Apply regtweaks (also HKCU) and install apps for ALL users

[ZileXa]

I did some more testing but I am really stuck at this strange error. I tried running sysprep with less commands/switches or just doing it manually... enter oobe or enter audit mode it all gives me the same error.

[maxXPsoft]

It don't like something. I don't know what you have added like exe reg tweaks and such

Remove part of what you have done and try again. takes some debugging to figure out what is wrong

[ZileXa]

I tested, without running any script batch or regfile. Just reboot and do immediate sysprep. Same error appeared. I think it has something to do with features I removed with RTLite/vlite (I removed WinSxS following this topic).

[nitro322]

I have this sysprep problem as well. The process described by SmokingRope seems sound, but something about the sysprep step is rather fragile. I initially started looking into this because I had the same issue with preinstalled apps/configuration settings not being applied to the default user. I was using rt7lite originally as well, and couldn't get the sysprep step to take; it'd just fail in the same way as described above. I then tried switching to a manual build process, and that worked! ... until I tried slipstreaming IE9. Then it failed again. I've since rebuilt my image without IE9, and it still fails, no matter what I do.

This really rather sucks. It shouldn't be so difficult to apply default user settings. This is my last major stumbling block, so I'd be really interested to hear any workarounds or alternative solutions. I've been hammering away at this myself on-and-off for about three weeks now, but I've not had any (reliable) success.

Edited May 2, 2011 by nitro322

[ZileXa]

I have this sysprep problem as well. The process described by SmokingRope seems sound, but something about the sysprep step is rather fragile. I initially started looking into this because I had the same issue with preinstalled apps/configuration settings not being applied to the default user. I was using rt7lite originally as well, and couldn't get the sysprep step to take; it'd just fail in the same way as described above. I then tried switching to a manual build process, and that worked! ... until I tried slipstreaming IE9. Then it failed again. I've since rebuilt my image without IE9, and it still fails, no matter what I do.

This really rather sucks. It shouldn't be so difficult to apply default user settings. This is my last major stumbling block, so I'd be really interested to hear any workarounds or alternative solutions. I've been hammering away at this myself on-and-off for about three weeks now, but I've not had any (reliable) success.

In that case, why not simply use your "manual build process" (please enlighten me, I don't have a clue) and install IE9 unattendedly using Setupcomplete.cmd (wich will run right after useraccount creation but before first login)?

[nitro322]

In that case, why not simply use your "manual build process" (please enlighten me, I don't have a clue) and install IE9 unattendedly using Setupcomplete.cmd (wich will run right after useraccount creation but before first login)?

Because I'd rather slipstream it and not waste the extra time to install it after the OS is installed. That's kind of the whole point to all of this. For stuff I can't slipstream I do exactly that, but if it can be slipstreamed, then that's the goal.

[nitro322]

Huh. I just did yet another complete rebuild, and now the sysprep and everything works, even with IE9 slipstreamed. Not that I'm complaining, but man, weird. Now to figure out why Windows Update is prompting me to install IE9 again even though it's already installed via slipstream...

[ZileXa]

Oh noo, I did so many rebuilds, not looking forward to that.

But can you please explain what you mean by this:

I was using rt7lite originally as well, and couldn't get the sysprep step to take; it'd just fail in the same way as described above. I then tried switching to a manual build process, and that worked!

Since I am not slipstreaming IE9, this alternative method might work for me.

[nitro322]

By manual I just mean doing everything directly via dism and whatnot, as opposed to using something like rt7lite to automate it. Ie: mount the wim file, manually unpack, patch, and apply the service pack, manually apply other packages, etc. It's been kind of a pain in the rear to get everything setup, but I have a pretty good process worked out now that I've automated with an autoit script. I'll be happy to share the autoit script if you're interested, but it really wasn't developed with redistribution in mind, so it's rather specific in how it does things.

Edited May 7, 2011 by nitro322

[patronu]

@ZileXa, did you manage to make it work? for me it's working fine. Also I have a little sugestion to make. I found it on technet. link here

When you run the sysprep /generalize command, out-of-box device drivers are removed from the Windows image. If you add out-of-box device drivers during installation and you intend to capture the Windows image, to persist out-of-box device drivers, in the Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep component in the answer file, set PersistAllDeviceInstalls to True. When you do this, Sysprep does not remove the detected device drivers. For more information, see the Unattended Windows Setup Reference (Unattend.chm).

Edited May 8, 2011 by patronu

[ZileXa]

I haven't had time to do a new rebuild. Maybe tonight.

The thing is, I have a slimmed down Windows image without WinSxS with Windows Update working via method 5 described in this topic. All works fine and I do not want to remove less components just because Sysprep doesn't like it.. I will do one more complete rebuild and add also your setting in the answer file. If that doesn't work, I'm just going to set all my usertweaks via RunOnce..

[patronu]

I don't want to make a slimm version of windows. so that's why I don't have any problems. PersistAllDeviceInstalls and DoNotCleanUpNonPresentDevices are usefull after restarting from sysprep. Without these options windows will start again plug and play detection. The first one,if set to false, willl make setup to detect all the hardwares again. This takes time if done again on the same computer. So it's better to set it to true. And the second one, if set to true, will not remove drivers for hardware that it's not present (when a device is off, like wireless or bluetooth that have an on/off switch). I think in your case the first options it's better because you don't plan to make an standard image and then deploy it to multiple computers.

I found a problem if running sysprep on server 2008 r2 and it seems that it's only visible when running in hyper-v. After running sysprep the hyper-v integration services stops. I have no video card drivers and reinstalling again doesn't help. I see in device manager that device is not connected. help

Edited May 10, 2011 by patronu

[marcusj0015]

dude, waht you do is enter audit mode, aka Control+Shift+F3 at welcome screen

then you make allof your changes to the profile you want, including registry settings

then you sysprep, and make sure to include the CopyProfile=TRUE

boom, all your settings are applied to EVERY account that will ever be created from that image AKA EXACTLY what your looking for

[mraeryceos]

Zilexa, did you ever solve this? I am having the same issues. Neither the sysprep reboot, nor the search for the dvd, work for me. The command to find DVDRoot works, but only if I invoke (it does not work from the xml file)

marcusj0015, we want all this to happen automatically (aka unattended)

Edited September 22, 2011 by mraeryceos

[mraeryceos]

So you don't have to rebuild autounattend.xml every time***, it's better if you just use a wrapper command, that you copy to windows or system32 (I did it using oem folders in ImgMgr): <path>mycommand.cmd</path>. This is mycommand.cmd, that so far seems to work:

FOR %%i IN (C D E F G H I J K L N M O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO IF EXIST %%i:\$oem$\UnattendedOOBE.xml SET DVDRoot=%%i
REGEDIT /s %DVDRoot%:\$oem$\regtweaks.reg
REGEDIT /s %DVDRoot%:\$oem$\services.reg
xcopy %DVDRoot%:\$oem$\software\*.* d:\software\ /c /e /q /h /r /y /d
xcopy %DVDRoot%:\$oem$\users\default\*.* %userprofile% /c /e /q /h /r /y
C:\Windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /reboot /quiet /unattend:%DVDRoot%:\$oem$\UnattendedOOBE.xml

Now I can alter the cmd file only, without having to rebuild my image. Note that I use two %%, not one, for the variable. I don't know what benefit SETX could have... maybe it makes a permanent addition to SET variables, but, I think I'm only going to use the variable during the audit user path, AFAIK. Also, SETX only works for *future* command prompts, not the current one.

This response is especially dedicated to all you people that figured it out, and didn't post anything, well, except maybe a comment like: "hey dude, I got it to work using this other command I once used, ha ha, and, like, I'm not going to tell you dude, ha ha."

ps. Be careful putting a folder in the windows image, as the builder will ask you if you want to keep it, then you say yes, and it will delete it without going to the recycle bin (as in, F%$K you very much, you're welcome).

*** Oops, I guess you could just edit Autounattend.xml directly... nonetheless, I think it's like trying to use cmdlines.txt in WinXP: you don't have the full abilities of a proper cmd window.

Edited September 25, 2011 by mraeryceos