Configuring Default Settings for Windows image deployment - KB Article Published

re: Configuring Default Settings for Windows image deployment - KB Article Published

Charles — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:43:15 GMT

Looks like the kb article skips over a few settings. Once I have all the settings I want on my PC prior to sysprep, how do I go about creating the unattend.xml for it? How do I use the sysprep.exe /generalize /unattend:unattend.xml command? Is it /unattend: <path to created .xml>?

-thanks

P.S. You guys are an invaluable resource for developing and deploying Vista. Keep it up!

re: Configuring Default Settings for Windows image deployment - KB Article Published

DeploymentGuys — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:32:03 GMT

Charles,

This KB article is not meant to be a primer on Windows deployment. It's scope is specifically the when and how to use the automated profile copy in XP and Vista.

The information you are looking for is in the Windows Automated Installation Kit found here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=94BB6E34-D890-4932-81A5-5B50C657DE08&displaylang=en.

However, if you have never successfully created an unattend.xml for Vista you should download, learn and use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (http://www.microsoft.com/deployment/). This takes a lot of the guesswork out of creating a valid unattend.xml for image build or deployment.

Michael Murgolo

re: Configuring Default Settings for Windows image deployment - KB Article Published

Moe Hoskins — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:57:45 GMT

Michael,

Hello. I have read through 959753 and have a question if you don't mind.

Build my base master with Windows XP SP3

I am following this process:

1. Logging on with an account (User1) which is a Local Administrator but is not THE Local Administrator account.

2. Setting all of my custom settings, etc.

If I am not actually using the Local Administrator account to create the custom settings for which I would like to be part of the Default User Profile, do I still need to add [UNATTENDED] UpdateServerProfileDirectory=1 to my Sysprep.inf

The way the article reads, I only need to add that setting if I want the Minisetup process to copy the customizations from the Local Administrator profile. If that is the case, what method should I follow to get all my customizations from my User1 profile to be part of the Default User Profile.

In the past, I have followed the Method A from your other post "Configuring default settings for Windows image deployment", not being aware the problems associated with that method. I can't use the other methods listed and we do not yet have server 2008 to run the Group Policy Preferences.

Thank you in advance for all of your posts and your assistance in this matter.

Moe

re: Configuring Default Settings for Windows image deployment - KB Article Published

DeploymentGuys — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:17:11 GMT

Moe,

The setting (UpdateServerProfileDirectory for XP/2003 or CopyProfile for Vista/2008) controls whether the profile copy happens at all (with the exceptions in behaviors based on OS/SP for XP/2003). I believe the the profile copy happens for the account that is logged on when Sysprep is run. However, since I always use MDT for image builds and MDT uses the built-in admin account, I haven't tested using another account. Why can't you use the built-in admin account to configure the settings?

Michael Murgolo