I self taught how to create and deploy images with Windows XP. My methods also worked on Vista, but Windows 7 and Windows 8 have exponentially complicated the process by requiring tools to create multiple .xml files that either build your install for you ( I prefer to manually set up my own) or regulate what sysprep does or doesn't do. Windows 7 sysprep allows me to use the unattend.xml file when running sysprep and everything appears to copy correctly - WONDERFUL! But Windows 8 has "improved" to the point that not everything seems to copy to the cloned image. Does there exist a dummy's guide to successfully sysprepping a windows 8 image so the clone computers are identical to my reference? I have mostly succeeded in assembling a CopyProfile.xml file and everything seems to copy except my system tray icons - they all disappear and I'm left with a system tray with the default icons. I used the Windows 8 AIK to create my .xml files, is there an item I'm missing that would successfully replicate my taskbar? I've read that the DoNotCleanTaskbar item has been depreciated from Windows 8 sysprep, so what is left other than manually pinning items after image restoration? Product key is X'd out, my Windows 8 is a Volume License version, so I had to put the Key in the specialize pass, the one in the windowsPE pass is probably redundant. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Here is the CopyProfile.xml file I use: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"> <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"> <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile> <DoNotCleanTaskBar>true</DoNotCleanTaskBar> <ProductKey>XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX</ProductKey> <RegisteredOrganization>Lubbock Christian University</RegisteredOrganization> <RegisteredOwner>Technology Services</RegisteredOwner> </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="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"> <UserData> <ProductKey> <Key>XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX</Key> </ProductKey> <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula> </UserData> <UseConfigurationSet>true</UseConfigurationSet> </component> </settings> <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/users/tech/desktop/install.wim#Windows 8 Pro" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> </unattend>