Hello Andre,
The only supported way to do this is with using sysprep.
Any other method has potential for a number of different issues.
That was true with both Windows XP (Sp2 for Windows XP enabled sysprep to
properly copy over the profile) and Windows Server 2003 as well
With Windows 2008, use the copyprofile settings when deploying
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
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| >From: "AndreZ" <shmoes@hotmail.com>
| >Subject: W2k8 Server - Default user Profile
| >Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:07:36 -0800
| >Lines: 15
| >X-Priority: 3
| >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
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| >Message-ID: <OeVVP1XpIHA.1420@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl>
| >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.server.setup
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| >Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP01.phx.gbl!TK2MSF TNGP03.phx.gbl
| >Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl microsoft.public.windows.server.setup:4113
| >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.server.setup
| >
| >ok, so in windows 2000, you could create a user set it up the way you
wanted
| >and overwrite the default user profile. this would create most of the
custom
| >settings you wanted for your newly created users.
| >
| >I tried this in 2008, and when I tried to load a new user I got a profile
| >error, and it loaded a temp profile. instead of copying the template I
| >wanted
| >
| >Any ideas on how to customize the default profile?
| >
| >TIA!
| >
| >Andre
| >
| >
| >