Need help setting default background using SCCM OSD for Windows 7

I am so frustrated.  I've got everything working on this company deployment using SCCM OSD except for setting the default background.  I've been able to copy the jpg to windows\web\wallpaper\windows with a task sequence.  I've tried using unattended xml file with the DesktopBackground set to that image but nothing is working.  The image will be applied to only certain models so it will need to be done via task sequence and/or wmi query but at the moment i'd be fine with just figuring out how to make anything work.
 
Any help is appreciated
 
thanks

The background would need to copied and used along with copyprofile=true in the unattend.xml however, it might be easier to simply use group policy to control the background

I typically use something similar as that outlined here: http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/mlucero/archive/2011/01/10/sccm-2007-task-sequence-corporate-branding-during-osd.aspx.

Hey Jason and thanks for the input.  Does this method work without having to use a GPO?  See, our problem is that we want to do this from a task sequence for one of our specific groups of computers but they are not in a distinctive OU so can't use GPO.  So, I was wondering if this worked without the GPO, thanks

jsandys


I typically use something similar as that outlined here: http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/mlucero/archive/2011/01/10/sccm-2007-task-sequence-corporate-branding-during-osd.aspx.

What I actually usually do is just replace the default wallpaper at %SystemRoot%\web\wallpaper\Windows\img0.jpg (I usually rename the default first so it's there if someone wants it).

Thanks Chris,  I thought this was going to work but it did not.  Let me explain quick what I see then maybe you can shed some light.  I used a task sequence app to copy the background to c:\windows\web\wallpaper\windows AND to import registry that tells which wallpaper to use.   Then, my unattend xml file has in it copyprofile=true.  However, when it deploys, I see the image in the right place, but the background is not correct no matter what i login as.  Here is what i noticed:

• The image file is located in the right place
• The registry entry is located in one of the HKEY_USERS ID but not in the current one when I login as administrator

From my reading, i see where it says that the administrator profile is copied over to the default users profiles with copyprofile but may be happening BEFORE my registry entry which makes no sense, why would they do that before you have a chance to modify the profile?  I am pretty sure I could do this using MDT 2010 since you can do lite touch and at any time modify a profile and capture the image but since we are using SCCM it is zero touch and anything I try to do with interactive (or my pause program) fails of course.
 
thanks for any suggestions
 
 
 
 

cnackers


The background would need to copied and used along with copyprofile=true in the unattend.xml however, it might be easier to simply use group policy to control the background

Yes, that would be what I would do if this was for the entire agency, however this is for specific users/computers and need to do it based on a task sequence.
 

jsandys


What I actually usually do is just replace the default wallpaper at %SystemRoot%\web\wallpaper\Windows\img0.jpg (I usually rename the default first so it's there if someone wants it).

Sorry, I'm not following why this won't work for select users.

Don't do this in your reference image, only do it in your deployment TS and then use whatever logic in the TS to only execute the task for those specific users or computers.

yeah, sorry I was thinking inside my head and only wrote part of it :) 
 
When i try to copy over the default jpg (img0.jpg) the task fails.  I've tried using takeown.exe and icacls.exe to take ownership and set permisisons but still fails.  The only thing I got to work was copying a different file name in that directory and trying to use a registry setting to set that as the wallpaper.  If you can share how you are replacing the img0.jpg in a TS that would be great!
 
thanks 
 

jsandys


Sorry, I'm not following why this won't work for select users.

Don't do this in your reference image, only do it in your deployment TS and then use whatever logic in the TS to only execute the task for those specific users or computers.

What I've wound up doing was in my base image, I created a whole desktop theme when logged in as Administrator. I set this theme to use the background I wanted and enabled Aero. I then saved the theme and captured the base image.

The trick is that you have to deploy the image with an unattend.xml with copyprofile=true in the specialize phase. IIRC, the actual profile copying takes place during the specialize phase, which happens after the image is deployed to the target computers.

Here is a copy/paste of the entire unattend.xml that I use when deploying the image (for x64 Windows):

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">     <settings pass="specialize">         <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">             <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>         </component>     </settings> </unattend> 
   

HTH

--Russel Riley

Ewww, yuck. Manual work. Defeats the purpose of OSD IMO.

I've never had an issue simply overwriting the default file during the TS with a simple copy command.

Yah, I'm not much of a fan of the manual work. I actually only went that route to guarantee that Aero would be enabled on target computers and I got tired of trying to find an automated method to accomplish that task (that fit with my build environment anyway).

I've actually got a script that works quite well for changing the desktop wallpaper. It uses Active Setup to do it, but the problem is that the changed wallpaper won't appear until after the user reboots. However, if you run this script before capturing the base image, and you deploy the image using the copyprofile option, then all newly created user profiles will have the correct wallpaper.

To use this script, change the wallpapers.ini file to include some wallpaper. You can create resolution-specific wallpapers too if you want. Instructions for how to do that are in the wallpapers.ini file. Then create a program in SCCM that runs Set_Wallpaper.cmd. Include said program in your build and capture task sequence. This will create an entry in Active Setup that configures your machine's wallpaper when you login for the first time.

Hope that helps

--Russel Riley 

edit
There are some artifacts left over in this script that are intended for XP. I don't think they do much in Windows 7, but they don't seem to hurt anything.

Attachment(s)

Desktop Wallpaper.zip (124.81 KB) - downloaded 185 times

Thanks to everyone and I've gained some more knowledge for things that may have not been needed for this. 
 
I did find my fix and it was a silly mistake on my part.  I tried using this "DefaultBackGround" line in unattend.xml however it did not work.  Well, I figured out that I also had to name a "Theme" at the same time. 
 
So, in the oobeSystem pass of the unattend.xml file, I added shell-setup_neutral/Themes and in themes just named a theme "Blah", entered a path to where i was copying my new default image in the "DesktopBackground" line and DefaultThemesOff=off in that line, and BAM, it worked.
 
I never could get my copy command to overwrite the img0.jpg that was there and i have no idea why nor do the logs tell me much information about it.  I can copy another file there and that is what I'm using (in the c:\windows\web\wallpaper\windows folder)
 
hope that helps someone else and thanks again for eveyrone's input

It's been a while since I worked on this ever since turning to themes as in my blog post. (Thanks Jason!)
 
But, if I remember correctly, you cannot overwrite the img0.jpg file because of ownership settings on the file itself. You have to take ownership of the file and then replace it - otherwise, Windows 7 takes that file back over and recreates the default background.
 
Too much work in my opinion, which is why I went the route I did... boss was happier with the end result anyhow - it's far easier to change a theme post-build if need be - i.e.  company buyout, logo change, etc... when you'd have to change the entire company over to a new background.

How about replacing it in WinPE after the Apply OS Image task but before the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr task? Ownership and permissions shouldn't be an issue.

I'm positive I've done this befire, just been a while. I'll try in my lab again and update this thread.

Yep. That works too - pretty much anywhere before the SetupWindows step I believe.

GPO would still work...create a GPO at the root domain and use the security filters to assign a group.  Make the computers a member of the group and the GPO will apply to only that group.