HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry change does not save in Audit Mode  

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Actually, I have a script that I use regularly. It changes quite a few things in the Current User space. It works just fine for me after a sysprep.

I'd love to know a bit more about your workflow to see if we can figure out where the problem is.

Maybe you could test one of the registry changes that I typically make to see if it works following a sysprep. This one is a good example because it is easy to verify visually that it works. This registry change simply causes the clock on the taskbar to also show seconds. Normally it just shows hours and minutes.

Take the text below, drop into a text file with a .REG extension and double-click to run. Of cource, you can make the change manually if you prefer.

Make clock on taskbar show seconds:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; This will cause the clock on the taskbar to show seconds. Windows Explorer needs to be restarted
; before this will take effect.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ShowSecondsInSystemClock"=dword:00000001

Revert back to showing only hours and minutes:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; This will cause the clock on the taskbar to go back to the default behavior of NOT showing seconds. 
; Windows Explorer needs to be restarted before this will take effect.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ShowSecondsInSystemClock"=-

I actually figured it out. Unchecking the 'generalize' option button in the System Preparation Tool allows my registry changes to be saved. Another thing that may have done it is I also found the same elantech folder entry under under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control where I made the same changes and now it seems to save the changes as long as I don't check the generalize option in the System Preparation Tool

That's odd. I use the generalize option but my changes get saved.

Let me see if I can cobble together a workflow so that you can see what I'm doing and comparing it to what you are doing. I'll respond back as soon as I have that done.

I started putting together my workflow, and in the process of doing so it triggered me to remember what I think may be the reason why the settings are not applying in your case.

First, I will note that I am following the steps in this excellent tutorial from Kari:

Create media for automated unattended install of Windows 10

Note that I am creating an answer file (2 of them actually). The most important part related to our conversation is step 4.3 of the above tutorial. The "CopyProfile" must be set to "true". Without that, the settings will not be reflected from your reference install over to any new user accounts that are created.

Does that make sense?

Note that these steps can be cut down and simplified. For example, depending upon what you are doing you may not need the 2nd answer file at all, but we definitely want that first answer file (the unattend.xml) with the "CopyProfile" setting.

Please do let me know if I can be of any further help with this. I want to be sure that it works as you expect!

EDIT: It makes sense that it works without the generalize option set. Do you understand what that does? I ask only because I suspect that you may actually want that option - especially if you are going to use this on multiple systems located on the same network.