How to modify default user settings on a standalone system

[maurella]

I would like to modify a windows 2000 standalone system so that customized desktop settings would be set when a new local user account is setup. Like, for example, suppose I wanted to make sure that all new users would have the file extensions visible from the explorer.

Manually, I would change

hkey_current_user/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/explorer/advanced/hidefileext

to 0

I thought that by creating a key (as an administrator)

hkey_users/.default/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/explorer/advanced/hidefileext

and initializing it to 0, I could create a new user and when logged in as that user, file extensions would be visible from explorer.

This doesn't seem to be the case.

Shouldn't this work? Am I missing something? Is there another effective way to accomplish this?

Thanks

 

[wolluf]

Set up a user as you would like all new users to be (eg, with file extesions visible, plus anything else you might want to set - eg, disabling the 'eye candy'). Then logon as administrator. From sysem properties click on User Profiles tag. Select user you've just set up and click on Copy To button. Browse to C:\Documents and Settings\Default User, use the change button on 'permitted to use' to change it to everyone, then ok it. All new users will now have this as their default setup.