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Dongjianhua
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Enthusiast

Is there any way to preserve user data when performing Windows VM OS customization ?

HI,

I found all files(icons, files, directories etc) on the Administrator's desktop will be missing after Windows VM OS customization, is it normal ? Is there any way to preserve these files when cloning  production VM and perform the customization ?

BTW, what files will be deleted during the OS customization ?

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Texiwill
Leadership
Leadership

Hello,

I have not seen that problem before. My icons still exist after customization. Are you doing anything out of the ordinary during customization? My customization generally sets IP, Name, SID, domain and that is it. What is yours doing? We need more details?

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009-2016

Author of the books 'VMWare ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2011 Pearson Education. 'VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment', Copyright 2009 Pearson Education.

Virtualization and Cloud Security Analyst: The Virtualization Practice, LLC -- vSphere Upgrade Saga -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

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Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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Dongjianhua
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I tried twice today, i put sevral files on the Administrators's desktop, after customization, they were missing (Just left a garbage can on the desktop).

I did not do anything else, just follow the customization guide to customize the OS.

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Texiwill
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Hello,

Link to the guide please, there are a few out there, this is not about using Guest Customization then?

Please provide the steps you take:

a) You make changes to the desktop

b) You do what? Reboot the VM? Clone the VM? Run Guest Customization?

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009-2016

Author of the books 'VMWare ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2011 Pearson Education. 'VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment', Copyright 2009 Pearson Education.

Virtualization and Cloud Security Analyst: The Virtualization Practice, LLC -- vSphere Upgrade Saga -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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Dongjianhua
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Enthusiast

I did these.

1. Convert the Windows 2008 R2 template to VM.

2. Power the VM on, logged in with administrator, then copy two files to both the desktop and the root path of C: drive.

3. Power the VM off, then convert it back to template.

4. Deploy a new VM via the previous template, and choose to do the VM OS customization via the customization guide.

5. After poweron and OS customization,  everything is ok on the new VM(network,hostname,TZ, etc) , but the files on the desktop disappear, but the files in C: drive were still there.

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Dongjianhua
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