Customize Windows 10 Default Profile, Particularly Desktop and Tiles for Mass Deployment?
Hey Folks,
I am pretty new to imaging processes and Kace. I have read a lot of posts and done plenty of research but I am still struggling to customize the Windows 10 default profile for domain users after system deployment. I have seen many different suggestions and some saying it cannot be done.
Essentially, the objective is to customize the start tiles with common apps and shortcuts on a reference machine using Hyper V, have this reference copied to the default profile during sysprep and capture the image. Furthermore, have this customized tile menu available for all domain users on subsequent deployments using this image. I have played around with copying profiles, appdata, permissions etc and have yet to get it how I would like it.
I use an unattend.xml file using the Kace Sysprep builder with the 'Copy Profile' option checked for Sysprep. but this only seems to affect built in or local users and not domain users in my case of testing.
Has anyone else been successful with this scenario and can shed some light on the correct strategy for this?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mark
Answers (4)
To customize domain accounts (Taskbar icons, tiles, colors, fonts, even wallpapers) is better to go with GPO.
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Thank you. I actually stumbled upon something and tested this using a local policy on one of the machines and worked well. However, the tiles were unable to be unpinned from the tile/start menu. They could however be pinned/unpinned if I did a manual search in the all apps list. Have you seen this?
I read about a bit and some suggest it's how the policy works, but also that it could be a bug given there was a workaround to remove them by searching, - maherfed 7 years ago
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Hi, interesting, Do you have any URL to read about this? Are you referring to the unattended xml file? - Channeler 7 years ago
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Hi,
no, I read somewhere (I had a look but can't remember where I read it) that MS are moving away from the XML file for the start menu entries.. I'll keep looking to see if I can (re)find the reference... - Pressanykey 7 years ago
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My understanding is that the XML files will still work for group policy and creating a new default template, but overwriting the existing XML file won't work. I have not seen any updated documentation on how to configure the start menu and taskbar without using the XML file, so I'm assuming it will at least work through the Fall Creators Update. - chucksteel 7 years ago
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Hi Chuck,
it was more of a heads up than anything else. I use the "overwrite" the xml with a late stage custom task for all users, as I mentioned I have a standard load. I don't use the GPO method as in LTSB 1607 it prevented users making *any* changes. - Pressanykey 7 years ago
