Windows Network Name and Firewall Profiles

Firewall Profiles are preset inbound and outbound rules on Windows firewall. There are by default 3 profiles: Private Domain and Public.

The Windows Network Location awareness detectes a network by looking quering the presence of default gateway, SSIDs to assign a name to the network. This network name is then associated with firewall profile to protect the connection. If there is no gateway detected on a network interface the network name will be Unidentified Network and you cannot change the firewall profile, it will always be Public.

Internet access detection is by querying a fixed URL
The local security policy Network List Manager Policies can be use to control the changing of network names etc.

Updated : 9/5
On Windows 8, public or private depends on whether file sharing is turn on/off. On->public, off->private

See:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753545.aspx
http://www.frostbyte.com.au/Blog/tabid/64/EntryId/9/Windows-7-incorrectly-reports-No-Internet-Access.aspx

VMware Host network DHCP service

On host network, the built-in VMware DHCP service, vmnetdhcp.exe is set to run automatically. To disable, use Windows service or comment out the scope in  C:\Users\All Users\VMware\vmnetdhcp.conf

VMware Player boot menu

bios.bootDelay = "5000"
to the VMX file - this will delay the boot by 5 seconds

press ESC to go into boot menu

Creating a default profile in Windows 7

1. Create a new standard local user account (name it STDPROFILE), add this account to the local Administrators group on the PC.
2. Reboot, then log onto the PC using the local user account from Step 2.
3. Set up profile settings as desired; desktop icons, IE home page, etc…
4. Reboot when finished, log back onto PC with the local “Administrator” account
5. Double-click “Computer”, then Click Organize, Folder and Search Options. On the View tab, make sure “Show Hidden files, folders and drives” is selected; also uncheck “Hide protected Operating System Files”. Click OK.
6. Under C:\Users, rename the hidden “Default” user folder (NOT “Default User”)
• Make a copy of the profile (STDPROFILE) customized in Step 2, rename the folder “Default”.
• Right-click the folder – under Properties, then Security tab - Add “Everyone” permissions with Full Control (include all folders and subfolders).
7. Run regedit.exe
8. Click on HKEY-LOCAL-MACHINE. Under File, select “Load Hive”
9. Browse to the “C:\Users\Default” folder, click on ntuser.dat (make sure hidden and system files are displayed). Name the key TEMPLATE_ACCOUNT.
• Right-click on the TEMPLATE_ACCOUNT key, select Export, save the .reg file to the desktop. Open the .reg file with Notepad, and under “Edit – Replace…”, put the user name STDPROFILE in the “Find what:” field, to be replaced with the string %USERNAME% - choose “Replace All” then save the .reg file. Double-click it to re-import the changes.
10. Re-open regedit.exe (or switch over to it if it’s still open)
11. Under TEMPLATE_ACCOUNT - Control Panel - Desktop, change “Wallpaper” path to the wallpaper of your choice (a local OR network path will work here). Check other settings and modify any other keys.
12. If RealPlayer is installed to the image – click on TEMPLATE_ACCOUNT – SOFTWARE – RealNetworks. Delete the entire RealNetworks Key. This key will re-created for each user as they open Realplayer. If the RealNetworks Key is left in, RealPlayer will crash for each user with the message “EXITING APPLICATION”.
13. When done, click on TEMPLATE_ACCOUNT. Then click File, select “Unload Hive”. This will save the changes you made.