Sysprep Answer File Help

[KraftDinner]

Hi all, my first post. I'm having serious troubles getting my sysprep answer file to work. I've tried different configurations probably about 20 or 30 times (not exaggerating). First some initial information:

OS: Vista Business

License Type: Volume License Key

PC: Single Processor Dells.

I've tried to run sysprep with the /generalize switch and an answer file and it errors out during the "Processing generalize plugin clean phase" with their ever MS's ever so helpful error message "A fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine". I made sure to reset the SkipRearm setting in the registry to "1" before I run the tool. As well I've applied the hotfix that is supposed to fix this error. It only seems to happen when I run sysprep with /generalize AND specify an answer file together. So I try running sysprep without /generalize. Like so: sysprep /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml

But, of course it goes through, syspreps, and when it tries to apply the answer file for the windows welcome, I've gotten any number of errors from my different configurations. All of them are to do with the component [Windows Shell Setup] and have error out during either the [specialize] or the [oobesystem] phase. I'll post my current answer file to give some insight on my up to date issue.

<?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>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UILanguageFallback></UILanguageFallback>
        </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>
                <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
            </OOBE>
            <UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <Value>RABSAE4AQQBkAG0AaQBuADIAMAAwADcAIQBQAGEAcwBzAHcAbwByAGQA</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>DRNAdmin</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <RegisteredOrganization></RegisteredOrganization>
            <RegisteredOwner />
            <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim://netshare/installs/vista/sources/install.wim#Windows Vista BUSINESS" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

This configuration errors out on the [oobesystem] phase and specifies that the component [Windows Shell Setup] is the issue.

Please ANY help would be great. I just want to automate the Windows Welcome screen after I apply my image. TIA

-KraftDinner

EDIT:

I forgot to add. Before I sysprep the machine, I log onto the machine with a domain account (I'm a domain admin so I don't need to add my username to the box with a local account before I can log on) and I proceed to remove every user (including my domain account) from the User Accounts list, so theres no local accounts. This is to eliminate any problems with adding a local user account in the answer file.

Edited June 28, 2007 by KraftDinner