Creating a Default Network Profile

As explained earlier in this tutorial, when a user logs on to a Windows Vista or later computer for the first time, Windows tries to find a profile named Default User.v2 in the NETLOGON share on the domain controller authenticating the user. If Windows finds a profile named Default User.v2 in the NETLOGON share, this profile is copied to the user's computer to form the user's local profile on the computer. If Windows does not find a profile named Default User.v2 in NETLOGON, the Default profile under %SystemDrive%\Users on the user's computer is copied instead as the user's local profile.

To create a default network profile, follow these steps:

1. Log on to any computer running Windows Vista and later versions using the Administrator account or any account that has administrative credentials.
2. Configure the desktop settings, Start menu, and other aspects of your computer's environment as you want users who log on to Windows for the first time to experience them.
3. Create an Unattend.xml file that contains the Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup\ CopyProfile parameter and set this parameter to True in the specialized configuration pass.
4. At a command prompt, type the sysprep.exe /generalize /unattend:unattend.xml command. Running this command will copy any customizations you made to the default user profile and will delete the Administrator account.
5. Restart the computer and log on using the Administrator account. Click Start, rightclick Computer, select Properties, select Advanced System Settings, and then click Settings under User Profiles. The User Profiles dialog box opens.
6. Select Default Profile from the list of profiles stored on the computer and click Copy To. The Copy To dialog box opens.
7. Type \\domain_controller\NETLOGON\Default User.v2 in the Copy To dialog box.
8. Click Change, type Everyone, and then click OK twice to copy the local user profile you previously configured to the NETLOGON share as the default network profile Default User v.2.
9. Type \\domain_controller\NETLOGON in the Quick Search box and press Enter to open the NETLOGON share on your domain controller in a Windows Explorer window. Verify that the profile has been copied.

Note You may already have a Default User profile in NETLOGON that you created previously as a default network profile for users of computers running Windows XP or earlier versions. This network profile is not compatible with Windows Vista and later versions. See the section titled "Considerations for Mixed Environments" earlier in this tutorial for more information.