Windows boots as if new

[Sebastian Roth]

@martyc81 Do you use sysprep by intent? Do you know how it works?

[martyc81]

Yes I use it by intent, that intent being , from what I can gather, it helps prepare windows so when I capture the image, it can be deployed on different hardware if necessary.

Can I skip the sysprep ?

[Quazz]

@martyc81 Sysprep is designed so that you can create an OOBE (out of box experience) and yes you can also use the generalize switch to make it hardware agnostic.

If you choose to not use sysprep, then you will likely run into troubles trying to deploy to certain systems.

You could create a different image for each different system.

Or, you could configure Windows in Audit mode (run Windows installer, after it’s done copying files and reboots press CTRL SHIFT F3 on the first screen to go into Audit mode) and use an answer file to create that user you want.

[Avaryan]

@martyc81 said in Windows boots as if new:

Hi there,
I’m pretty new to all this fog stuff, but have managed to get it running on a kubuntu vm on our network.

I can capture an image seemingly fine.

The issue I’m having is, once I deploy this image to another pc, upon it’s first startup, it asks me to go through initial setup stuff, and eventually have to also create a ‘new’ user.

Once this is done, my original user is also there, however I want to bypass this startup stuff, and just have windows boot with the user I created prior to capturing the image.

I think this has something to do with the sysprep.

Can someone steer me in the right direction as to how I might avoid this ?

You need to create an answer file to make the OOBE completely unattended.

[Taspharel]

Two links to some info - go from there:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749317(v=ws.10).aspx
General Advice on Answer File

And:
http://sybaspot.com/the-complete-guide-to-preparing-a-windows-7-deployment-image-using-audit-mode-and-sysprep-with-an-unattend-xml-answer-file/
They may be a little out of date, but you’ll get the general idea from it.

Also for a simple Answer file:
http://windowsafg.no-ip.org/

[martyc81]

Thanks for the help guys.
I will have a look at the info provided and let you know how I go.

I’m not sure if I made clear,
I’m setting up the Windows OS with a user, and then various settings, software etc, which is a base build for new staff members.
So ultimately , I need the image to have the single user I create, plus all the various settings and software applied.

I feel even if I create an answer file to automate the OOBE setup, I am still going to end up with another user ?

[Taspharel]

If you create an answer file you can also create users within that answer file. And using the copyprofile setting in the answer file you can make sure that all users get the same settings.

So the user you create via the answer file will have the settings you used while sysprepping the machine and all users that use the computer will have those settings as well - if you have people joining within a domain for example.

[martyc81]

@taspharel
Thanks.
the thing is, I don’t want to create another user.
I have a user already created, with the OS set up how I want the image to be.
I don’t want to create a second user after I have deployed the image.

[Taspharel]

I’m not sure I get what the problem is, sorry

Did you read the links?

To sysprep an image you make sure you work in audit mode, set up the system the way it is supposed to be set up and then you sysprep the machine.

During the sysprep process an autounattend.xml file is called, within this you can create a user or activate an admin. Those users then have the same settings you specified in the Audit mode.

So: Audit mode, prepare the system in the way you want it to be for the user -> sysprep -> in Unattend File you create the user you want -> That user has all the settings you prepared for it. If you make a separate user within the Audit process, I dont think that will work well with the sysprep process?

There might be other ways to do this of course, just the way I’ve been working on our setup the last year.

Then again we have a setup with a domain, different users that have their mailadresses tied to their login etc. etc. - you might not need all of that.

[Avaryan]

When you boot to Audit mode it puts you into the default Administrator account. Is this the user account you are talking about or did you create another account? Normally, whatever changes you make to this account during this time are what get copied over into new profiles after OOBE.

[martyc81]

@taspharel @Avaryan

Thanks guys, collectively this helped me achieve what I was trying to accomplish.

Appreciate your assistance