Desktop Management - DefProf v1.3 not working

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DefProf v1.3 not working

Printed From: ForensiT
Category: ForensiT Support
Forum Name: Desktop Management
Forum Description: User Profile Manager questions, suggestions, comments and bug reports
URL: https://forum.ForensiT.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=358
Printed Date: 27 Mar 2026 at 2:13am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: DefProf v1.3 not working

Posted By: rfluharty
Subject: DefProf v1.3 not working
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2011 at 12:58pm

I have used defprof probably since the beginning of this year. I then noticed that the shell folders were not individualized for each user. (they would all point to the source of the original profile).

So, I looked for a newer version of defprof. It now appears that v1.3 is available to the website. I tried updating one of our machine images with that version and it seems to have done nothing. Say I setup up "Administrator" the way I want things. I run "defprof Administrator". It say profile is being updated. No errors. Then I log on as a new user (without existing profile). I still get the old profile, not the newer one I saved.

I've tried looking for the previous version, but there is no link to website, and I wrote over the old versions on my flash drive with the newer version.

So, does anyone have a solution to this or perhaps I can just get a link to the previous version?

Any help is appreciated. I love this utility and it is needed to work badly.

Thanks
Jay

Replies:

Posted By: Support
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2011 at 1:29pm

Jay,

DefProf 1.2 is available http://www.ForensiT.com/Downloads/Support/Defprof_1.2.zip - here . Please let us know if this solves the problem - we are not aware of any issues with version 1.3.

Posted By: rfluharty
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2011 at 9:33am

Okay, tried v1.2 again. Still no luck! I'm wondering if I was using an older version. I think I downloaded it around Nov/Dec. Is is possible it's even older?

Now, I don't believe it's related to the version. I'm guessing if if failed altogether, more people would be complaining.

Here's what I'm doing. As local administrator, I generate the desired settings. (Usually setting classic windows theme), then tweak the start menu, system tray, etc. I then run "defprof.exe administrator". It says profile was "updating default profile..." then "The default profile has been successfully updated."

Now I notice that "c:\Users\Default User" seems untouched (according to date modified). Also, "c:\Users\Default" folder is generated with current timestamps. So, if I'm right, "Default User" is not touched and "Default" is generated. Kind of confusing since I thought "c:\Users\Default User" was the profile that needed to be modified.

It is interesting to note that the "Default User" has the little padlock icon on it. Seems it is owned by "system". Looks like "Administrators" group has full access to it.

I also tried this on two completely different systems (both running win7 Pro.) But that's the only similarity. Came from 2 different vendors, different makes/models, etc..

I wish I knew why it worked before and not now. Maybe I am doing something wrong? I also tried making profiles under the user "test", then running "defprof.exe test". Same results.

Any ideas?

Posted By: rfluharty
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2011 at 12:36pm

Okay, I went back to look at an old image I made. The default profile on this image worked correctly (same desktop,background, etc that I wanted to use). I ran regedit on this "good" image and the shell folders were all mapped to "C:\Users\Administrator\......". So, it appears that the last version that worked for me did NOT map the shell folders correctly.

If I read posts correct, the shell folders were "fixed" in v1.2. Is that correct? If correct, then I must have had v1.1 originally. Does that sound reasonable?

If so, there must be something in changing those locations that's breaking my setup. I still do not know what the problem is. The best I can figure is that it MAY be permissions problems. I don't know exactly where to look for that.

Now, I don't do the original Windows installs myself. The machines we get come with an image from our vendor. Is is possible that the people upstream from me are messing up these permissions?

Thanks.

Jay

Posted By: Support
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2011 at 4:47am

Hi Jay,

On a clean installation of Windows 7 the default profile is called C:\Users\Default. The C:\Users\Default User folder you mention is a junction: it is essentially a pointer back to the C:\Users\Default folder; presumably for backwards compatibility reasons.

You say that the C:\Users\Default folder "is generated": this should never be the case. For DefProf to work, the default user profile directory must already exist, because it copies updated data and settings into the profile; it does not create the default profile from scratch.

It is possible a different default profile folder has been created. Check the "Default" value under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList. However, DefProf should be able to handle this as it uses the GetDefaultUserProfileDirectory() API call to get the Default User profile directory.

Posted By: rfluharty
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2011 at 7:16am

Yes, Default is set to %SystemDrive%\User\Default.

Is there some other thing I may be doing incorrectly. Do I have to build a profile as some user, reboot, then run defprof as Administrator with "defprof anotheruser" or something. I know that was the case with XP because some files must have been locked even after logout. You had to do a complete reboot to copy/move a profile. Otherwise it would not work.

For whatever reason, when I created a new account or remove the profile for an existing user (through control panel/system/.../User profiles/remove) then try to log in as that new user or as an existing user whose profile I deleted, I get the factory (oem) profile with the vendor's backgrounds, settings, etc. It is NOT what I had asked it to save as default profile.

It is almost as though defprof either isn't able to read the profile I want to copy (I usually want to use local administrator profile, and I'm logged in as local administrator when I run "defprof Administrator". I have tried it other ways though.

Or, maybe when defprof runs, there's something in the "default" folder that it is not able to overwrite? That's the only thing I can come up with is that it's a permissions problem somewhere and defprof maybe is not spitting out an error if this happens? I have seen it spit out permission error once before, so I know it will at least some of the time. But that was on an image which seemed to be hosed out. I have not seen any errors from defprof since that once.

I have changed ownership of Administrator, Default, and Default User to local administrators, then gave local administrators group full control of those folders. Next, I gave Everyone full control of Default and Default User. I figured this should troubleshoot a permissions problem pretty thoroughly. This had no effect. The only thing I have not looked at is permissions on registry keys. Do you think this could be permissions related?

In the meantime, was I right that v1.1 was the last version that did not change shell folders. If so, may I have a link to it to see if it seems to work? I'm really stuck here. I have many laptops to deploy, but am at a standstill.

Thanks for Everything,

Jay

Posted By: Support
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2011 at 8:05am

DefProf v1.1 is available http://www.ForensiT.com/Downloads/Support/DefProf_1.1.zip - here .

Remember that when you type 'defprof Administrator' Administrator needs to be the profile folder name.

If there was a permissions problem there would be an error.

Posted By: rfluharty
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2011 at 8:55am

Yes, I am using "Administrator" as the profile folder name.

It appears that it's not the folder structure/permisisons problem. I copied just the ntuser.date from /User/Administrator to the /User/testuser folder and things worked fine. Seems it may be something in just ntuser.dat that's causing the issue. I do think that ntuser.dat is basically the core of a profile. Isn't that where the registry info comes from for that particular user?

I just downloaded v1.1 and will let you know what happens. YEA! 1.1 seems to work fine. Now, I don't know why the difference. Now my shellFolders all still have C:\Users\Administrator\.... for their key values, but at least it seems to work. I don't know why that is. Would it do you any good if I sent you a copy of ntuser.dat created with v1.1 vs v1.2 ? Maybe you can decipher the differences? It may help in case you hear about this problem again.

I appreciate your support and your company providing this software and if there's any way I can help you debug it, let me know. I'm tight on time, but I really want to help to return the favor.

Jay