Use DEM or another tool to export registry settings upon logoff and then reimport upon logon?

[Hoodsie2018]

Hello,

There are several articles from over a decade ago how to export the registry (and all keys and subkeys) to a folder at logoff. Trying to see if things have improved.

Goals:

1. Export a software packages keys from HKCU\Software\VendorX to a file in %USERPROFILE%\Documents (which is on a share) at logoff
2. At log on, import that file, if it's found, otherwise skip import.

The issue is each user is allowed to customer VendorX's software and it's not being retained using instant clones and floating assignment.

We do a lot of powershell so would generally prefer that unless it's far more complicated than necessary.

Do I use DEM? GPO logon/logoff scripts? Pool start and end session scripts (I'd think no since they aren't logged in until the VM is needed).

[dolzhenkom]

This is exactly what DEM is purpose-built for, and it does it well, in addition to many other functions related to profile/VDI management. If DEM isn't an option, you could also consider FSLogix profile containers, which essentially encapsulate the user's entire profile in a VHD (user registry included) and mounts it at each logon. In our environment, we use a combination of the two: DEM imports/exports app settings as the apps are launched or closed, which keeps login speeds fast as the VDI doesn't have to import a ton of settings at logon like it did for Persona Management, and FSLogix O365 containers capture cache data for large O365 applications we don't want DEM to import/export due to the size of the files-- think Outlook OST file, Teams cache data, OneDrive cache, etc.

[Hoodsie2018]

We have DEM configured and working for some basic things but haven't learned how to capture all the settings in the registry for a given key path for each user.

Right now we can create shortcuts for certain users, redirect certain folders to a share, and redirect the appdata\roaming profile.

Is there a good blog or video which explains how to use DEM to export hundreds of keys for a user and then reimport them upon next logon? It's a not common app. Not like Adobe or Office, etc.

Thanks!

[Hoodsie2018]

Just to clarify, it's not that there's a set of registry keys we want each user to get. It's that each user's HKCU\Software\VendorX keys are set as they change the app settings themselves and we want it to save each of theirs on their own and reimport them. Not just import the same settings for every user.

[sjesse · Accepted solution]

Its an app though correct, if so use the DEM profiler tool to start the app, and then use it as many features as possible and then close it. This should create a config for that app that will do the export and import for you, you can also write these yourself.

Create a Custom Flex Configuration File

Profiling Applications: VMware User Environment Manager Operational Tutorial | VMware

[Hoodsie2018]

So is the idea you expose as many registry settings to it as possible and then in the future it will watch for changes to those settings for each user, save them for each user at logoff and then at log on it will re-apply them, individually?

[sjesse]

Yes thats the idea, and you can make it as specifc or broad as you need it to reduce the import and export, there are levels. Take a look at the below reference.

Optimizing the Flex Configuration File

[Hoodsie2018]

Thanks.