Unattend passes not running

[Bond1973]

I'm creating our first Windows 7 district-wide image. Let me rephrase...I'm attempting to...etc. I've got the image however I'm having issues with possibly sysprep and mostly with unattend.xml. I've created numerous unattends trying to get things working, but not getting far. I push my image (via Altiris) to a client box and it gets to a point where it auto-logs on. I checked my C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml file (for testing I've disabled a delete script) and right now it shows that it only processed the AuditSystem pass (which was automatically added during the imaging/job process). I'm using an Altiris plugin called HIIS, mostly for driver management. No matter what I do I can't get the process to....well process more than 2 of the passes.

I don't fully understand sysprep or the unattend process, so that doesn't help. I've Googled it just trying to get a grip on the whole thing so I could understand it better, but no go yet. Basically I want this image process to push the image, push drivers (which works fine)...I want it to autoactivate via our MAK and I want it to pull a computer name variable (based on the HIIS scripts...which I'm MORE than happy to share). My guess is that I'm either using the wrong sysprep switches, or my unattend is just not right. I've tried using the HIIS integrated "Create Answer File" method, WSIM method and a website answer file generator to create the unattend, and nothing's worked thus far.

ANY input, including name calling, would be most appreciated.

Thanks

[cluberti]

Do you mind sharing your unattend.xml file and telling us which version of Windows you're pushing down? Perhaps we can start there.

[Bond1973]

This is my latest version...which...it's the first time I haven't gotten the "Choose your Network Location (Home, Work, Public)" and also the first time I didn't get the sysprep wizard popping up. It ended up with the correct time zone setting, it's activated, though none of the "passes" in my unattend show "was Processed="true"". I'm still checking all settings as well... On and I'm pushing Windows 7 Pro x64.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="generalize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP" 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">
            <SkipRearm>1</SkipRearm>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" 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">
            <RunSynchronous>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <Path>net user administrator /active:yes</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
            </RunSynchronous>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" 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">
            <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
        </component>
        <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">
            <ComputerName>*</ComputerName>
            <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
            <ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive>
            <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" 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">
            <InputLocale>en-us</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-us</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-us</UILanguage>
            <UserLocale>en-us</UserLocale>
        </component>
        <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">
            <AutoLogon>
                <Password>
                    <Value>DELETED</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </Password>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>5</LogonCount>
                <Username>administrator</Username>
            </AutoLogon>
            <FirstLogonCommands>
                <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <CommandLine>cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk KEY WIPED</CommandLine>
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
                </SynchronousCommand>
                <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <CommandLine>cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato</CommandLine>
                    <Order>2</Order>
                    <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
                </SynchronousCommand>
            </FirstLogonCommands>
            <OOBE>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
            </OOBE>
            <UserAccounts>
                <AdministratorPassword>
                    <Value>DELETED</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </AdministratorPassword>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <Value>DELETE</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                        <Description>Local Administrator</Description>
                        <DisplayName>Administrator</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>Administrator</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <RegisteredOrganization>SAU17</RegisteredOrganization>
            <RegisteredOwner>SRSD</RegisteredOwner>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="auditSystem">
    <component xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <AutoLogon>
        <Password>
          <PlainText>true</PlainText>
          <Value>DELETED</Value>
        </Password>
        <Username>Administrator</Username>
        <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
        <Enabled>true</Enabled>
      </AutoLogon>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="auditUser">
    <component xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <Reseal>
        <ForceShutdownNow>false</ForceShutdownNow>
        <Mode>OOBE</Mode>
      </Reseal>
    </component>
  </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog://sanborn/software/microsoft/windows 7/win7 x64/sources/install_windows 7 professional.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Thanks for your time and assistance

Edited March 30, 2012 by Tripredacus

[Tripredacus]

Some of that XML looks odd to me. I have heard similar stories of people trying to get Altiris to do this. I imagine your company doesn't have a Support Agreement with Symantec?

[Bond1973]

No support contract. On an odd twist of things...I created an unattend with WSIM and I then spoke to the company whose driver management software we use, and they told me their product relied upon the auditsystem and audituser passes, so I copied and pasted that out of one of their products generated unattend file. I then threw the image at a machine and it worked 99% of the way through. The only thing I currently have to "fix" is that during setup(? Testing that now) I'm asked to confirm/set date and time, though it does appear to be pulling the <timezone> data from the unattend because it's defaulting to EST for me. It appears, for now, as though the computer name variable is working (retesting that now too). So any input as to why I'm getting the date/time dialog would be fantastic and appreciated.

Thanks

[maxXPsoft]

InputLocale should be like this <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>

Then using <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" during specialize and oobeSystem you can add this

<TimeZone>Central Standard Time</TimeZone>

Might want to read unattend.chm for Reseal most would use this going to Audit <Mode>Audit</Mode>

Edited March 31, 2012 by maxXPsoft

[Bond1973]

Will look into these on Monday. Thanks very much.

[cluberti]

Yes, I'd be very curious what WSIM has to say about the validity of this file. Also, I've had issues with Altiris and unattend files in the past with multiple customers, for what it's worth, so I can't say I'm totally shocked you're having issues.

First things first, is to see what a WSIM validation of that answer file says.

[Bond1973]

In response to .xml validation...I get two ticks in WSIM... "Can not find the file D:\work\Professional\install.wim" and "The catalog file associated with the Windows image Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL(Catalog) is out of date". Doesn't sound huge to me, but I'm a noob here. Next I'll be playing with the locale and Time Zone settings. Thanks again all.

[Bond1973]

Well I changed the input locale from en-US to 0409-00000409 and added the <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone> to the oobe pass. Tossed the image at the machines and it errored during setup about something in the oobe pass. Thus I edited the .xml and removed the second <TimeZone> that I had just added. Tossed the image at them again and I am still getting a prompt to confirm Time Date Timezone, though Timezone DOES default to EST, which Windows typically doesn't do. I think once I clear up this Time/Date confirmation I'll be set and things should look good. Thanks again all.

[maxXPsoft]

I generally use TimeZone only in oobeSystem pass

You mean you are not trying to go to Audit? If not you should remove them passes completely

[Bond1973]

I'm SUCH a newb at this, that I don't know what you mean by "You mean you are not trying to go to Audit?" or how you came to that conclusion. I have the audit statements in there due to a third-party driver injection software we use (HIIS from Altrinsic Solutions). They've told me that their software (scripts) need/utilize the audit passes, so I threw them in there from one of their software generated scripts. Just tried another test having the time zone in the oobe pass as well as the specialize pass...no difference,,,sill wants me to "review the date and time"...

[Tripredacus]

I'm SUCH a newb at this, that I don't know what you mean by "You mean you are not trying to go to Audit?" or how you came to that conclusion.

Just a quick glance at this answer file makes me think it is used while the OS is in Audit Mode. Otherwise, a Reseal to OOBE isn't necessary, as a Windows 7 image (from install source) will boot to OOBE on its own.

[Bond1973]

To that...all I can say is that...the "step by step to building a Win 7 image" that I used suggested booting into audit mode to customize the install and then when sysprep'ing I did use the /audit switch...

[maxXPsoft]

To that...all I can say is that...the "step by step to building a Win 7 image" that I used suggested booting into audit mode to customize the install and then when sysprep'ing I did use the /audit switch...

Audit mode allows you to install all your programs and stuff and then boot into OOBE for finalize. Most can simply remove them passes and go straight to OOBE and install stuff there. Generally OEM (HP, Dell) use Audit mode then shut it down and customer gets the Welcome stuff