Deploying a XP theme through GPO

[Kyle]

Has anyone deployed a XP theme to XP computers through GPO. I want to try and put the Zune Theme onto certain computer rooms in our domain. I know the theme comes as a msi package and i know how t deploy this through GPO. What i am not sure about is how ti configures itself if you deploy it.


Has anyone ever deployed a theme to domain PCs? If so can you just deploy it and when the PC logs on it automatically gets the them or do you have to do some sort of MST file?

[Midget]

you'd have to change the default/mandatory profile

[Norphy]

It can be set via GPO too. User Configuration/Admin Templates/Control Panel/Display/Desktop Themes/Load a Specific Visual Style or Force Windows Classic

[mrcrazy04]

I've pushed out the Windows Media Centre Theme (Royale) using GPO.
I had to make my own MSI as the only file from MS I could find was an exe.
I deployed it to all computers, then used the user configuration GPO Norphy mentioned. The only problem is, if it doesn't get on one of the machines or you make a typo, they end up with the classic theme.

[Kyle]

Some of the schools i go to set their pupils a mandatory profile, i presume the GPO install and settings wont work then. IT would mean a update of the profile as mentioned earlier?

[mrcrazy04]

Pretty Sure Group Policy overrides profiles.
If you deploy a package to a computer, it installs regardless of the profiles or whatever as it is done with system level access.
I've got roaming profiles here, and my group policies override them (desktop background etc), so I assume it would be the same with mandatory.
It might be easier to edit the profile though to have the user setting. The package still needs to be deployed through Group Policy though.