Useful Registry Changes During Build Creation/Image Deployment

ricsmith — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:30:00 GMT

As I have worked with different customers, a number of common requests often pop up for changes during build creation on deployment. For Windows XP deployment, I built up a library of VB scripts that carried out most of the customisations that I required (and were run either as part of the image creation process - using BDD, or as part of the deployment process - as post deploy actions)

With Windows Vista, I have started to build up the same sort of library and have put together a group of setting changes that can be used in reg files, batch files or VB scripts for making automated changes during image build or image deployment. Some of these entries are from my own deployment projects, whilst others are from Microsoft colleagues like Ben Hunter, Jon Bennett and Michael Murgolo to whom I wish to express my gratitude.

So here is my current list of tweaks...

;Adjust the system tray icons - 0 = Display inactive tray icons
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"EnableAutoTray"=dword:00000000

;Clear Most Frequently Used items
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{75048700-EF1F-11D0-9888-006097DEACF9}]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist\{75048700-EF1F-11D0-9888-006097DEACF9}]
@=""

;Show/Hide desktop icons
; Internet Explorer = {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}
; User's Files = {450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}
; Computer = {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
; Network = {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}

; 0 = Display
; 1 = Hide

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000001
"{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}"=dword:00000000
"{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000
"{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000

;Add "Explore From Here" to the context menu
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\fromhere]
@="Explore from &Here"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\fromhere\command]
@="explorer.exe /e,/root,/idlist,%I"

;Add a Search Provider to the START MENU (example)
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\Google]
"DisplayName"="Google"
"URL"="http://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}&rls=com.microsoft:{language}&ie={inputEncoding}&oe={outputEncoding}&startIndex={startIndex?}&startPage={startPage}"

;Resort the Start Menu
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder]

;Disable Menu Delay
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"MenuShowDelay"="0"

;Add the Registry Editor to the context menu
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\regedit]
@="Re&gistry Editor"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\regedit\command]
@="regedit.exe"

;Customise Windows Vista Shutdown Speed
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"=20000

;Increase NTFS System Peformance by disabling NTFS Last Access Update and 8.3 Creation
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"NTFSDisableLastAccessUpdate"=1
"NTFSDisable8Dot3NameCreation"=1

;Turn Off System Beeps
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound]
"Beep"=No

;Disable Welcome logon screen & require CTRL+ALT+DEL
reg add "hklm\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v LogonType /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "hklm\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v DisableCAD /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

;Interactive logon: Do not display last user name
reg add "hklm\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v dontdisplaylastusername /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

;Enable Remote Desktop
reg add "hklm\system\currentcontrolset\control\Terminal Server" /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

;Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure)
reg add "hklm\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp" /v UserAuthentication /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

;Use simple file sharing - 0 = unchecked, 1 - checked
reg add "hklm\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa" /v ForceGuest /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

;Disable Automatic Updates
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v NoAutoUpdate /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

;Set the Screen Saver Settings
reg add "hku\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveActive /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
reg add "hku\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaverIsSecure /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
reg add "hku\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOut /t REG_SZ /d 900 /f
reg add "hku\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop" /v SCRNSAVE.EXE /t REG_SZ /d "%SystemRoot%\System32\YOUR_FILE.scr" /f

;Set the Desktop Wallpaper
reg add "hku\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop" /v Wallpaper /t REG_SZ /d "%SystemRoot%\Web\Wallpaper\YOUR_FILE.bmp" /f
reg add "hku\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop" /v WallpaperStyle /t REG_SZ /d "2" /f
reg add "hku\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop" /v TileWallpaper /t REG_SZ /d "0" /f

Richard Smith : Registry Entry

Useful Registry Changes During Build Creation/Image Deployment