Install fails on deploy.exe

[Jadestar]

So if I unplug my ethernet cable and run my unattended disc, vista fails and gives some error on deploy.exe not being able to do online installation.

Does it have anything to do with this line thats generated a number of times?

xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance

I see that in my autounattended.xml many times, not too sure what it's for.

SO anyways, I need this unattended to work if I[m on the internet or not and it really should...not sure why it fails.

p.s. I do have skip activation set to true.

[Tripredacus]

I am guessing one of the packages you are trying to install is an online installer and not a redistributable or self contained installer. It has nothing to do with the namespaces and format declarations in the XML file. Do not change or remove those.

[Jadestar]

when you say packages, what do you mean by that?

[Tripredacus]

The actual updates or programs you added for your setup to run.

[Jadestar]

I have a few programs that run in the runsyncronize stage.

They are powerdvd, nero, adobe reader 9 and the dx9 redistributible. Neither of these need or use the internet to install and on my xp home or pro installs, theres no internet connection needed which is why i think theres something in the vista itself that's trying to get on the net.

One theory I had is maybe vista is trying to download the latest setup files? I know when you try to do an install of windows in windows it asks for that.

Other than that I have no idea.

There's no updates that get run either.

Here is my full autounattended.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <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>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
        </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></Key>
                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
                </ProductKey>
                <Organization>Owner-Corp</Organization>
                <FullName>OwnerPC</FullName>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                            <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                            <Value></Value>
                        </MetaData>
                    </InstallFrom>
                    <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition>
                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <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>Home</NetworkLocation>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
                <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
            </OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Description>user account</Description>
                        <DisplayName>User</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>User</Name>
                        <Password>
                            <Value>cABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>

          </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">
            <TimeZone>Mountain Standard Time</TimeZone>
            <AutoLogon>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>2</LogonCount>
                <Username>Administrator</Username>
            </AutoLogon>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SLC-UX" 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">
            <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
        </component>

<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">
            <RunSynchronous>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Description>Copyapps</Description>
                    <Path>D:\programs\copyappsvista.cmd</Path>
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <WillReboot>Never</WillReboot>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>

<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Description>DirectX 9</Description>
                    <Path>D:\programs\nero\installation\redist\directx\dxsetup.exe /silent</Path>
                    <Order>2</Order>
                    <WillReboot>Never</WillReboot>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>


<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Description>Nero</Description>
                    <Path>D:\programs\nero\installation\setupx.exe /quiet</Path>
                    <Order>3</Order>
                    <WillReboot>Never</WillReboot>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>


           <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Description>Adobe</Description>
                    <Path>d:\programs\READER9\Setup.exe /sall</Path>
                    <Order>4</Order>
                    <WillReboot>Never</WillReboot>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>



 </RunSynchronous>
        </component>

    </settings>
</unattend>

[Tripredacus]

Try taking out those run commands so those programs do not install and see if it still fails.

[Jadestar]

I guess that'll work. If i rebuild the image WITHOUT the autounattend file and then drop it on a mem stick it would make it easier.

I'll give that a shot and post my results.

[Tripredacus]

Well I would still use the unattend.xml but not have it install those programs.

What is the source media you are using to install Vista? Also, you can make a Vista install DVD with no autounattend.xml in it, and say put that file on a floppy disk or USB key and the DVD will search for the file. This way you can easily test different unattend settings without having to rebuild you media every time. I keep a Vista Business DVD around that is set up like that for installing on weird configs that roll into here every now and then, so we can use custom unattend settings without rebuilding the media.

[Jadestar]

yeha that's what I meant by removing the autounattended file. The source is an OEM copy of vista sp1. So what I will do is just use the original disc I used the image from, and strip the settings from the autounattended file one by one until I find the culprit, and hopefully after that, the solution!

Could it be due to the fact that no specific version of vista is specified in my unattended?

[Tripredacus]

Mine doesn't have that either, but it does have the product key in there.

[Jadestar]

I did an install on a PC and didnt realize that it did not have ethernet plugged in, and it worked...so now I'm really confused as to what happened. perhaops it was some other random error on the other pc that was a coincidence that it worked after i plugged the internet in. I'll have to do some more installs and see what happens.