WCL317 Make your client look good: Customizing Windows 7 in the Enterprise

2. Required Slide WCL317Make your client look good:Customizing Windows 7 in the Enterprise Raymond P.L. Comvalius IT Infrastructure Specialist Invendows BV – The Netherlands Raymond.Comvalius@invendows.nl

3. Agenda • Introduction • Enterprise vs OEM customization • Basic Branding • Windows Help • Custom Themes • Logon UI and Wallpaper • Default User Profile • Libraries • Other

4. Introducing Raymond Comvalius • Consultant, Trainer, and Author • Specialties • Windows Server and Client • Network Services • Security • Virtualization • Blog: www.xpworld.com • Twitter: @xpworld • Editor for bink.nu • www.books4brains.com • www.mvp-press.com

5. Enterprise vs OEM Customization OEM Customization Enterprise Customizations Not so well documented Rather not in the image Partly documented in the Automated Installation Kit (AIK) Should be flexible/manageable For corporate use • Well documented in the OEM Pre-Installation Kit (OPK) • Image based customization • Remains static • Home User Customizations

6. Enterprise customization tooling • Active Directory • Group Policy • Force settings (grayed out for users) • Group Policy Preferences • Define default settings or force at each logon (not grayed out) • Copy files • Set specific registry settings • Fill ini-files • Configure Power Management • Much more… • Advanced filtering options

7. Basic OS branding • Add OEM Information in computer properties • Use GPP for registry entries or deploy with unattend.xml • HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OEMInformation • Manufacturer • Model • SupportHours • SupportPhone • SupportURL • Logo

8. Customizing Windows Help • Windows Help Authoring • Edit content in AML (Assistance Markup Language) • Compile help files with apcompnt.exe (x86 only) • Enabling custom help • Create C:\Windows\Help\HelpConfig.xml • Install one of these features: • CorporationHelpCustomization • OEMHelpCustomization • Managing custom Help • Replace compiled content • Disable and re-enable customization feature

9. Deploying Custom Help Demo

10. Themes • What’s in a theme • Wallpaper(s) • Window Colors and Gradients • Sounds • Screen Saver • Enable/Disable Logon UI Customization • Creating a custom theme • Deploying a custom theme 7 7 7

11. Default User Tile • Shows in Start Menu, Logon UI and Lock Screen • Replace C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\user.bmp • 128 x 128 pixels • Easy to deploy with Group Policy Preferences

12. Logon UI • Logon wallpaper • Store files in %windir%\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds • Per resolution or as backgroundDefault.jpg • JPG must be < 256 KB • HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background\OEMBackground (DWORD) = 1 • Font contrast • HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\ButtonSet (DWORD) = [0, 1, 2] • How Microsoft supplied Windows 7 themes break logon UI customization 7 7

13. Customizing themes and the logon UI Demo

14. Customizing the Default User Profile • How to create a custom default profile • Use CopyProfile=True in unattend.xml • Edit NTUser.dat • Alternatively: Use Group Policy Preferences • When roaming: remove link to profile from the Start Menu • Store locally or in the Domain • More information at http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/springboard/archive/2009/10/30/configuring-default-user-settings-full-update-for-windows-7.aspx

15. What you cannot configure in the default profile • Pin to Task Bar • Notification Area icons • Default list of recently used programs in the Start Menu • Keyboard, Language and Regional Settings 7 7

16. What you can configure in the default profile • (Some) user hive registry settings • Default Theme • Pin to Start Menu • Libraries configuration 7

17. Customizing the default profile Demo

18. Libraries • Opportunity to consolidate data for the end-user • Limited management from Group Policy • Search-enabled by default • Local data is automatically indexed. Also when cached • Requires Windows Search Service on the W2K8 or W2K8R2 file server • Windows Desktop Search 4.0 on Windows Server 2003/XP • Non-windows file servers may force you to disable indexing • Windows Search is not supported with Distributed File Services (DFS) 7

19. Customizing Libraries Demo

20. There is more to customize Power Management Internet Explorer Security More… Driver Support Regional Settings System Recovery Search

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22. © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.