[Syspreped Image Deployment]

Thank you everyone who responded.

FireGeier:

Sysprep seems to nuke/default all of the passwords on the system including saved network info. I knew that the setting I had would only set the Administer's password, but what I didn't know is that the Password setting was required for AutoLogon.

Thank you very much for your help!

[Syspreped Image Deployment]

Oops. No, its not like that in the original answer file. I edited the passwords out.

[Syspreped Image Deployment]

Alright, so I've done the following:

1. Installed Vista (VL Business if it makes a difference)
   
2. Installed all of the extra software and goodies that I want
   
3. Syspreped the image iwth /generalize and /oobe
   
4. Captured a WIM and placed it on the network
   
5. Created an Unattend.xml file with SIM against this WIM that I just pulled
   

Here is what I want to do:

1. Apply this WIM to a target computer
   
2. Boot the computer and have OOBE answered by the Unattend.xml file I created earlier
   

Heres the problem:

When the machine boots it begins to process the Unattend.xml file. When it gets to the oobeSystem pass it hoses. The machine is renamed in the specialize path without a hitch. This is the message that I get:

Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend.xml]for pass [oobeSystem]. A component or setting specified in the answer file does not exist.

Here is the Unattend.xml File that I'm using:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
	<settings pass="oobeSystem">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
			<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
			<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
			<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
		</component>
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<OOBE>
				<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
				<NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
				<ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
			</OOBE>
			<TimeZone>Central Standard Time</TimeZone>
			<RegisteredOrganization>Company X</RegisteredOrganization>
			<UserAccounts>
				<AdministratorPassword>
					<Value>password</Value>
					<PlainText>true</PlainText>
				</AdministratorPassword>
				<LocalAccounts>
					<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
						<Password>
							<Value>password</Value>
							<PlainText>true</PlainText>
						</Password>
						<Description>Added user account for testing.</Description>
						<DisplayName>User</DisplayName>
						<Group>Users</Group>
						<Name>User</Name>
					</LocalAccount>
				</LocalAccounts>
			</UserAccounts>
			<AutoLogon>
				<Username>Administrator</Username>
				<Enabled>true</Enabled>
				<LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
			</AutoLogon>
			<RegisteredOwner>Owner X</RegisteredOwner>
		</component>
	</settings>
	<settings pass="specialize">
		<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<ComputerName>MStudioTest</ComputerName>
		</component>
	</settings>
	<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim://agates/x86/base/vista_business_x86.wim#Windows Vista VL Business Base" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

I really hope that this isn't something thats blatently obvious. If someone could help me wipe the look off of my face I would certainly appreciate it.

[Boot to Windows PE 2006 (HDD -> RAM Disk)]

Thanks for the responses. I'll start in on this as soon as I get a chance and let you know how it went.

Thanks again.

[Boot to Windows PE 2006 (HDD -> RAM Disk)]

How do you get a machine to reboot to Windows PE 2.0 in a RAMDisk from the HDD? I've found a few sets of instructions on how to do it for Windows PE 2005, but obviously this won't work for the newest version.

If this is possible:

Will this have to be done differently if the current OS is 2000/XP and Vista?

The purpose is to boot to Windows PE in a RAM Disk to image the machine. Can I use an Autounattend.xml file that I created with Windows SIM and have Windows PE use that to locate and install the WIM?

If we get our Volume License server up and running and I setup a machine with an OS that supports it is there any reason that I should Sysprep it before I pull seeing how WIMs are hardware independent?

Its a loaded topic I know. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The main issue is getting Windows PE to boot into a RAM Disk from the HDD. The other questions are more fluffish.

Thanks!