SPREAD THE WORD, TOGETHER WE HAVE CONQUERED SYSPREP 
This is version 2 of a step by step guide on Sysprepping a Windows 7 machine from start to finish. I cannot take full credit on this because my first article had so many helpful comments and discussions that this is simply a combination of all the good advice written into a working guide. (I would especially like to thank George for his input on Cscript for auto activation and Nathan for input on Sysprep Audit Mode). This will guide you through the following:
- Audit Mode
- Building the unattend.xml file in WSIM
- copyprofile=true command to copy the default profile (no manual copy)
- Prompt for a computer name
- Enable Administrator account
- Administrator account logs in first time automatically
- Activate windows automatically with Cscript;
- Successfully copy over taskbar icons;
- Delete unattend.xml file automatically upon completion of re-image.
Here is a list of what you will need:
- Latest version of WAIK : KB3AIK_EN.iso Version 1.0
- Windows Vista or Windows 7 Machine to build the XML file on
- ISO or DVD of Windows 7 Installation (x32 or x64)
- WinPE Boot Environment : BrianLeeJackson WinPE 3.0 BootLoader
First we are going to walk through building the unattend.xml file (answer file) and then we will walk through the actual Windows 7 imaging process.
PART 1 – XML FILE CREATION
Step #1
If you have a Windows 7 installation DVD, insert it now. Or if you have an ISO of 7, go ahead and extract it to a folder on your desktop. (I recommend 7-zip).
Step #2
Launch Windows System Image Manager. Your start menu should look like the image below:
Windows 7 WAIK Version 1
Step #3
Under the “Windows Image” header, right click and select new image.
Windows System Image Manager
Step #4
You will now want to browse to the .CLG file in your Windows 7 installation (I am using Windows 7 Enterprise x64 in my example). It is located in the sources folder. See Image below. You can select either the .clg file or the install.wim. Both will have the same result.
Selecting CLG File - WSIM
Step #5
Now we need to create a new answer file. Go to the file menu and select “Create New Answer File.” Right after creating one, go ahead and simply go to file menu and select “Save Answer File.” This will give your XML file a name and save location. I chose to name mine unattend.xml. Now you see we have two category folders, Components and Packages. Under the Components folder you see that we have 7 options:
-1 windowsPE
-2 offlineServicing
-3 generalize
-4 specialize
-5 auditSystem
-6 auditUser
-7 oobeSystem
Step #6
These are very important as these are the steps in which the unattend.xml file is sequenced.
The next part is a little confusing. You are going to add components, from under the “Windows Image” section on the bottom left hand side to the passes on your Answer File. To add a component, you can right click on them and select “add to # pass”. There are many different options you can add, but they have to be done in a certain order and pass otherwise your sysprep might fail. I am simply going to use the one I created as the example.
Answer File - Unattend.xml
Here is more information about adding options under the passes:
1 windowsPE
Nothing required in my example.
2 offlineServicing
Nothing required in my example.
3 generalize
amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP_6.1.7600.16385_neutral
Set 1 for SkipRearm to allow up to 8 rearms
4 specialize
amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Deployment_6.1.7600.16385_neutral
Order: 1
path: net user administrator /active:yes
WillReboot: NeverRunSynchronousCommand[Order="1"]
RunSynchronous
amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX_6.1.7600.16385_neutral
SkipAutoActivation: true
amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_6.1.7600.16385_neutral
Computer Name: Leave blank (we will deal with this at the end)
CopyProfile: true
Registered Organization: Microsoft (you must leave this in this section)
Registered Owner: AutoBVT (you must leave this in this section)
ShowWindowsLive: false
TimeZone: Pacific Standard Time(Please view TimeZone settings here -> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749073%28WS.10%29.aspx)
You can delete other sub-header components if you don’t need them.
5 auditSystem
Nothing required in my example.
6 auditUser
Nothing required in my example.
7 oobeSystem
amd64_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core_6.1.7600.16385_neutral
InputLocale: en-us
SystemLocale: en-us
UILanguage: en-us
UserLocale: en-usamd64_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_6.1.7600.16385_neutral
RegisteredOrganization: Your Company Name
RegisteredOwner: Your NameAutoLogon
Password: Administrator Password
Enabled: true
LogonCount: 5
Username: administratorFirstLogonCommands
CommandLine: cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (windows 7 license key)
Order 1
RequiresUserInput: falseCommandLine: cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato
Order 2
RequiresUserInput: falseSynchronousCommand[Order="1"]
SynchronousCommand[Order="2"]
OOBE HideEULAPage: true
NetworkLocation: Home
ProtectYourPC: 1UserAccounts
Password: Administrator Password
Action: AddListItem
Description: Local Administrator
DisplayName: Administrator
Group: Administrators
Name: AdministratorLocalAccount[Name="Administrator"]
AdministratorPassword: Administrator Password
LocalAccounts
If you have questions, look at my image above to see full layout of components, it should help.
Step #7
K, now go ahead and save your answer file as unattend.xml.
Step #8
If you want the sysprep to prompt for a computer name you need to remove a line from your XML file. Open up your XML file you saved with notepad and remove the following line:
Unattend.xml Computer Name
PART 2 – IMAGING PROCESS / RUNNING SYSPREP
Step #9
Install Windows 7 (Enterprise) from CD or USB flash drive, when you arrive at the welcome screen and it asks you to create a username, hit ctrl+shift+f3.
This will reboot your machine and put your windows build in ‘audit’ mode.
Step #10
On reboot, you’ll automatically be logged in under the built-in Administrator account. A sysprep GUI box will appear, but you can close it and NOW begin to customize your profile.
Step #11
Install any software/drivers, make any profile customizations, etc.
If you need to reboot, the computer will boot you back into the Administrator account. You will be stuck in this audit mode until you run sysprep with the /oobe parameter. After doing so, sysprep will delete/clean up the Administrator account, but if you have copyprofile=true in your unattended answer file, it will copy the customized Admin account to the default profile before deleting it.
Step #12
On the PC you are going to be running sysprep on, you need to create a folder called scripts in this directory: %WINDIR%Setup. Now you are going to create a CMD file within the %WINDIR%\Setup\Scripts directory. Right click and make a new text file called SetupComplete.txt. Remove the .txt extension and replace that with .cmd. You now have a SetupComplete.cmd file which windows will read the first time it boots up from the sysprep. We need to place a script inside the CMD file. Edit the cmd file with notepad and insert this line: del /Q /F c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml. This script will delete your unattend.xml file after it has been used. The unattend.xml file is also copied to the C:\Windows\Panther directory, so you will want to add a second line to the CMD file, del /Q /F c:\windows\panther\unattend.xml. If you have passwords or cd keys stored in that xml file you don’t have to worry about it being left on the computer.
UPDATE AS OF JUNE 16TH: Read my Taskbar Icons Tutorial before continuing.
Step #13
Once you have everything configured correctly, Copy or move your unattend.xml file to : C:windowssystem32sysprep. Now to run sysprep, navigate to that sysprep folder, hold SHIFT and right click and select “Open New Command Windows Here”. Next, input the following commands:
sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml
Step #14
Turn the computer back on and boot to WinPE 3.0 environment (USB stick or CD/DVD). You can use my BrianLeeJackson WinPE3.0 BootLoader to boot up from USB or CD and capture your image. Capture image and save image to network location.
A Dell 960 or GX755 is a good standard for capturing when you want a generic image for use with multiple systems. Might require injecting additional drivers for 3rd party brands, HP, etc. Most should work though right out of the box.
Step #15
On reboot, Windows will run out of the box, as the /oobe is intended. As long as you put your cd key into the unattend.xml file, windows will be activated automatically in the background, you will be automatically logged into the administrator account, and the unattend.xml file is deleted. You are now ready to use the computer or join it to the domain. Enjoy!
Tags: Software, sysprep, unattend, unattend.xml, Windows 7, WinPE 3.0
you can use mysysprep to promp for prod key http://www.tsaysoft.com/mysysprep2/
Anyone know how to disable certain network settings in the answer file. Like to have IPv6, File and Printer Sharing and NetBIOS turned off when the system comes up after sysprep. Sysprep turns them all on again. Is it possible to run a script like the one that activates Windows like in Step 7 above?
Thanks for this very helpfull guide!
It was really annoying to get this thing working, until I found this guide!
Many thanks!
[...] Now run sysprep as you normally would and the script is copied into the default profile. That means for every new user, the script pins the icons in the order you want, the script then deletes itself and never runs again. For the correct procedure on sysprepping your machine, read my Windows 7 Sysprep Tutorial. [...]
I’ve done all the steps up until its time to install software. I join to the domain, install software, do some configurations. When I reboot, however, I keep getting an error “Windows could not complete your installation.” and then it reboots and is no longer in audit mode! I tried to get it back into audit mode through the sysprep cmd but it gave me that same error again. I installed software like mozypro, office, firefox, simple programs like that.
Any ideas on why it keeps doing this??
Brian – Thanks for the info. Been cloning machines since Win95 (2000, XP, Server 2K3, I even have 2K8 cloning nicely with WDS. After 2K8, I figured Win7Ent X64 would be similar. I built my reference machine, and ran ‘Sysprep /oobe /generalize /shutdown’ with no .xml file, as I do on Win2K8. When I rebooted my reference machine, I got the dreaded “Windows could not finish configuring the system” error. Looking for an answer, I found this site.
I followed your directions to build an ‘unattend.xml’, but I am greatly puzzled by one thing. When I add ‘amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Deployment_6.1.7600.16385_neutral’ to pass 4 – specialize, it comes up with it’s icons sorta – translucent – compared to the other entries. And I purely *cannot* find the ‘order’, ‘path’, ‘willreboot’, etc. parameters under it that you reference. Those fields are just nowhere to be found. Anyone have any thoughts?
I installed Windows System Image Manager from ‘KB3AIK_EN.iso’. It’s showing a version number of 6.1.7600.16385. I installed it, and am running it, on my Windows Deployment Services Server, which runs Windows Server 2008 R2 x64. I started my unattend.xml file from the “install_Windows 7 ENTERPRISE.clg” file from my Windows 7 Enterprise x64 install DVD. Just can’t figure out *why* that entry is acting strange.
Thanks again.
P.S. – addendum to my previous post. In the ‘components’ pane of Windows System Image Manager, in the lower left, the source for ‘amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Deployment…’ shows the following subheads – AuditComputerName, ExtendOSPartition, Generalize, Reseal, RunAsynchronous, and RunSynchronous.
When I add it to pass 4 – specialize, all that comes through are ExtendOSPartition, RunAsynchronous, and RunSynchronous. The other subheads are gone, and the ones that do get added show ‘icon boxes’ in the Answer File tree that are much lighter in color than the other entries, the ones that are working as described, like ‘amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP_neutral’.
Anyone else ever see this phenomenon?
Thanks.
[...] far as Windows 7 goes, I am deploying it with no problems. I followed these directions: Sysprep a Windows 7 Machine When dropping the image with DS 6.9 SP4, I deploy the image but do not have the post configuration [...]
Hi,
I have done everything but some errors are executed can you help me out from this..
Setting SkipAutoActivation is deprecated in the Windows image Components/specialize/amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC-UX_neutral/SkipAutoActivation
The component does not have any updated settings. It will not be saved to the answer file. Components/oobeSystem/amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_neutral
Setting StartPanelOff is deprecated in the Windows image Components/oobeSystem/x86_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_neutral/StartPanelOff
Satish
Hello,
Thanks for your advices. Really Great.
I read some months ago, a way to force prompting for domain and credential box.
Does anyone have any idea to implement it please ?
Thanks Long live to this site, it helped me so much.
Salim
Hi,
Very informative guide thanks!
@salim: A nice tool you can look at using is mysysprep2 from http://tsaysoft.com/mysysprep2/
This should allow you get to prompt’s during setup for computer name, domain name and credentials amongst other things.
i captured the image and when i am installing the image i am getting this error ” your computer’s name is managed by your organization’s system administrator” in some of the computers but same i tried in different machines its working fine, i am able to keying the PC name.
please can you help me in this regard.
I have a quick question. I have a sysprep file for Win7 32-bit that was created by the tech before me at my company. The file works perfectly. We are now looking at going to Win7 64-bit on some machines. I’ve tried creating a sysprep file for Win 7 64-bit, but I keep getting errors. I was wondering if I could copy the existing 32-bit file and replace the x86_XXX… entries with amd64_XXX. Would that work or am I not going to be able to do that?
[...] was a life saver for me: Sysprep a Windows 7 Machine I'm deploying our Win7 x64 image now via WinPE with no problems and don't need to worry about the [...]
For the unattended.xml file is there are way to set the UAC level for all users?
Also for the unattended.xml which component would I use to add internet explorer favorites? Is it “Microsoft-Windows-IE-Internet Explorer? Would I use FavoriteBarItems or FavoritesList? Finally If I use the above component which section would I place it in the unattended.xml file? Would it be in 3 generalize or perhaps 3 specialize or 7 oobeSystem?
I would appreciate suggestions.
I see that you boot to WinPE environment. I am really new to Windows 7. Will your information work with Symantec Ghost 11? If so, what would be the differences? We have not yet moved to using Windows for imaging. Can you suggest anything that might help me?
Got an error message: ‘Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml for pass [oobeSystem].” blah blah blah. Then it reboots and says “Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation.”
What was interesting is that’s not the name of my unattend file. I specified the name of the unattend file on the command line as:
sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:7_enterprise_x86_sysprep.xml
I also added the script in %WINDIR%\Setup\Scripts to delete this file. But why would Windows attempt to parse “unattend.xml” rather than the file I pointed it toward?…Turns out that the file under sysprep\whateveryoucallit.xml is renamed to unattend.xml when it is copied to the C:\Windows\Panther\ folder.
A quick Google pointed me to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947303
“This problem occurs because you have set a value for the ShowMediaCenter option in the Unattend.xml file.” (Thanks for the ridiculous error messages, MS.)
The only thing I could think of was that I had attempted to hide Windows Live:
false
So I hand-edited both the XML file under Sysprep and the one under Panther and removed two instances of the line above, but that still did not resolve it.
What finally resolved it for me was removing a reference to the Administrator account, which I had actually disabled. So I hand-edited my unattend.xml and removed this entire section:
net user administrator /active:yes
1
I aslo found that I had left this section in by accident, so I removed it too:
YOURPASSWORD
false
Now it’s working. Thanks for the great guide!
Ha! It stripped out all my xml code.
The first component I mentioned removing was:
component name=”Microsoft-Windows-Deployment” processorArchitecture=”x86″ publicKeyToken…
RunSynchronous
RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action=”add”
Path net user administrator /active:yes
Order1
The Windows Live code to remove contained these keywords:
ShowWindowsLive=false
Then under User accounts I removed:
AdministratorPassword
Value YOURPASSWORD
PlainText false
Hi All,
I have caapture this….
A Dell 960 or GX755 is a good standard for capturing when you want a generic image for use with multiple systems. Might require injecting additional drivers for 3rd party brands, HP, etc. Most should work though right out of the box.
Then I have few questions here to ask…
1) I am using the Sysprep within the Altiris to create/capture then deploy the imgages through the Altiris using an unattend.xml file. How do I using the Altiris to inject additional drivers for 3rd party brands, HP, LE, Dell, etc?
Thanks for your help
Long Ng
2)
[...] more help with making the sysprep document I would read this for idea’s. I did not do the audit mode section. I Just created the XML [...]
[...] sysprep so nobody can grab any product keys or passwords easily. I also followed the infamous how to sysprep a windows 7 machine start to finish v2 guide on the net. Attached is a sample unattend.xml file for an x64 Win7 machine if that helps any… [...]
I work for Managed Service Provider and I’m creating an unattended.xml file for 800 machines and I’m deploying Win 7 32bit. and I have almost every figured out for the most part. However I was wanting to know, where do I place the product key information, as to where I can run sysprep and have it prompt me for the product for User Input, instead of automatting the production input?
Also What would be the string to have it prompt for the product key as well or Can I find it within Windows System Image Manager?
Do you use KMS activation? With 800 machines it will be easier to stick to auto-generated serial and activate after installation is completed.
Hi, Thanks for this, great article – everything is all working well for us except that the unattend.xml file is not automatically deleted and remains in both locations ( c:\windows\panther\ or c:\windows\system32\sysprep\ ) following install – have I missed something ?
I have some Apple iMac’s I need to set windows 7 sysprep to set default input locale to UK English Apple Keyboard. Any ideas?
Plain and simple thank you. Your guide didn’t do much help me work it out but to understand all those pesky answers to unattended sheet And released hidden inspiration in me
At this stage I have a 8gb wim file that can deploy windows 7 in 20 mins fully updated, and because of the audit mode, up-dateable as well.. Love it. Now I’ve gone and Scripted for network and USB deployment. Stupid labs never know what hit em now.. Bam all 30 machines rebuilt in half hour. Leaves xp deployment for dead!
I think thats the skip activation part in the specialize tree, not a 100% tho
generalize even
An updated version of this is now available at our new website: http://theitbros.com/sysprep-a-windows-7-machine-%E2%80%93-start-to-finish
Please post your question over at the new version of our blog here -> http://theitbros.com/sysprep-a-windows-7-machine-%E2%80%93-start-to-finish. Thank you
On your Step#8, I have it working but it always wants to add a local user. Since we will joining a domain and have no use for a local user we do not want to have to create one. I know I can just delete it but when I image 2500 computers when it goes thru sysprep it prompts to create a new user. I do not want to delete it on 2500 computers. Any help would greatly appreciated.
Has this changed with Windows 7 SP1?
Nice tutorial…..tested with windows 7 sp1 …. worked great.
Thanks
how do I perfrom windowsupdate in audit mode? It looks like it is disabled in Audit mode.
I like to have an image with the latest Winodws/Office update, configured the profile and setting in audit mode but it looks like Windows update keeps giving me error in audit mode.
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you can also check out spotmaupowersuite.com. that’s a pretty awesome tool for stuff like this
I haven’t made it through all the comments yet, but just wanted to say I already had my model image all set up so I skipped the audit section. I set up my default profile following the method described here by CascadeRob:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprogeneral/thread/0be9b1f0-a21f-4889-9568-6ec455689aa9/
Just make sure to follow all the steps. In addition I discovered that the first registry key found in step 10 is the Wallpaper setting – in order to retain that setting I saved my wallpaper image in the Public Pictures Library while I was setting up the dummy profile to copy, then rather than deleting the Wallpaper key I change the username to %username% – worked perfectly. I’ve also experimented with loading the default ntuser.dat hive to make other minor default profile changes, like setting the IE home page to our website.
Oh, and I don’t use the CopyProfile setting in the unattend.xml file.
Hi,
I followed all the steps. The language bar customizations does not appear on the target machine
Hi,
I have tryed deleting the computer name line but still get no promt at install. Is there anyway around this?
I have used Mysysprep which prompts for computer name but then does not add the machine to the network.
Any help would be great it seems to be one or the other at the moment.
Having some issues.
I am using WAIK version 3
These are not available when I add amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Deployment_6.1.7600.16385_neutral to specialize
Order: 1
path: net user administrator /active:yes
WillReboot: Never
RunSynchronousCommand[Order="1"]
RunSynchronous
AND you can not add amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_6.1.7600.16385_neutral
to odbe system the selection is grayed out when you right click.
Any thoughts?
reg add HKLM\System\Setup /v CmdLine /t REG_SZ /d “mshta C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\EditUnattend.hta” /f
Computer Deployment
Set WshShell = CreateObject(“Wscript.Shell”)
Sub Window_onLoad
window.resizeTo 450,400
‘turn off setup flag in registry so we can query wmi
WshShell.RegWrite “HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\SystemSetupInProgress”, 0, “REG_DWORD”
‘query wmi for serial number
Const wbemFlagReturnImmediately = &h10
Const wbemFlagForwardOnly = &h20
strComputer = “.”
Set objWMIService = GetObject(“winmgmts:\\” & strComputer & “\root\CIMV2″)
Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery(“SELECT * FROM Win32_BIOS”, “WQL”, _
wbemFlagReturnImmediately + wbemFlagForwardOnly)
For Each objItem In colItems
serialNumber = objItem.SerialNumber
Next
‘turn setup flag back on
WshShell.RegWrite “HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\SystemSetupInProgress”, 1, “REG_DWORD”
‘put the serial number that was retrieved in the textbox
ComputerNameArea.Value = serialNumber
End Sub
Sub modUnattend
run_button.Disabled = True
Set fso = CreateObject(“Scripting.FileSystemObject”)
base = Wshshell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings(“%SystemRoot%”)
unattendFile = base & “\Panther\unattend.xml”
computerName = ComputerNameArea.Value
domainName = DomainNameArea.Value
userName = UserNameArea.Value
domainAdminPass = PasswordArea.Value
OUName = OUNameArea.Value
Set xmlDoc = CreateObject(“Microsoft.XMLDOM”)
xmlDoc.load unattendFile
‘Iterate through Unattend.xml searching for nodes and properties to replace
Set oNodes = xmlDoc.documentElement.selectNodes(“/unattend/settings/component/ComputerName”)
For each n in oNodes
n.text = computerName
xmlDoc.save unattendFile
Next
Set oNodes = xmlDoc.documentElement.selectNodes(“/unattend/settings/component/Identification/Credentials/Domain”)
For each n in oNodes
n.text = domainName
xmlDoc.save unattendFile
Next
Set oNodes = xmlDoc.documentElement.selectNodes(“/unattend/settings/component/Identification/Credentials/Password”)
For each n in oNodes
n.text = domainAdminPass
xmlDoc.save unattendFile
Next
Set oNodes = xmlDoc.documentElement.selectNodes(“/unattend/settings/component/Identification/Credentials/Username”)
For each n in oNodes
n.text = userName
xmlDoc.save unattendFile
Next
Set oNodes = xmlDoc.documentElement.selectNodes(“/unattend/settings/component/Identification/JoinDomain”)
For each n in oNodes
n.text = domainName
xmlDoc.save unattendFile
Next
Set oNodes = xmlDoc.documentElement.selectNodes(“/unattend/settings/component/Identification/MachineObjectOU”)
For each n in oNodes
n.text = OUName
xmlDoc.save unattendFile
Next
‘launch the continuation of setup in a hidden window and wait for return
‘if we dont wait, closing mshta, closes windeploy.exe
WshShell.Run “%WINDIR%\System32\oobe\windeploy.exe”, 0, True
idTimer = window.setTimeout(“closeHTA”, 5000, “VBScript”)
End Sub
Sub closeHTA
window.close
End Sub
Sub commandLine
WshShell.Run “%WINDIR%\System32\cmd.exe”, 1, True
End Sub
Computer Name:
Domain Name:
Container OU:
Desktops
Laptops
User Name:
Password:
Note: The following characters are invalid for use in the computer name: ” `~!@#$%^&*()=+[]{}\|;:’”,/?. ”
You will not recieve any warning regarding incorrectly supplied parameters during setup. If any of them are incorrect, setup completion
may take a long time.