry to point D:\users\%username%.

So that will mean that ntuser.dat will remain in C:\users\%username% and My Documents, My pictures, etc. will point to D:\Users\%username%\My Documents, etc.

I would like that those registry entries will be set for every newly created user in windows 7.

Can you provide me with a working autounattend.xml that will add Current User registry settings to the default user, so that those registry will be valid for every newly created user?

[MrJinje]

Can you provide me with a working autounattend.xml that will add Current User registry settings to the default user, so that those registry will be valid for every newly created user?

Use <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile> during the Specialize Pass.

Detailed Info

Untested by me, report back if it works.

For actually pushing the reg settings, use setupcomplete.cmd

REGEDIT /S CUSTOM_SETTINGS.reg

If that doesn't work, it might be a little harder, but this looks promising.

[Major]

Hi, i have made my unattended windows 7, now i want to try importing the registry tweaks and installing applications. As i have read in the forum:

I have used setupcomplete.cmd to install the applications (2 app for testing) and the installation was ok.

for importing the tweaks for hkcu i have used firstlogoncommands and also was ok, but the problem when i have created a new account those tweaks were not applied even if i have used copyprofile (true).

Please is there a method to apply those tweaks HKCU to all users newly created?

an example of the tweaks:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000
"{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}"=dword:00000000
;----------------------------------[ Show Hidden Files and Extensions and Empty Drives ]-----------------------------------
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"Hidden"=dword:00000001
"HideFileExt"=dword:00000000
"HideDrivesWithNoMedia"=dword:00000000
;----------------------------------[ Don't Group Similar Taskbar Buttons ]-------------------------------------------------
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"TaskbarGlomLevel"=dword:00000002

Edited July 15, 2010 by Major

[Major]

I have used the method described in the article: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=284193.

but without successfull because when i create a new user, the tweaks are not applied to that new user, is there anyone who can help me please?

Thanks

[Major]

After reading various posts, the way i have founded to apply the tweaks described above to all users, is to call a file via setupcomplete.cmd

Here is my setupcomplete.cmd

cmdow @ /HID
@echo off
SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
REG ADD %KEY% /V TITLE /D "Instalando Aplicaciones" /f
..........
REG ADD %KEY%\060 /VE /D "RegTweaks" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\060 /V 1 /D "%AppsRoot%\Tweaks.cmd" /f
Rundll32.exe iernonce.dll,RunOnceExProcess
Exit

Tweaks.cmd:

@echo off
cd\
Start /wait REG LOAD "HKU\Test" "C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT"
Start /wait REG ADD HKU\Test\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce /v Regtweak /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d "%Windir%\Setup\Scripts\RegTweaks.cmd"
Start /wait REG UNLOAD "HKU\Test"
exit

Regtweaks.cmd

@echo off
cd\
start /wait Regedit /S "%windir%\Setup\Scripts\RegTweaks.reg"
exit

The method was successfull, then i created a new account to try it in the new account and was well. The only problem i have found, the UAC prompt me "The registry editor needs your permission to continue", then i had to click ok in order to execute it.

please is there a method to automate the executing of the file Regtweaks.cmd without user intervention? Or is there a batch file to run it as administrator?

Thanks

Edited July 17, 2010 by Major

[Major]

I have been reading in various sites but at this moment i have not found any script to do the trick: bypass UAC (without disabling UAC) when the file RegTweaks.cmd is executed.

Please, is there someone who can help me? i am very confusing at this step

[Major]

Sorry I don´t know if i am explaining well. I want to set some registry tweaks HKCU to all users. I have found some methods, but i decided to use the method described above: Run a script RunOnce per each user (the script contains the regedit of the tweaks). the method was successfull, but the only problem consist in the script it needs a permsission for the user to continue. i am wondering if is there a script to execute .reg file avoiding to click ok to continue?

i have read for HKCU, normally don´t need any permission to continue but in my case, it needs the permission to all users i have tried.

please if i can´t do what i want to do, is there another method to do the trick?

Thanks, really i have read a lot of sites and i am very confusing to choose the suitable method. (i don´t know if the method i have chosen is the suitable)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/284193/

http://blogs.technet.com/b/deploymentguys/archive/2009/10/29/configuring-default-user-settings-full-update-for-windows-7-and-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx

Edited July 18, 2010 by Major