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Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

Create a 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 profile to "Default User":

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 profile configuration account:

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

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Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008

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1. Download and edit the RDP file for your imaging reservation from the VCL website to allow desktop backgrounds or else you won’t be able to change the desktop background color
   1. Right-click on the .rdp file and select Edit
   2. Click on the Experience tab  tab
   3. Select LAN (10 Mbps or higher)
   4. Make sure Enable the checkbox next to Desktop background is enabled
      Image Added
      
   5. Click on the General tab
   6. Click Save
2. Login to the VCL reservation as Administrator
3. Configure Windows Explorer to show hidden and system file
   1. Open Windows Explorer
   2. Click Organize > Folder and search options
   3. Select the View tab
   4. Select the radio button next to Show hidden files, folders, and drives
   5. Click OK

Create a profile configuration account:

1. Create a new local user account named Profile ProfileSetup (Note: the name does not matter but should be something that would not match another string in the stock Windows registry. You will be searching the registry for the name of the user you use to configure the profile. Using a unique name will make this easier.)
   1. Open Control Panel > Add or remove user accounts
   2. If there is already an account named Profile ProfileSetup and you want to start over with a new account, delete the existing account and then create a new one:
      1. Click on the Profile ProfileSetup user
      2. Click Delete the account
      3. Click Delete Files
      4. Click Delete Account
   3. Click Create a new account
   4. Enter the account name: Profile ProfileSetup
   5. Click the radio button next to Administrator
   6. Click Create Account
2. Set the password for the Profile ProfileSetup account
   1. Click on the Profile ProfileSetup account
   2. Click Create a password
   3. Enter the password and click Create password
3. Configure the user profile for the Profile ProfileSetup account
   1. Logout as Administrator and login as Profile ProfileSetup
   2. Customize the user profile for the Profile accountwhile logged in as ProfileSetup account (configure the desktop background, arrange icons, etc)
   3. Logout as Profile

Copy the profile to "Default":

1. Rename the Profile ProfileSetup user profile folder to Default:
   1. Login as Administrator
   2. Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to C:\Users
   3. Rename the original default profile folder: C:\Users\Default -> C:\UsersDefault Original\DefaultOriginal
   4. Rename the customized profile folder: C:\UsersProfile \ProfileSetup -> C:\Users\Default
      Note: if you are unable to rename the Profile 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
2. 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\Default CopyDefaultCopy
      2. Click Change under Permitted to use
      3. Enter Everyone and click OK
      4. Click OK
3. 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\Default CopyDefaultCopy. The Default Copy 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:\UsersDefault Copy DefaultCopy -> C:\Users\Default
4. Delete the Profile ProfileSetup account:
   1. Open Control Panel > Add or remove user accounts
   2. Click on the Profile ProfileSetup account
   3. Click Delete the account
   4. Click Delete Files
   5. Click Delete Account

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

How to Force the Desktop Background to Appear on Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008

1. Run gpedit.msc
   1. Navigate to User Configuration > 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
   5. Run gpupdate.exe /force

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

Create a 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 profile to "Default User":

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 profile configuration account:

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

You can then create another account and log in using it to make sure your profile settings take affect for new users. Be sure to delete it once you're done testing.