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Help migrating from sysprep to win7 unattend


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If I posted my old sysprep info on here could someone help me migrate it to the new windows 7 method? I tried using some templates for all the passes and components but I don't want to miss anything.

Attached my sysprep.inf in case anyone can help, someone that worked here before me made this and its what we still use on our xp machines, but a few pcs are migrating to Win7 and I need to build an image.

Thanks in advance

Christofer

edit:

managed to talk to the guy who made our original INF.

Main things I need are the default resolution, it to point to C:\drivers for any drivers it needs, and for the only thing to show up on first boot after imaging to be a prompt asking for computer name, then hitting next bringing it to the desktop to run a script to install a few things. Ideally we would only use WSIM to basically do what xp sysprep did. We use zenworks imaging so generally I make changes to the OS, then ran sysprep by selecting Use Mini-Setup and hitting reseal.

sysprep.inf

Edited by cdowgos
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Sysprep and unattend are VASTLY different. You cannot easily "move" from one to the other, as even the setup routines that portions of the unattended files (for both platforms) drive are no longer the same. For example, you *can* use a drivers folder to deploy drivers, but it's much, MUCH easier if you can to simply pre-stage the drivers into your WIM file and let setup install the ones it needs (and skip the ones it doesn't) - just one example.

It would be best to search the forums for pre-built unattended files (they're here), and read the WAIK documentation to modify one of those (via WSIM) to your needs.

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Sysprep and unattend are VASTLY different. You cannot easily "move" from one to the other, as even the setup routines that portions of the unattended files (for both platforms) drive are no longer the same. For example, you *can* use a drivers folder to deploy drivers, but it's much, MUCH easier if you can to simply pre-stage the drivers into your WIM file and let setup install the ones it needs (and skip the ones it doesn't) - just one example.

It would be best to search the forums for pre-built unattended files (they're here), and read the WAIK documentation to modify one of those (via WSIM) to your needs.

I did find a few prebuilt xmls on here, I've been working with one of them and modifying it, it crashed out on me last night when I tried to test. The reason I use the drivers folder to deploy is in our zenworks imaging I have it setup to have different image layers, drivers, apps, os, etc. and it checks the system ID so when imaging it knows what model pc it is so it pulls the correct drivers which works great since we have 4 or 5 laptop models and 4 pc models to work with.

learning a whole new system has become frustrating so far :)

you would think Microsoft would have made some sort of migration tool

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You're going from a flat-file, multi-setup step install that was introduced (and barely changed) since NT 3.x to an image-based, single-step install. Not easy to migrate ;).

Have you considered looking into alternative deployment tools to augment the Novell tools you have, like MDT?

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You're going from a flat-file, multi-setup step install that was introduced (and barely changed) since NT 3.x to an image-based, single-step install. Not easy to migrate ;).

Have you considered looking into alternative deployment tools to augment the Novell tools you have, like MDT?

I've looked a bit into it, but the minimal that I need done doesnt seem worth switching everything, we will probably still be doing what we have been for awhile anyway, the Windows 7 test group is about 10 laptops. Ideally I just want similar functionality in the sense that I need it to only prompt for pc name on first boot and run a script that I have placed on the C drive. As well as not prompting for key, etc.

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Sounds like all you really need is an autounattend.xml file. I don't know where you got your crashing XML file, but here is a sample of mine own. Only 10 laptops, you don't need to sysprep anything, just automate your DVD with autounattend.xml.

Sample AutoUnattend.XML

Are you using the "DriverPaths" setting in your unattend.xml, to add your drivers on the fly ?

<DriverPaths>

<PathAndCredentials wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="1">

<Path>\\myFirstDriverPath\DriversFolder</Path>

<Credentials>

<Domain>MyDomain</Domain>

<Username>MyUsername</Username>

<Password>MyPassword</Password>

</Credentials>

</PathAndCredentials>

</DriverPaths>

Otherwise, if you are really stuck and are willing to learn the hard way (by reading), find your unattend.chm and look for this page

unattend.png

Edited by MrJinje
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Sounds like all you really need is an autounattend.xml file. I don't know where you got your crashing XML file, but here is a sample of mine own. Only 10 laptops, you don't need to sysprep anything, just automate your DVD with autounattend.xml.

Sample AutoUnattend.XML

Are you using the "DriverPaths" setting in your unattend.xml, to add your drivers on the fly ?

Otherwise, if you are really stuck and are willing to learn the hard way (by reading), find your unattend.chm and look for this page

unattend.png

We have a driver layer that downloads, we do PXE imaging, so I dont think the autounattend would work for me, but who knows.

All I need is to be able to pull the windows 7 image down to multiple different dell desktops and laptops, on first boot after imaging, it will auto accept eula, use the same windows 7 license key, ask for pc name, already have our admin profile setup and not use the default one at all. then to run a batch script on first login. thanks for the help so far!

kinda screwin around with it again, seeing if i can find whats in what components. its fun :)

Edited by cdowgos
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finally got everything up and running the way I was hoping to, the only issues I'm having now is it doesnt seem like its taking my product key settings since on first boot it shows a generic product ID and says i have 30 days to activate.

the only other thing is i need to prompt for a computer name and i checked all the sites and cant find a definitive way for this to ask me what i want the computer name to be.

thanks again for all the help.

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finally got everything up and running the way I was hoping to, the only issues I'm having now is it doesnt seem like its taking my product key settings since on first boot it shows a generic product ID and says i have 30 days to activate.
If you did not use an unattend.xml and you generalized the machine, wouldn't 30 day trial be correct ? Yes, I think that's right, if you generalize a machine it resets the activation status and re-arms the 30 day counter.
the only other thing is i need to prompt for a computer name and i checked all the sites and cant find a definitive way for this to ask me what i want the computer name to be.
AFAIK the M$ approved method is to use an unattend.xml file during the sysprep process.

Using my XML as an example, you would simply delete this line and it will prompt for a computer name.

<ComputerName>Windows7</ComputerName>

IMO you should use the random name setting so that your installation doesn't pause half way through. Then just need a simple script to rename the computers properly. Work smarter, not harder.

how to generate random name

<ComputerName>*</ComputerName>

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finally got everything up and running the way I was hoping to, the only issues I'm having now is it doesnt seem like its taking my product key settings since on first boot it shows a generic product ID and says i have 30 days to activate.
If you did not use an unattend.xml and you generalized the machine, wouldn't 30 day trial be correct ? Yes, I think that's right, if you generalize a machine it resets the activation status and re-arms the 30 day counter.
the only other thing is i need to prompt for a computer name and i checked all the sites and cant find a definitive way for this to ask me what i want the computer name to be.
AFAIK the M$ approved method is to use an unattend.xml file during the sysprep process.

Using my XML as an example, you would simply delete this line and it will prompt for a computer name.

<ComputerName>Windows7</ComputerName>

IMO you should use the random name setting so that your installation doesn't pause half way through. Then just need a simple script to rename the computers properly. Work smarter, not harder.

how to generate random name

<ComputerName>*</ComputerName>

its easier for our setup to ask for pc name during the unattend process, only because we have a bunch of help desk techs that do the imaging, need to make it foolproof :)

my xml doesnt have a computername field, what pass/component is it on, guessing i have to name a pc in component then delete from xml

i guess i was unaware of the new process for licensing on win7, coming from xp where my sysprep did everything i needed with serial etc, didnt need to reactivate, so i need to read about how it works now.. [edit] nevermind, read about KMS and swapping to a VLK, now the issue im having is my default profile settings not taking when rebooting and letting sysprep run its course, everything else runs tho, so now i'm down to this issue and it asking for a name, then im done :)

Edited by cdowgos
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  • 3 weeks later...

It's me again, few quick questions, i attached my xml for you guys to look at, but for some reason the default user's settings (pinned items, etc) dont show up when I boot up off a fresh reimaging. It also still doesnt ask me for a pc name which is a pain. The other weird issue I'm having is after pulling down the image, I get a black screen, then have to run startup repair to repair entries in the boot list, any idea what is causing this?

One other thing thats not totally related but someone here may know. Is there a place where you can add trusted software companies? for instance with the script that runs on first boot, it installs the Novell Client, but it asks if I want to trust them, I want it to know theyre trusted so when our techs reimage they can just kind of leave it running without interaction.

Thanks in advance.

forgot to add: what would i add into the xml once i get a vlk/kms setup?

unattend.xml

Edited by cdowgos
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my xml doesnt have a computername field, what pass/component is it on, guessing i have to name a pc in component then delete from xml
Are you sure, I just downloaded your newly posted XML and it still has a computername section set to give your machine a random name......

You need to fully delete this entire line of code from your XML, not just the value on the inside.

<ComputerName></ComputerName>

Instead of this..

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

<ProductKey>ourproductkey</ProductKey>

<ComputerName></ComputerName>

<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>

</component>

You want this.
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

<ProductKey>ourproductkey</ProductKey>

<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>

</component>

Pinned items and certain other user settings might be lost during sysprep, you will need to find a script-able method to push those settings. If you need to PIN anything after sysprep, add something like this to your XML.

<TaskbarLinks>

<Link0>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Wordpad.lnk</Link0>

<Link1>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Sound Recorder.lnk</Link1>

</TaskbarLinks>

or
<StartPanelLinks>

<Link0>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Fabrikam\Welcome.lnk</Link0>

<Link1>%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Wordpad.lnk</Link1>

</StartPanelLinks>

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I actually removed that line and had the same thing happen, I read earlier that taking out the product key as well will prompt for computer name, so testing that now.

tried your methods and the other ones listed and it doesnt make a difference.

Edited by cdowgos
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