Windows Server 2008 R2 Blank Password

[vinicastro]

Just finished my unnatended Server 2008 DVDs - 1 STD and 1 ENT

Everything working fine, but I need to set Blank Administrator password in bove of DVDs

How to do this?

[MrJinje]

<AdministratorPassword>

<Value><Value/>

<PlainText>true</PlainText>

</AdministratorPassword>

Drop this in your autounattend.xml during the OOBE system Shell Setup component. Inside the <UserAccounts> block. Edited November 20, 2009 by MrJinje

[Whtnxt]

If you are talking about Built in Administrator account then by default password is already blank.

But if you are trying to set a blank password for a new account with administrator rights then leaving a blank field in autounattend.xml will show an error message and will cause the installation to fail.

instead follow this worked for me....!

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Step 1: Insert these Synchronous commands under Path 4 Specialize

net user USERNAMETOINSTALL "" /add

net localgroup Administrators USERNAMETOINSTALL /add

cmd /c net accounts /maxpwage:UNLIMITED

these commands will create a new user with administrator rights with a blank password.

do not leave double quotes they are used to enclose for password field in your case password is blank i.e. ""

Step 2: Create Autologon for newly created account i'll tell you why

xml from my system

<AutoLogon>

<Username>USERNAMETOINSTALL</Username>

<LogonCount>1</LogonCount>

<Enabled>true</Enabled>

</AutoLogon>

As you know to completely automate the OOBE one has supply a Username and Password in the Path 7 OOBE System

so that window can make a new account depending upon the information provided.

There is no way to bypass it AFAIK. and if you leave the field blank or simply remove it from pass 7 OOBe then Windows UI pops up during install and asks for a username and password.

To avoid this a dummy user is created using XML with dummy password so that windows UI does'nt pop up. Windows will carry on the installation as instructed and create a dummy account.

<UserAccounts>

<LocalAccounts>

<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">

<Password>

<Value>dummy</Value>

<PlainText>true</PlainText>

</Password>

<Name>Dummy</Name>

</LocalAccount>

</LocalAccounts>

</UserAccounts>

Off course You dont want a dummy account to show on your logon screen therefore autologon entries for your actual account are made and dummy account is deleted using First logon command line

Step 3: Insert this Synchronous command under Path 7 OOBE System

cmd /c net user Dummy /delete

This command will delete the account created by windows unattended setup leaving only your account with blank password

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This is the actual process which i have tested without any error and is a success for me. If anyone know a better way to do it then please let me know

Thanks in advance