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Creating a New Profile

This guide walks you through creating a custom Profile for a new device or customer, including testing and validation procedures.

1. Initialize the Profile Directory Structure

Section titled “1. Initialize the Profile Directory Structure”

Create a new directory under EASYDEPLOY\Profiles\ on the USB. It is recommended to prefix the name with a number for organized sorting:

[USB]:\EASYDEPLOY\Profiles\
├── 1.Tweaks          ← Built-in profile (system tweaks only)
├── 2.TweaksApp       ← Built-in profile (tweaks + automatic app installation)
└── 3.AcmeBank        ← New custom profile (MSP Advanced only)
    ├── unattend.xml
    └── post-setup.ps1

2. Build the unattend.xml Configuration File

Section titled “2. Build the unattend.xml Configuration File”

The fastest approach: Use schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator to configure parameters, download the file, then:

  1. Open the file in a code editor.
  2. Verify that FirstLogonCommands correctly points to C:\CoreSystem\Post-setup.ps1 (see unattend.xml for details).
  3. Encrypt the password in the PlainText field if the file will be shared among multiple technicians.

3. Build the post-setup.ps1 Script

Section titled “3. Build the post-setup.ps1 Script”

Extend the script based on the sample file (see detailed guide at Post-setup.ps1):

Terminal window
Write-Host "=== [CoreSystem] POST-SETUP: AcmeBank ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
$GlobalTimeoutSec = 300
function Wait-ForInternet { … }            # Use the sample network check function
$HasInternet = Wait-ForInternet


# [Step 1/5] Automatically install AcmeBank standard applications
# [Step 2/5] Apply registry and local policy customizations
# [Step 3/5] Download corporate wallpaper and create Notes.txt support file
# [Step 4/5] Clean up system (clear logs, configure RunOnce to clean temp directories)
# [Step 5/5] Restore script ExecutionPolicy security policy
Restart-Computer   # Automatically reboot the device after setup completes

4. Deploy Files to the USB Device

Section titled “4. Deploy Files to the USB Device”
  • Free: edit 1.Tweaks/2.TweaksApp directly and overwrite them on the USB at EASYDEPLOY\Profiles\ — no rebuild required.
  • Advanced: copy unlimited new profiles to EASYDEPLOY\Profiles\ — no rebuild required (details bundled with the .lic).

5. Testing and Validation Procedure

Section titled “5. Testing and Validation Procedure”

Recommended testing procedure before production use:

  1. Check script syntax: Run the validation command in PowerShell: [ScriptBlock]::Create((Get-Content .\post-setup.ps1 -Raw)) — if no error is returned, the script syntax is fully valid.
  2. Test on a virtual machine:
    • Boot the VM from the USB into WinPE → Select deployment mode Business (key 2) → Select the newly created profile → Click Deploy.
    • Monitor the activity log [EASYDEPLOY][STEP x/11] until the installation completes and the device reboots.
    • After transitioning to the OOBE screen: Verify automatic account creation, verify automatic logon, verify that the Post-setup.ps1 script executes completely and the Desktop appears as configured.
  3. Stability verification: Reinstall the device a second time using the same profile to verify that the script runs stably and produces no errors when re-executed on an already configured environment.
  4. Test on a physical device: Perform 1 complete cycle on a physical workstation before large-scale rollout.

6. Deployment Handover

Section titled “6. Deployment Handover”

After the Profile passes testing, hand over the following resources:

  • The profile configuration directory (containing unattend.xml and the post-setup.ps1 script).
  • The deployment configuration file user-config.json (for the Express flow: update the deploy.profile key to point to the new profile directory name).
  • Accompanying technical documentation: List of apps requiring Internet during installation, default administrator password (if any), and estimated total script execution time.

Profile Build Checklist

Section titled “Profile Build Checklist”
  • Profile directory is placed correctly under EASYDEPLOY\Profiles\ on the USB (directory name uses an ordered numeric prefix).
  • unattend.xml contains a FirstLogonCommands declaration pointing exactly to C:\CoreSystem\Post-setup.ps1.
  • post-setup.ps1 includes a built-in Internet connectivity check and wait function before invoking network-dependent tasks.
  • No sensitive information (passwords, API keys, etc.) is stored in plain text in the files.
  • Script is verified to be idempotent (re-running multiple times causes no conflicts or system errors).
  • Testing completed successfully: at least 2 cycles on VM and 1 cycle on a physical device.
  • user-config.json configuration file (for the Express flow) correctly declares the new profile directory name.