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1. Logout as Administrator and login as ProfileSetup
2. Customize the user profile while logged in as ProfileSetup account (configure the desktop background, arrange icons, etc)Logout as Profile.  The following tips are optional:
   
   1. Download and run Autoruns.  This free utility will show you all of the things that run when the computer boots, a user logs in, etc. There are several things that can probably be disabled such as Windows Mail.

Copy the Customized Profile to Default

1. Logout as ProfileSetup and login as Administrator
2. Rename the ProfileSetup user profile folder to Default:Login as Administrator
   
   1. Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to C:\Users
   2. Rename the original default profile folder: C:\Users\Default -> C:\Users\DefaultOriginal
   3. Rename the customized profile folder: C:\Users\ProfileSetup -> C:\Users\Default
      Note: if you are unable to rename the ProfileSetup folder, reboot the computer, login as Administrator, and try again. Run the following command from a command prompt to reboot the computer:
      shutdown.exe -r -f -t 0
3. Copy the customized profile folder using the Windows profile copying utility:
   Note: Windows 7 only allows its built-in profile copying utility to be used to copy the default profile, not profiles of other user accounts. The profile you customized now resides in the default profile location (C:\Users\Default) so the utility can now be used to make a copy of it.
   1. Open Control Panel > System and Security > System
   2. Click Advanced system settings on the left
   3. Click the Settings... button under User Profiles
   4. Highlight Default Profile
   5. Click Copy To…
      1. Copy profile to: C:\Users\DefaultCopy
      2. Click Change under Permitted to use
      3. Enter Everyone and click OK
      4. Click OK
4. Replace the original customized profile directory with the one created by the Windows profile copying utility
   Note: C:\Users\Default contains the original customized profile. The same profile also resides in C:\Users\DefaultCopy. The DefaultCopy folder is the one which has had the Windows profile copying utility transformations applied to it.
   1. Open Windows Explorer
   2. Delete the “C:\Users\Default folder
   3. Rename the folder: C:\UsersDefaultCopy -> C:\Users\Default
5. Delete the ProfileSetup account:
   1. Open Control Panel > Add or remove user accounts
   2. Click on the ProfileSetup account
   3. Click Delete the account
   4. Click Delete Files
   5. Click Delete Account

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Any new local user accounts created on the computer should receive a user profile configured with the customizations you made to the Profile account.

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Configure the User Account Picture (Optional)

1. Navigate to the directory: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures
   (Note: you will need to enable "Show hidden files" to see this directory)
2. Rename user.bmp to something such as user-original.bmp
3. Copy the .bmp file you want used as the account picture to this directory and name it user.bmp

Force the Desktop Background to Appear on Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 (Optional)

1. Run gpedit.msc
   1. Navigate to User Configuration > Windows Settings > Scripts
   2. Double-click Logon
   3. Click Add
      1. Script Name: reg.exe
      2. Script Parameters: DELETE "HKCU\Remote\1\Control Panel\Desktop" /v Wallpaper /f
   4. Click OK twice
      
   5. Run gpupdate.exe /force

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

Create a

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Profile Configuration Account

1. While logged on as Administrator , create a local Windows user account named Profile and add it to the Administrators group
2. Configure the profile:
   1. Log on as Profile
   2. Make desired profile, desktop, and application changes
   3. Log out

Copy the

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Customized Profile to "Default User"

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1. Log back on as Administrator
2. Rename the C:\Documents and Settings\Default User directory to something like Default User Original
3. Open the Control Panel
4. Open System Properties
5. Select the Advanced tab
6. Click the Settings button next to User Profiles
7. Select Profile's profile, click Copy To :
   Copy profile to: C:\Documents and Settings\Default User
   Permitted to use: add the Everyone group
8. Click OK

Clean up the

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Profile Configuration Account

1. Delete the Profile user
2. Delete C:\Documents and Settings\Profile

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