Basic Autounattend for Sysprep directory (solved with still a little w

[bookie32]

Hi guys, still batteling on here and could do with some inspiration....LOL

What I would like to try is a basic unattend.xml that I can then put in C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep and run it in conjunctin with sysprep to save all my settings etc.

I have two accounts and would like to save those profiles, so that after reboot setup doesn't ask me to enter account details. Of course I wont be saving stuff in my documents etc. It will be a basic install, with updates and my extra programs.

After running my sysprep I can restart with PE and capture my image onto another partition as stated in a previous thread.

So, the unattend doesn't need to be elaborate ...just keep profile settings etc.

As always, would appreciate any help I can get on this matter.

bookie32

Edited June 3, 2009 by bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi guys, now please don't get me wrong ....always grateful for the help I get here...just I can't understand why it is so hard to get info that is reliable with sysprep?

On XP one could run sysprep and save all settings..network, static ip addresses, account information etc. Why is it so hard with Vista. I just want an image of my C: drive and all its settings?

I appreciate it is a case of reading and understanding all the info on this ...just that XP was so easy.

The idea behind sysprep is nice it breaks things down and gives you a new fresh install everytime you install an image. Why in heavens name did they have to complicate things on Vista?

bookie32

[Tripredacus]

Have you tried the User State Migration Tool?

[bookie32]

Hi Tripredacus, thamks for the tip. I will definately look into that as regards settings etc....stilll leaves me with the installing all my programs again and not being able to image the computer to save that part of the equation.

I hope they have thought of something better with Windows 7 because this stinks. Never been much of a fan of Vista and will seriously look at moving to Linux for good.

Wanted to keep windows for my girlfriend but she will have to think again. I am not going to reinstall all her programs including adobe cs4, which takes for ever, every time the computer decides to crash.

I can clone Linux no problems. XP has been the only real gem that Microsoft has managed to produce and that isn't saying much with all the technology at their disposal.!!

All I want is to be able to trust sysprep and a simple unattend to do their job. I installed one program yesterday and just ran syprep without an unattend and restarted the computer and that seemed OK - apart from my settings. I ran sysprep again with the same settings and the one extra program and after shutting down ran PE and compressed and moved the image, reformated and moved the image back reinstating it. Well, sysprep couldn't even manage that!!

Thanks for you help. I do apprectiate it. Just a bit fedup with the crap that Microsoft produces these days. When you have something that works ....DON'T fixit!!!

bookie32

[bookie32]

Ok here is a question. If I avoid using sysprep - how do I get an image and reinstate it working?

I tred that also yesterday. I installed Vista Business and added a couple of programs and my two accounts (for me and my girlfriend) and just tried to take an image off the C: drive and then reinstate it.......nada?!

If I don't need sysprep - as I have read I don't - then could someone kindly explain to me how I can create an image from the C: drive and then reinstate it at a later date.

YES, I am reinstating it back to the same drive.

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi guys, well, things are looking up a bit now . I now have a working basic unattend.xml file that I have tested in sysprep.

I would like to thank FireGeier fo his basic autounattend I haven't all my programs installed yet but had several before I made my image.

OK! I have now successfully reinstalled my image to the hard drive and it works ....as I am on that computer at the mo.

I am going to work with the xml file to see if I can add my accounts and static ip addresses...seen some threads on those two.

I have a couple of questions about my reinstall. When you copy the image back to C´: and apply it - it leaves a copy of the image on C:. Can I safely dispose of it before running my next sysprep? I have my copy on another drive.

The other question is this - how many times can I run sysprep without problems? Does it begin from zero every time I copy my image back to the drive and reinstall...sorry that was the third question....LOL

Can someone give me a little info on those items please. I can then start a new thread if there is anything else.

bookie32

[Tripredacus]

You need to sysprep Vista in order to image it, no exceptions. You can get away with a standard sysprep if you are imaging it and dropping it on the EXACT same computer, and I'm not talking same hardware model. If you are going to move the image to another physical computer, even if the same hardware model parts, you need to do a generalize.

You get 3 attempts to run sysprep, however you can get additional sysprep attempts if you change the ReArm in the registry. Look up how to extend activation in Vista, which is a side effect of extending sysprep attempts. Also to note if you upgrade your Vista using the SP1 installer, it does not use up a sysprep use.

[bookie32]

Hi Tripredacus

Thanks for the info. I will do some research about extending the activation.

Thanks again

bookie32