So I seem to be having some errors on some computers when I do vista installs and I think it may be related to what I've done.

Here is a sample of my autounattend.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>

There's two things to note, one is that I removed the value from

<ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                            <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                            <Value></Value>
                        </MetaData>
                    </InstallFrom>

Which on the sample file I started from said Windows Vista Ultimate.

I also completely removed this line that also mentions a specific version.

<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:k:/sources/install.wim#Windows Vista ULTIMATE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />

So on MOST computers, the autounattend flies by, does everything its supposed to do and we're all good...but on SOME computers I get an error that says it cant parse information on the specialize pass and I cant seem to nail down the exact problem. There doesnt seem to be a common occurance for when this happens but i think it MAY be related to what I've changed or deleted.

So finally, my question is...did i use the proper procedure for creating an unattended that doesnt specify a particular version or is there a better or more standard way to do it.

Thanks,

a million views and no answer? someone has to know.

Given that it works *most* of the time, my guess is that given you have hardcoded paths in your specialize pass, the machines where it is failing are likely failing because of drive letter differences. When you run into one, SHIFT+F10 and take a look to see what drive letters are actually there. That's the only thing I can see in the file that I would expect could cause problems.