Change defaults for all users on Windows machine

[wallyb52345]

I am a system administrator and need a way to change default settings for all users when they first load Illustrator. We have a couple thousands users and we want to change a number of settings in the preferances for all users. How can I accomplish this? The settings need to load on their own without any user effort. Is it possible to take the exported settings and import them automatically on first loading the program from command line?

[Monika Gause]

The preferences are text files. You can just copy them to the systems. https://www.vektorgarten.de/illustrator-settings.html

[wallyb52345]

Thanks Monika_Gause, that is helpful to know. Really appreciate that link, it will be helpful. However I need to know where to change settings before it creates the preferences file in the usre folder since the user does not exist at that point. It would even be fine to redirect the preference settings to a non-user folder everyone can share which is what I did with Photoshop.

[wallyb52345]

I should state the users have not logged in so I cannot change preference files in the user directory.

[Monika Gause]

Create those preferences, save them and then install them on the users' computers. And then have the people sit down.

[CarlosCanto]

Hi wallace, can you create a task that runs at login? or probably at midnight each day? such task will simply copy your source preference file over each user's own account

[wallyb52345]

Looks like this is the only way. I prefer not running anything extra if it can be avoided. But that will do. Thanks!

[CarlosCanto]

I asked our IT dept and was told that it is possible and it's very easy using Group Policy.

here's a link I found, not sure if it still current though

http://kunaludapi.blogspot.com/2015/08/copy-files-on-all-computers-using-group.html