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The current message that I am receiving after the deployment and at the end of the configuring of the OS is "Windows could not parse or process the unattend answer file for pass [specialize]. The setting specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing the settings for component [Microsoft-Shell setup]". From there it gets stuck in a boot loop. Upon validing the unattend.xml file I originally got this error message "setting iewelcomemsg is deprecated in the windows image". I have since corrected that issue, but am still unable to proceed with the OS install. The OS in question is Windows 7 ultimate. This project was given to me after someone else built it so I'm stepping through it trying to fix it. Also I believe this image was created with a Dell OS CD instead of a MS CD. The deployment was working a month ago, but has since stopped working after a change was made to the deployment. There is software involved (while trying to install I have chosen not to deploy the software) and the domain information is available, but I chose to join it to a workgroup for the purpose of getting it fixed.

I have been and will continue searching through Google, but have been unable to solidify this issue. Any help is appreciated, thank you.

Scorch
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  • Can you edit out sensitive information and post the answer file for us to look at? Also, how are you applying the answer file? Are you using the WDS option of 'Allow image to install in unattend mode', or inserting it into the image? – dwolters Sep 04 '13 at 19:00
  • Well in order to apply the answer file it gives me a prompt once I boot from the network card. I enter in any info that it asks (computer name, domain name, etc) so I supposed I am inserting it into the image. – Scorch Sep 05 '13 at 14:02
  • Is there a way for me to paste the whole thing in? – Scorch Sep 05 '13 at 14:12
  • I'm not certain on this site, can you upload it somewhere (like Skydrive) and paste a link to it? – dwolters Sep 05 '13 at 14:16
  • https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=B447B56A59EAE89B!139&authkey=!AECXXxWylNf7YDY Can you get here? Thanks for your help. I'm new to WDS deployments, but is it safe to say that if the "enable unattended installation" isn't checked in the server properties that it isn't referencing this file? – Scorch Sep 05 '13 at 14:25
  • Yes I can, thanks. Looking at it now. Yes, but the file also has to be in the correct folder depending on whether it is an image unattend or a client unattend file. Please see the TechNet article [Automating Setup](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730695(v=ws.10).aspx) for details. – dwolters Sep 05 '13 at 14:36

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I suspect that WDS has not been using your answer file. In addition to the comment conversation above, you have settings for ComputerName and DomainName in your answer file, so it should not be asking you to fill those out.

Answer file:

The first thing I notice is that you have WillWipeDisk set to True, but you are not using the CreatePartitions options. You have the ModifyPartition options all set, but they will need a partition created.

In the Specialize pass, you have both JoinDomain and JoinWorkgroup. Only one of these will work. According to the article Best Practices for Authoring Answer Files, you should not leave blank elements in your answer file as this can cause Windows Setup to fail.

CopyProfile can be left out, since you have it set to false.

You can remove the entire Generalize pass, since the Generalize pass happens when you run Sysprep, not when the image is deployed. The article How Configuration Passes Work explains in detail. The only setting you have in there is also in your Specialize pass, so it should work anyway.

Finally, the article Understanding Failures and Log Files explains where to find several log files that can help to diagnose errors in the deployment process. If a system will not boot to Windows to allow you to access these files, you can network boot, select a boot image and press Shift+F10 when you see the Windows background picture to open a command prompt and get the files that way.

Hope this helps,

dwolters
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  • @Scorch let me know if you still can't get this working, we can make use of the chat rooms... – dwolters Sep 05 '13 at 15:46
  • Would you mind doing a chat? Also when you say the entire generalize path, do you mean everything beneath it within that tag or just that line? – Scorch Sep 09 '13 at 15:02
  • @scorch You would remove the line that starts the pass and everything down to and including the end of the pass . The very next line will be defining another pass, in this case . And yes, we can use a chat room. If we can figure out how to start one and link to it. – dwolters Sep 09 '13 at 15:25
  • @scorch try this [chat room](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/info/10526/discussion-between-winoutreach4-and-scorch) – dwolters Sep 09 '13 at 15:28
  • Looks like I need 20 reputation in order to participate in the chat. I removed the above section and am trying a deployment now. Thank you for your help – Scorch Sep 09 '13 at 15:53
  • @Scorch Ok, no problem. Let me know how it works out. – dwolters Sep 09 '13 at 15:55
  • Same error.. :( I think I'm just going to have to rebuild it. – Scorch Sep 09 '13 at 16:43
  • @scorch Did you get any of the log files to see if it shows exactly what is causing the error? – dwolters Sep 09 '13 at 17:42
  • No, I can't get past the "setup is applying system settings" on the client workstation. I didn't see it on the server unless I'm looking in the wrong location. – Scorch Sep 09 '13 at 18:13
  • @scorch after the failure, boot to the network and when the WDS blue background screen starts, you should be able to hit Shift-F10 to get a command prompt and get the files from there. See the link above for 'Understanding Failures and Log Files' to find them. – dwolters Sep 09 '13 at 18:39
  • I got it fixed. As I was rebuilding the unattend.xml file I was adding everything from the previous one and trying the image each time. Once I got to the "4 specialize" (using the Windows System Image Manager) upon adding the Windows-Shell-Setup information it bombed. I haven't isolated the exact field that's causing it to bomb, but at least now I am able to deploy. I just have to enter the product key manually which is fine by me. I'll work on re-adding it later. – Scorch Sep 11 '13 at 19:09
  • @scorch Great! Glad you are making progress. If you find the exact issue, let me know. – dwolters Sep 11 '13 at 19:39