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
To all who lose their display drivers after sysprep, here is where you need to set that in your xml file. Under generalize pass, Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep, the PersistAllDeviceInstalls needs to say true
-
true</PersistAllDeviceInstalls
I’ve discovered this tutorial when my Windows 7 installation was ready to be imaged, so I completely skipped the ctrl-shift-f3 for audit mode.
This is probably the cause of the above problem. I will follow all the steps on the next W7 image…
It’s possible to configure sysprep to not delete the local administrator account, because I’d like to make some customization to this account too.
Bye
Good Morning
Im having the hardest time creating the image after step 15.
I have created the Bootable image.
I have created the Answer file.
I have installed windows 7 and in audit mode configured the machine.
After I have dropped the .xml file in the Sysprep folder and ran the command, the machine shutdown. I was able to boot the machine in the WINPE with the boot media we created, but I only get a command prompt and nothing happens… We have been stuck for over a week and any help would be greatly appreciated did I miss a step? Also I did joined the machine to the network in order to access files to install on the machine. Would this stop the process from working?
Any ideas how to register the computer name to ZEN before logging in. I have a bat file that I would like to run just before logging into the computer is there a way to do this in the unattend.xml or some way to do this?
[...] http://blog.brianleejackson.com/sysprep-a-windows-7-machine-–-start-to-finish-v2 [...]
Thank you so much. This works great. It was so wonderful to find 1 document with all of the info I needed. I have been racking my brain with stingy little tidbits of info in Microsoft KBs. This was just what I needed. As always you are extemely helpful and your documentation is very well done
I have followed the above tutorial but I am looking for a solution to not install a MAK key and just use the KMS. In the part about installing the slmgr.vbs -ipk can I skip this and just run the slmgr.vbs. -ato command . I currently dont have 25 kms clients nor 5 windows 2008 servers but this image will be enough to get me to 25 clients. I am also looking for a solution to just prompt for the computer name but then auto join the domain. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. I saw some of the scripts above about joining the domain but don’t understand which one to use or where I should put them.
WINDOWS CANNOT COMPLETE INSTALLATION PLEASE RESTART ERROR
i have used this step by step guide to help build and deploy to my corporate environment. i found that to run throuogh to completion i needed to remove machine from the domain prior to running the sysprep. however this time i got the “windows cannot complete installation ….” error and i was unable to procede only to be stuck in and infinite loop or restarts. even in safe mode etc same error. what i ahve found is that on the removal from domain and subsequent reboot the admin account that i ahve used to build and configure the image, the only active account on my machine has been disabled . my work around to this (im using version 10.0 menus may have changed in newer versions)
download hirens boot cd
http://www.hirensbootcd.net/download.html
boot to cdrom
select bootCD
option 3 Password & registry Tools
option 1 Active Password changer
let APC browse for your SAM database and let it activate you admin accoutnn and blank your password
save changes and reboot your machine to OS should run through as normal get to “configuring for first use” the point of normal failure but then go through.
hope this helps anyone
I am running into an issue. I have created my unattend.xml file exactly how it was created in the example (only I use 32bit instead of 64bit). After running through everything and running sysprep and turning the machine back on, it begins to run through the setup but gets an error here:
“Windows could not parse or process the unattend answer file for pass [specialize]. The settings specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing settings for [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup].”
All I have in my answer file for the Shell Setup is the following…
CopyProfile = true
RegisteredOrganization = Microsoft
RegisteredOwner = AutoBVT
ShowWindowsLive = false
TimeZone = Eastern Standard Time
What about this could be causing problems?
Alright it seems like the problem was the copyprofile portion of the specialize pass. If set to false, no problem. If set to true, I get that error that I just described. Any ideas why this is?
Hi
I managed to create an autounttend.xml which partition the HDD successfuly and boots into audit mode. Now the problem is i am in audit mode and i want to install the drivers unattended.
I created the driver installation file under audit user mode, with runsynchronous.
So in audit mode i run sysprep /audit /unattend:c:\unattend.xml
The system reboots and starts the driver installation but after a while it will prompt with error “cannot parse c:\windows\panther\unattend.xml” then it starts the looping….
Can someone PLEASe help to post a unattend.xml that can install the drivers in unattended mode?
When I input this command:
“Open New Command Windows Here”. Next, input the following commands:
sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml
It does nothing
And I’ve done it step by step.
Any Idea? Anyone?
Johan says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
August 26, 2010 at 1:12 am
When I input this command:
“Open New Command Windows Here”. Next, input the following commands:
sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml
It does nothing
And I’ve done it step by step.
Any Idea? Anyone?
When I input this command:
“Open New Command Windows Here”. Next, input the following commands:
sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml
It does nothing
And I’ve done it step by step.
Any Idea? Anyone?
Thanks for the tips, saved me a lot of time.
After following all of the above steps, I receive an error stating that I am missing the file winload.exe. Has anyone else experienced this?
After applying my image, I receive an error about a missing winload.exe file. Has anyone else experienced this?
Johan,
i was having the same issue. I had to open a command prompt with elevated privileges for this to work.
How?
Click the Start Orb/Button
In the Search box, type command prompt.
In the list of results, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
browse to the sysprep folder in the command prompt window
now type in: sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml
I need to create an image for deployment on hp computers that shipped with Windows 7 Pro but have a downgrade install of XP Pro, is it possible to create a sysprep image with the OEM restore disks?
This is the only walkthrough I’ve found that actually works to set the default profile in Windows 7. Awesome job thank you so much!!!
Hello,
I am very interested in trying this procedure.
My company is on XP SP3 and I’ve become very familiar with the sysprep process but was worried about Windows 7 moving forward.
On question though. We generally make images based on specific computer models mainly for hardware compatibility and drivers.
Understanding that it was more necessary with XP and Windows 7 ‘should’ deal with drivers easier.
What would the sysprep option command to NOT rechech for drivers and such?
IS it just as simple as not using the /oobe option?
Path :
sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml
Johan,
Regarding why your sysprep command is not working…use the full path to your unattend.xml
Ex: sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml
Once you boot into the WinPE 3.0 how do you capture the image with gimagex?????
First off BRANDON – Winpe is nothing but command line..do you have ghost on your Winpe or do you have imagex?? those can be used to capture an image…its command line. if ghost is on your USB/CD, lets say USB is drive f:, then you must “e:” then enter then “cd %whatever directory ghost is in%” so “cd ghost” then enter. then “ghost32.exe” and ghost will run.
Johan – Are you at c:\windows\system32\sysprep??? and your right clickin on “sysprep” folder??
johan – from a blank (elevated) command prompt (start, run, cmd ‘enter’) you could try this:
c:\%windir%\system32\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml
(((((((WHERE %WINDIR% IS YOUR WINDOWS DIRECTORY, MOST LIKELY JUST windows))))))))
@ Johan
noticed when playing with sysprep /audit I had to be sitting in sysprep directory to run it?
eg
cd c:\windows\system32\sysprep
Then execute
sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml
Any ideas why after syspreping and uping the image I log into the same machine without downing the image, run sysprep and log in as administrator it creates a new profile called administrator.computername
why wouldn’t it just use the already active administrator profile?
I hate to have to drop the image i just upped everytime I sysprep my machine for imaging.
As far as adding to a domain, I have figured out how to go about that, and it seems to work pretty well. Ideally you’re going to set up auto login the first time so your scripts can run before turning it over to a user…. install the RSAT Kit on your own PC (assuming you’ve been playing with Windows 7 before rolling it out to the rest of your users. Available here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=7d2f6ad7-656b-4313-a005-4e344e43997d
after you install and add the RSAT tools to your computer, copy netdom.exe from your system32 and netdom.exe.mui from systemre/en-US to your target machine in the corresponding folders. in your sysprep, add:
NEXT#
Joins domain
netdom join %computername% /Domain:SOMEDC.COM /OU:ou=SOMEOU,ou=Workstations,dc=SOMEDC,dc=COM /UserD:Administrator /PasswordD:DCADMINPW /Reboot
false
You can skip the /OU part if you want to dump the machine into the default location.
Note: If you are deplying an x86 machine, you must use the netdom from the x86 RSAT, a x64 from the x64 RSAT kit.
-Mike
ack, it stripped out all the good parts…
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action=”add”>
<Order>NEXT#</Order>
<Description>Joins domain</Description>
<CommandLine>netdom join %computername% /Domain:SOMEDC.COM /OU:ou=SOMEOU,ou=Workstations,dc=SOMEDC,dc=COM /UserD:Administrator /PasswordD:DCADMINPW</CommandLine>
<RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
</SynchronousCommand>
Thanks for a very helpfull guide!
Jason: Not 100% sure, but afaik Administrator account is disabled by default in Windows Vista and 7, without the ability to enable it for regular use, so you have to create your own administrator account that you could name anything. When you create another administrator account, it adds machine name because its allready a profile called administrator there. If you name your administrator user Admin, you would not get the extra machine name in the end.
I have followed the steps outlined. The machine get activated but I am later ask to activate again since hardware has changed. Has anyone seen this issue?
Johan, (just a suggestion . . although you’re probably doing it that way)
Make sure your command line path is taking place in the c:\windows\system32\sysprep\ folder.
And make sure the unattend.xml is in that folder also.
After running sysprep as suggested above, then deploying an image, I receive a Windows Update error 80070003. I am trying to fix it, but I can’t figure out why this is happening. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Hi can anyone tell me why my pc blue screen when i dump my image to a laptop.
It work fine on a normal desktop but just on the laptop.
i don’t know if there is somthing wrong in my sysprep file
The pc then restart and take me to where you can choose the startup in save mode.
Øystein
Thank you very much. I just don’t get it. If i drop the image to the machine instead of just restarting it it works fine but if I sysprep it and up the image and reboot the machine using the one i just created it creates the administrator.computername not sure if i need to do something in the unattend.xml file or what. very weird.
Secure Logon
——————————————————————————–
Ok anyone know why all of a sudden my Secure Logon is Greyed out? I know how to enable it and disable it but i want to just click the check box or unclick it and I can’t. I can go to policy and remove and set the check box but it is still greyed out. I am not in a domain it is just a standalone PC with Windows 7. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I’ve use the manual but when i put the image on another notebook.
I get an error message”Location is not available/C:/windows/system32/config/systemprofile/desktop refers to a location that is unavailable.”
whats when’t wrong ?
Hopefully someone can help us.
Regards,
Meinte de Jong
I’ve use the manual but when i put the image on another notebook.
I get an error message”Location is not available/C:/windows/system32/config/systemprofile/desktop refers to a location that is unavailable.”
whats when’t wrong ?
Hopefully someone can help us.
Regards,
Meinte de Jong
Can you go into the auto diskconfiguration? Im having trouble with this..when I run my image it makes me choose upgrade/custom I want custom and to auto config /wipe disks. I have in my answer file..
This is under 1:WindowsPE
OnError
1
100
Primary
2
Primary
true
1
1
NTFS
System
Windows
2
2
NTFS
0
true
i am having so much trouble getting my image to join the domain, even using netdom.
Can someone help!
I’m having an issue with my deployment: my unattend file is set to create two local accounts on the machines because this is for a university computer lab and no password is required for general access. My issue is that the account is created with passwords expiring after 30 days…. Is there any way to specify that password never expires in the unattend process or setupcomplete?
Thanks Brian for all of your help, great tutorial!
I’ve used it successfully and I have shared it with others.
One thing that I am seeing is when I reimage multiple PCs on multiple hardware platforms again and again the Windows setup hangs indefinitely at ‘Starting Services’. I found that if I boot to PE disk, launch “DiskPart”, “select volume c”, “format quick” and then reimage again it continues with installing devices and completes successfully.
Do you or anyone else think this would be resolved by adding components ‘Microsoft -Windows-Setup\DiskConfiguration\Disk’ options (CreatePartitions, ModifyPartition, etc…) to the unattend.xml where it just creates a new partition every time?
I really wish Microsoft would create a component view for Windows SIM that is just the default setup prompts that you see when installing Windows manually. I hate that it’s not defined in the app what is needed for unattended (bypass manual setup) and what is a nice to have (further customization).
Thanks again for the great tutorial!
Do you still need assistance?
Mo,
I was having the same problem. What I ended up doing was created a Powershell script to run upon login to join the machine to the domain. Here’s the script:
$username = “domain\username”
$password = ConvertTo-SecureString “password” -AsPlainText -Force
$myCred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential $username, $password
Add-Computer -DomainName yourdomain.com -Credential $mycred
Remove-Item c:\addcomputer.ps1
This script is saved as c:\addcomputer.ps1 and you can see by the last line that it will delete itself upon completion so that you don’t have to worry about your password being out there for everyone to see.
I did not create this script, I found it here -> http://blog.doah.org/?p=11
Hi, I have done the example that demonstrated above. It works great. I am wondering where in the WSIM I would put a diskpart command (along with a script). I am looking to assign different drive letters for the USB drives. Any thoughts?
Thanks
We have multiple images based on user “type”, all of which need to join a domain. Multiple users log into each PC. These users have all of their files located on network drives, so that they may access them from multiple locations.
My problem is that I cannot get the My Documents folder to set to point to the root of H:\ In my post-sysprep image it keeps creating a My Documents folder in H:\ so instead of My Documents being H: it is H:\My Documents. This will confuse the heck out of our users as very few are tech savvy and we do not have the IT staff available to reset each users’ profile when they log into a PC for the first time.
How do I set my admin profile that gets copied over so that the My Documents location is simply H:\ and not H:\My Documents? Any ideas???
Joining a domain AND naming the computer…
Has anyone successfully joined a domain AND have the computer stop to allow you to give it a unique name – just like you can with XP
I can do either thing but not both – and I want it all…….
I’ll cross my fingers and hope…… That someone has solved this part of the puzzle.
This site has saved my sanity…..
Hey, so ive got to the stage where i need to locate the sysprep hold shift and right click. Now i did all that and im not getting the option “open new command window here” is there something i can do to get this option?
Or should i locate the files from command window then try and run the required parameters?
thanks
Brian, found this article to add sophos to an image, may help someone?
What to do
Note : Where the operating system is Windows Vista or Windows 7, you may need to modify the path slightly, e.g. in step 6, if you are running Vista, substitute ‘ProgramData’ for ‘Program Files’.
1. Install Sophos Anti-Virus to a client machine as if it was a fresh install.
2. After update has finished, stop the Sophos AutoUpdate service and set it to disabled. (This prevents an update starting during the procedure, which would attempt to install the other components, breaking the image. The service will restart automatically at the end of the procedure.)
3. Go to the folder C:\Program Files\Sophos\Remote Management System, and make copies of the following files :
* cac.pem
* mrinit.conf
4. Go to ‘Add/Remove Programs’, and remove the following components :
* Sophos Anti-Virus
* Sophos Remote Management System
5. Reboot the system to finialize the removal of S.A.V. and R.M.S.
6. Delete the contents of the : C:\Program Files\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Cache folder
7. Delete the : C:\Program Files\Sophos\AutoUpdate\data\status\status.xml file
8. Re-create the : C:\Program Files\Sophos\Remote Management System folder, and add (to it) the copies of cac.pem, and mrinit.conf you made (above).
9. Set the Sophos Autoupdate Service to ‘Automatic’ but leave the service stopped.
10. Now take the image
After installing the image, once the new computer is booted up, AutoUpdate will try and update from the server (it will have kept the AutoUpdate configuration). The cache will be re-populated with the three packages, the installer will then run and re-install Sophos Anti-Virus and Remote Management System.