Sysprep: unable to validate current Windows installation

[DMD61]

Good morning.
I detect this error message due to the installation of an App (SpeedtestbyOokla) from the store that returned the following message:

 

023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP Package Ookla.SpeedtestbyOokla_1.16.165.0_x64__43tkc6nmykmb6 was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x80073cf2.
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x3cf2.
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'SysprepGeneralizeValidate' from C:\Windows\System32\AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Error in validating actions from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while validating Sysprep session actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error      [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error      [0x0f00d8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while pre-validate sysprep generalize internal providers; hr = 0x80073cf2

Only by uninstalling this App is generalization possible.
I ask if there is a procedure to install third-party Apps avoiding the sysprep error.
I also tried disconnecting the network, after installing the APP, but I get the same error message.
Thank you

Edited October 2, 2023 by DMD61

[UCyborg]

I believe you have to install it for all users:

1. Find the link in the Microsoft store, in this case https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/speedtest-by-ookla/9NBLGGH4Z1JC.
2. Open https://store.rg-adguard.net/, where you paste the link and confirm. Most of the time, you probably don't need to select anything else in the dropdown menu.
3. You will get the list of links to applications' *.appx or *.appxbundle files where the app is packaged and some extra files, for simple enough apps, you will only need its *.appx or *.appxbundle file, but dependencies' *.appx are also listed.
4. In this case, you can pick the *.appxbundle of the latest version, which is currently Ookla.SpeedtestbyOokla_1.16.165.0_neutral_~_43tkc6nmykmb6.appxbundle. Notice neutral in the name, some apps come in different flavors (CPU architecture), where you must pick the one matching architecture of your OS.
5. When you have the file, note its location, run the PowerShell as administrator and execute:

   Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath C:\Path\to\downloaded\Ookla.SpeedtestbyOokla_1.16.165.0_neutral_~_43tkc6nmykmb6.AppxBundle -SkipLicense

   For apps that aren't free, you're supposed to have a license file, so -SkipLicense is substituted by -LicensePath and a path to license's XML file. But I don't have any paid app to try out, just laying out what I got from available documentation.

Edited October 2, 2023 by UCyborg

[DMD61]

I thank you very much for the valuable information.
I ask a stupid question, where do I get the url link of the app in the Microsoft Store?

Edited October 2, 2023 by DMD61

[UCyborg]

I don't recall encountering an option to get it from the Microsoft Store app itself, but you can browse your way to the app on Microsoft Store's website at https://apps.microsoft.com/store/apps, when you open the desired app's page, you'll have the right link in the web browser's URL bar.

[mina7601]

2 hours ago, UCyborg said:

I don't recall encountering an option to get it from the Microsoft Store app itself, but you can browse your way to the app on Microsoft Store's website at https://apps.microsoft.com/store/apps, when you open the desired app's page, you'll have the right link in the web browser's URL bar.

Actually, there's an option to get the URL from Microsoft Store, click the Share button (which is at the bottom, the red circle), then under Share using section, click All apps >, then click Copy link:

Edited October 2, 2023 by mina7601

[DMD61]

@mina7601  Thank you for this alternative method.

 

@UCyborgI followed the procedure, and entered the Powershell command as administrator, in the virtual machine I still don't see the App.

Nevertheless I performed stop and generalize, and after that I created new ISO and verified that the App is not present.
Did I do something wrong in the procedure?
Thank you

Edited October 2, 2023 by DMD61

[UCyborg]

No idea, I've never actually done sysprepping, I just suggested possible fix for this specific error:

On 10/2/2023 at 1:54 PM, DMD61 said:

023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP Package Ookla.SpeedtestbyOokla_1.16.165.0_x64__43tkc6nmykmb6 was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.

But searching around, I only find web sites saying to remove the problematic package(s). Error suggests it should be provisioned for users, which I assume is the job of Add-AppxProvisionedPackage:

Quote

Adds an app package (.appx) that will install for each new user to a Windows image.

[Tripredacus]

To build an image with a provisioned Appx. When in Audit Mode, you have to make sure that the OS never connects to the internet. That means does not open the Store or even install updates. Doing so can and will corrupt the "Administrator" profile on the system. In reality what happens is that when you are in Audit Mode, some of those actions write to portions of the Administrator profile, which Sysprep deletes and re-creates. This is why those particular things can cause the OS to become undeployable, particularly apps.

[DMD61]

Thank you very much for the explanation.
Now I understand the reason why you can't install apps in sysprep mode.

[Tripredacus]

You can do it. I install the nVidia Control Panel in audit mode then run Sysprep and it is fine. But I do it with a .cmd file that runs on ComSpec, not Powershell.

But it depends, some Appx authors do not make their Appx the way MS wants them to, and can't be used. I have run into one Appx that a client sent to me that did not install properly, but Windows gave different errors that indicated what they needed to do. It could be that the one you tried has some hard-coded things in it that mean it wouldn't work from Audit Mode. You can try using an XML with system and put FirstLogonCommands in oobeSystem phase to install the appx when a created user account logs in for the first time.