Changes in behavior of the SysPrep and RIPREP tools after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2

After you deploy a System Preparation Tool (SysPrep) image or a Remote Installation Preparation (RIPREP) image on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), one or more of the following changes in behavior may occur:

• Customizations to the %systemdrive%:\Documents and Settings\Default User account are missing.
• Customizations to the %systemdrive%:\Documents and Settings\Administrator account are present in a new user's account when the user logs on to Windows XP.
• Customizations made directly to the %systemdrive%:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Ntuser.dat file are missing.

This problem may occur because Windows XP SP2 Minisetup was modified so that, by default, Mini-Setup will copy any customizations from the local administrator account to the default user account. The default user account is used to build a profile when a new user logs on.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

You must have Windows XP SP2 installed to apply this hotfix.

Restart information

You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix is not replaced by any later hotfix.

Registry information

You do not have to create or to modify any registry keys to enable any hotfixes that this package contains.

Additional notes

• If you do not want settings to be migrated to the default user's account, install this hotfix. This hotfix restores the behavior of the original version of Windows XP.
• If you want settings to be migrated from the local administrator account to the default user's account after you install this hotfix, make sure that the customizations are made in the local administrator's account before you run the SysPrep image. Then, add the following to the Sysprep.inf file:

  [UNATTENDED]
  UpdateServerProfileDirectory=1
  

  For more information about making changes to the Sysprep.inf file, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  314460  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314460/ ) System preparation tool and answer file usage
• If the default user profile was already overwritten by the local Administrator profile, this change will not re-create the default user profile. This hotfix only affects subsequent running of Mini-Setup.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: