You need to mount the DEFAULT user profile first:
reg load HKLM\DEFAULT c:\users\default\ntuser.dat
Then you can import or add your settings to the newly created HKLM\DEFAULT branch: (It's really important your path in reg add
doesn't have a trailing slash \
)
REM Advertising ID disabled
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AdvertisingInfo" /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
In your case, you can import a .reg file also - but you need to make sure you edit the .reg so that the paths are correct for your mount point:
regedit /s \\test.local\dfs\public\Deployment\Scripts\SetDefaults\Fix_An_app_default_was_reset_HKDU.reg
When you are done, unmount the DEFAULT registry hive:
reg unload HKLM\DEFAULT
Here is an example of a complete script I use to customize newly imaged Windows 10 computers, now that the 'CopyProfile' unattend.xml setting no longer works reliably. I couple this with other scripts, as well as a Windows 10 Provisioning Package.
@ECHO OFF
REM This script configured the DEFAULT user profile for all new users on the system
reg load HKLM\DEFAULT c:\users\default\ntuser.dat
REM Advertising ID disabled
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AdvertisingInfo" /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
REM Enable SmartScreen
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppHost" /v EnableWebContentEvaluation /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
REM Delivery optimization, disabled
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeliveryOptimization" /v SystemSettingsDownloadMode /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f
REM Do not hide system tray icons
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer" /v EnableAutoTray /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
REM Show known file extensions
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v HideFileExt /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
REM Remove search bar and only show
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" /v SearchboxTaskbarMode /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
REM Disable Game DVR
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\System\GameConfigStore" /v GameDVR_Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR" /v AppCaptureEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
REM Set Desktop Background
mkdir %SystemRoot%\Web\Wallpaper\TEST
xcopy \\test.local\dfs\public\deployment\Customizations\TEST_Background_HiRes.png %SystemRoot%\Web\Wallpaper\TEST /Q /Y
xcopy \\test.local\dfs\public\deployment\Customizations\test.theme %SystemRoot%\Resources\Themes /Q /Y
REM reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes" /v InstallTheme /t REG_SZ /d "C:\Windows\resources\Themes\test.theme" /f
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization" /v ThemeFile /t REG_SZ /d "C:\Windows\resources\Themes\test.theme" /f
REM Set Start Menu folders
REM reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount\$$windows.data.unifiedtile.startglobalproperties\Current" /v Data /t REG_BINARY /d 02000000bf6447b3e68ad3010000000043420100cb320a07058691cc930524aaa30144c38401669ff79db187cbd1acd4010005bcc9a8a401248cac034489850166a081bacbbdd7a8a482010005ceabd3e90224daf40344c38a016682e58bb1aefdfdbb3c0005afe69e9b0e24de930244d5860166bf9d879bbf8fc6d4370005a08cac800b24d1fe0144b2980166aabdd0e1cceadfb9150005a08ffcc103248ad0034480990166b0b599dccdb097de4d0005c5cbce95042486fb0144f485016680c9ced4afd99ec4b50100c23c0100 /f
REM Fix App Default Reset Warning
regedit /s \\test.local\dfs\public\Deployment\Scripts\SetDefaults\Fix_An_app_default_was_reset_HKDU.reg
REM Disable suggesting apps in start
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" /v SystemPaneSuggestionsEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
REM Disable VMWare Tools tray icon
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\VMWare, Inc.\VMWare Tools" /v ShowTray /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
REM Set Google as default search provider in IE
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes" /v DefaultScope /t REG_SZ /d {e913ede7-630e-4d2a-a6af-2b28e7ce735b} /f
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{e913ede7-630e-4d2a-a6af-2b28e7ce735b}" /v DisplayName /t REG_SZ /d Google /f
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{e913ede7-630e-4d2a-a6af-2b28e7ce735b}" /v FaviconURL /t REG_SZ /d https://www.google.com/favicon.ico /f
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{e913ede7-630e-4d2a-a6af-2b28e7ce735b}" /v ShowSearchSuggestions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{e913ede7-630e-4d2a-a6af-2b28e7ce735b}" /v SuggestionsURL /t REG_SZ /d "https://www.google.com/complete/search?q={searchTerms}&client=ie8&mw={ie:maxWidth}&sh={ie:sectionHeight}&rh={ie:rowHeight}&inputencoding={inputEncoding}&outputencoding={outputEncoding}" /f
reg add "HKLM\DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{e913ede7-630e-4d2a-a6af-2b28e7ce735b}" /v URL /t REG_SZ /d "https://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:{language}:{referrer:source}&ie={inputEncoding?}&oe={outputEncoding?}" /f
REM Finished
reg unload HKLM\DEFAULT
The default profile does not have a user account associated with it. The way you would go about this the correct way, is to apply the registry to a user account that does exist, then update the configuration of the default profile to match that user profile you changed. Here is more information on the default local accounts that exist.
– Ramhound – 2018-05-24T15:27:08.717HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is system wide, no user change, so what you try doesn't work. You run into XY problem. What is your original issue that you try to solve by importing a reg file?
– magicandre1981 – 2018-05-24T15:49:00.363My goal is to import specific registry program settings (e.g. CCleaner) into the Default user profile of an active system to make sure new users get a predefined configuration. I do not want to create a new installation image or use any commercial third party software. – Clacers – 2018-05-24T16:05:50.597
again HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is system wide setting, so what you do makes no sense at all. – magicandre1981 – 2018-05-24T17:07:30.623
Yes, you are right but please take a look at the differences between the stored program settings in HKCU and HKLM. You'll see that programs are generally very particular about that. – Clacers – 2018-05-25T08:09:29.907