RichC

amit_talkin: that was my mistake when changing the password values, etc for posting...it's not really that way in the XML and i'll correct in the repost. Sorry about that... maxXPsoft: so, when it crashes it dumps error logs to that folder? nice that it gives you no way to get to them unless you did you what you suggested :-) i may have to look into that.

Ok, first off before I go any further - is there any difference between Autounattend.xml and unattend.xml? You can name the file joe.xml as long as you specify the path and name correctly in the sysprep command right? So, assuming that is correct, and there is no difference between the 2, I have a very strange issue. I used the steps in the WAIK help file (Unattended Windows Setup Reference for Windows 7). The topic is 'Automate Windows Welcome'. I went through all of these steps and filled out what was needed. Sysprepped the machine, reboot to test and then I get an error message that it can't parse some part of the Specialize section of the unattend file (Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup): "A component or non-list setting is specified more than once in the answer file" Well, that's great. Yes, the Windows-Shell-Setup component is in there in the Specialize pass as well as the oobeSystem pass because the help file said to plug in values in BOTH of those places (the XML below is the one from that point). I went back and tried to consolidate everything that was in the Specialize portion into the OOBE portion and removed the Shell-Setup from Specialize pass and it still failed saying it couldn't parse the Specialize section..component non-list more than once, etc, etc. Needless to say, i'm beyond frustrated. If someone can take a peek at the XML below and let me know if they see anything glaringly wrong, i'd greatly appreciate it (names and keys have been changed to protect the innocent). <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"> <settings pass="oobeSystem"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" 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"> <Reseal> <Mode>OOBE</Mode> </Reseal> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" 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> <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE> <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation> <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC> </OOBE> <DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>false</DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet> <RegisteredOrganization>Company</RegisteredOrganization> <RegisteredOwner>Company</RegisteredOwner> <ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive> <BluetoothTaskbarIconEnabled>false</BluetoothTaskbarIconEnabled> <UserAccounts> <AdministratorPassword> <Value>blahblahblahValue> <PlainText>false</PlainText> </AdministratorPassword> <DomainAccounts> <DomainAccountList wcm:action="add"> <Domain>campbell</Domain> </DomainAccountList> </DomainAccounts> </UserAccounts> <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone> <VisualEffects> <FontSmoothing>ClearType</FontSmoothing> </VisualEffects> <WindowsFeatures> <ShowInternetExplorer>true</ShowInternetExplorer> <ShowMediaCenter>false</ShowMediaCenter> <ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>false</ShowWindowsMediaPlayer> </WindowsFeatures> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" 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> </settings> <settings pass="windowsPE"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" 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"> <SetupUILanguage> <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> </SetupUILanguage> <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale> <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale> <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DiskConfiguration> <Disk wcm:action="add"> <CreatePartitions> <CreatePartition wcm:action="add"> <Order>1</Order> <Type>Primary</Type> <Size>2048</Size> </CreatePartition> <CreatePartition wcm:action="add"> <Order>2</Order> <Type>Primary</Type> </CreatePartition> </CreatePartitions> <ModifyPartitions> <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add"> <Active>true</Active> <Format>NTFS</Format> <Label>System</Label> <Order>1</Order> <PartitionID>1</PartitionID> </ModifyPartition> <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add"> <Format>NTFS</Format> <Label>Windows</Label> <Order>2</Order> <PartitionID>2</PartitionID> </ModifyPartition> </ModifyPartitions> <DiskID>0</DiskID> <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk> </Disk> <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> </DiskConfiguration> <ImageInstall> <OSImage> <InstallTo> <DiskID>0</DiskID> <PartitionID>2</PartitionID> </InstallTo> <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition> <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> </OSImage> </ImageInstall> <UserData> <ProductKey> <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> <Key>KEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</Key> </ProductKey> <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula> <FullName>Company</FullName> <Organization>Company</Organization> </UserData> <EnableNetwork>true</EnableNetwork> </component> </settings> <settings pass="specialize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <FavoritesList> <FavoriteItem wcm:action="add"> <FavTitle>Intranet</FavTitle> <FavURL>companyintranet</FavURL> <FavID>0</FavID> </FavoriteItem> </FavoritesList> <CompanyName>Company</CompanyName> <BlockPopups>yes</BlockPopups> <AllSitesCompatibilityMode>true</AllSitesCompatibilityMode> <DisableAccelerators>true</DisableAccelerators> <DisableDevTools>true</DisableDevTools> <DisableFirstRunWizard>true</DisableFirstRunWizard> <ShowInformationBar>true</ShowInformationBar> <Home_Page>http://www.google.com</Home_Page> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-SystemRestore-Main" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DisableSR>1</DisableSR> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <Identification> <Credentials> <Domain>domain</Domain> <Password>password</Password> <Username>user</Username> </Credentials> <JoinDomain>domain</JoinDomain> <MachineObjectOU>Computers</MachineObjectOU> </Identification> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" 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>*</ComputerName> <DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>false</DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet> <RegisteredOrganization>company</RegisteredOrganization> <RegisteredOwner>company</RegisteredOwner> <ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive> <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone> <ProductKey>KEY!!!!!!!!!</ProductKey> </component> </settings> <settings pass="generalize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <fDenyTSConnections>false</fDenyTSConnections> </component> </settings> <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/users/rich.chisolm/desktop/win7-enterprise64/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 ENTERPRISE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> </unattend>

bumping this as well...i'd love to know how to do this. I find it hard to believe with the variables that are out there that there isn't one we can just plug in for it to use!