How to create a Default profile in Windows 7

1. Install Windows 7.

2. Type a user name (in this example, Seven Forums). This will eventually become your new Default profile.

3. Once logged in for the first time, enable the built-in Administrator account. You can do this by doing one of the following: Click Start. Right click Computer. Click Manage. Double click Local Users and Groups. Click Users. Double click Administrator. Uncheck Account is disabled. Click Apply and then OK. or Click Start then type cmd. Press Control+Alt+Enter. Click Yes to the User Account Control prompt (this will run cmd as Administrator which is required for the next step). Type net user Administrator /active then press enter.

4. Log off and then login as Administrator. 5. Install all your required applications and printers etc (but dont worry about configuring them all just yet). 6. Restart your computer and then login as the user that you created at step 2 (in this example Seven Forums). 7. Setup this profile with your preferred preferences, settings, and customizations etc I try and setup only the bare essentials like browser settings and software that may go through a mini setup on first run like iTunes. This ensures a quicker experience for users and keeps the Default profile size to a minimum.

Personalize your Desktop Background and Screen Saver etc Right click Unsaved Theme and click Save theme for sharing (example below).

Save the file name as Default (or whatever you like) to the Desktop (or wherever you like). Now change the theme by clicking on the Windows 7 Aero Theme (this will allow you to delete the Unsaved Theme).

Right click Unsaved Theme and click Delete theme (example below) and click Yes when prompted to Delete File.

Double click on Default (on your Desktop or wherever you saved it?) This will install it as the Default theme for the Default profile. I found this to be the most reliable way to apply Personalization to a Default profile. Other methods I have tried failed for standard user accounts whereas this method works for all users. A standard user account takes a little longer to apply the Default theme, but it works!

8. Clean up any temp files and user specific files that are not required in the Default profile (like the default entry in Contacts). I also use third party software like Crap Cleaner (optional) to further reduce the size of the Default profile. 9. Restart your computer and then login as Administrator. 10. Click Start then Computer. Click Organize then Folder and search options. Click View tab and then select Show hidden files, folders, and drives. Uncheck Hide protected operating system files then click Yes to the Warning. Click Apply then OK. 11. Double click Local Disk (C:) then Users. Rename Default to Default.bak (This will be used as a backup so DO NOT delete it!) 12. Make a copy of the users folder that you created in step 2 (in this example Seven Forums). Click Seven Forums, Organize, Copy, Organize, then Paste. 13. Rename Seven Forums - Copy folder to Default. 14. Click Start then type regedit then enter. 15. Double click HKEY_USERS then click File from the menu then Load Hive 16. Click Computer, double click Local Disk (C:), Users, Default, NTUSER.DAT. 17. Enter a Key Name. I entered PROFILE then click OK (or you can use whatever name you like). 18. Double click PROFILE, Software, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, Explorer. 19. Click Shell Folders and delete all values except (Default) and !Do not use this registry key (which are the first 2 values). 20. Click Yes to the prompt then collapse all open keys all the way back to PROFILE (make sure PROFILE is highlighted).

21. Click File from the menu then Export Click Desktop then enter a File name to save as. I entered PROFILE then click Save. 22. Minimize the Registry Editor window. 23. Right click on the file that you just saved to the desktop (in this example PROFILE) then click Edit. 24. Click Edit from the menu then click Replace 25. In Find what: enter the user name you created in step 2 (in this example Seven Forums). In Replace with: enter the word Default then click Find Next. If you have done this correctly then you should see the name of the user that you created in step 2 (in this example Seven Forums) highlighted. If this is the case then you can safely click Replace All. If not then you have made a mistake somewhere? 26. Close the Replace window then click File from the menu then Save. Now close notepad. 27. Merge the changes you have made by double clicking PROFILE (or whatever you named it) on the desktop then click Yes and then OK to the following prompts. 28. Restore the Registry Editor window. PROFILE should still be highlighted, but if not, click PROFILE, File, Unload Hive 29. Click Yes to the prompt then close the Registry Editor window. 30. Delete the contents in C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Protect before you sysprep your machine. Now your Default profile is complete and is ready to be tested. You can either delete the users profile you created in step 2 (in this example Seven Forums) and login again as Seven Forums to test it, or you can create a new user account (both an admin account and a standard to be sure) and login as both to test it. Enjoy