Deploying W7 with WDS - ignores unattend file

**GoldenWonder** · 26th February 2010, 03:24 PM

I'm trying to use our WDS (Server 2003) to deploy W7 images. I've got a sysprep'd W7 image and also the default image (from the DVD)

I can boot the client PC and install either of these. However, when I create unattend files (for the WDS and Image part) and assign them using the WDS console, the client ignores them.

The PXE boot goes as normal, then stops at the language selection dialogue - and I specify this in the WDS unattend.xml.

Anyone know why its ignoring the unattend files? I've only used the WDS console to attach them and used System Image Manager to create them.

**DMcCoy** · 26th February 2010, 04:00 PM

If you choose en-GB for the PE language then it will stop as it is not available. It works with en-US. Shift+F10 will get you into the command prompt. You can then run notepad and find the error log.

The downside to this is any printers that have drivers are detected when still as en-US and get installed as Letter

**GoldenWonder** · 26th February 2010, 04:10 PM

Do you mean the SetupUILanguage setting? I have got this setup to en-GB, but it was originally en-US. Either way prompted the locale dialogue box on boot.

**DMcCoy** · 26th February 2010, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by GoldenWonder

Do you mean the SetupUILanguage setting? I have got this setup to en-GB, but it was originally en-US. Either way prompted the locale dialogue box on boot.

Yes, en-GB is not a valid option with the default language packs included in a windows 7 based PE. It will work fine as an unattended file for the image itself, but not for automating the WDS stage.

**DMcCoy** · 26th February 2010, 04:24 PM

This is for a Vista image, but we use Win 7 from the WDS stage so it should be the same. Automatically wipes the disk, so be careful if you don't want that

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DiskConfiguration>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<Disk wcm:action="add">
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Type>Primary</Type>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
<Active>true</Active>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Label>SYSTEM</Label>
<Letter>C</Letter>
<Order>1</Order>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>
<WindowsDeploymentServices>
<Login>
<Credentials>
<Domain>domain.school</Domain>
<Password>password</Password>
<Username>user</Username>
</Credentials>
</Login>
<ImageSelection>
<InstallImage>
<Filename>Student.WIM</Filename>
<ImageGroup>Student</ImageGroup>
<ImageName>Student</ImageName>
</InstallImage>
<InstallTo>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</InstallTo>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
</ImageSelection>
</WindowsDeploymentServices>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
</SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>

**GoldenWonder** · 26th February 2010, 04:45 PM

Cheers - I'll give that a try. It looks very similar to ours except for the language settings.

**GoldenWonder** · 1st March 2010, 11:36 AM

Modified my unattend file to change the locale settings and it worked!

Thanks for that - would never have guessed that one!

**Gatt** · 1st March 2010, 12:46 PM

This is my unattend.xml (for the server not the images thereafter!)

Code:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
- <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
- <settings pass="windowsPE">
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <SetupUILanguage>
 <UILanguage>en-gb</UILanguage> 
 
 </SetupUILanguage>
 
 
 <InputLocale>en-gb</InputLocale> 
 
 <SystemLocale>en-gb</SystemLocale> 
 
 <UILanguage>en-gb</UILanguage> 
 
 <UILanguageFallback>en-gb</UILanguageFallback> 
 
 <UserLocale>en-gb</UserLocale> 
 
 </component>
 
 
- <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
- <DiskConfiguration>
- <Disk wcm:action="add">
- <CreatePartitions>
- <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
 <Extend>true</Extend> 
 
 <Order>1</Order> 
 
 <Type>Primary</Type> 
 
 </CreatePartition>
 
 
 </CreatePartitions>
 
 
- <ModifyPartitions>
- <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
 <Active>true</Active> 
 
 <Format>NTFS</Format> 
 
 <Label>OSDisk</Label> 
 
 <Letter>C</Letter> 
 
 <Order>1</Order> 
 
 <TypeID>1</TypeID> 
 
 <PartitionID>1</PartitionID> 
 
 </ModifyPartition>
 
 
 </ModifyPartitions>
 
 
 <DiskID>0</DiskID> 
 
 <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk> 
 
 </Disk>
 
 
 </DiskConfiguration>
 
 
- <WindowsDeploymentServices>
- <ImageSelection>
- <InstallTo>
 <DiskID>0</DiskID> 
 
 <PartitionID>1</PartitionID> 
 
 </InstallTo>
 
 
 </ImageSelection>
 
 
 </WindowsDeploymentServices>
 
 
 </component>
 
 
 </settings>
 
 
 <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog://apps01/reminst/images/operating systems/install_windows 7 enterprise.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /> 
 
 </unattend>

**GoldenWonder** · 1st March 2010, 01:17 PM

Thats odd, as that is what my original file looked like.

Until I changed the locale to en-us it failed to work?

**DMcCoy** · 4th March 2010, 12:56 PM

Done some more testing, this should be sufficient to make sure printers etc get installed as A4. The unattended file after install is ok with the en-GB settings, it's just WDSClient that doesn't support en-GB for display.

My relevant lines now look like

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
</SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<SystemLocale>en-GB</SystemLocale>
<UserLocale>en-GB</UserLocale>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>

**Reaper** · 13th July 2010, 08:21 AM

Rather than start a new thread I'll just add to this one.

I'm facing a similar problem to the OP, a month ago my WDS deployment worked without any problems, including multicasting but last week when I uploaded an updated image WDS began ignoring the answer file.

The WinPE section works fine but as soon as it gets to the image OOBE part of the process I'm presented with language options and request for a username. If I fill these in, WDS then names the computer (something i've told it not to do) based on the domain admin account we use and joins it to the domain.

If I don't roll the image out with WDS and instead use command line WinPE then this problem is avoided.

I mounted the image with imagex and checked the unattend file under C:\Windows\Panther and it was the correct one, if I check it after the image has been applied it is one that WDS has chucked out with the computer name etc that I haven't told it to use.

I spent some time before the weekend fiddling with the answer files to try and get automatic image selection and I'm not sure if it's related as I can't remember if I did a successful WDS test last week or not. I know it work perfectly at the end of May.

The WinPE answer file has the language set to en-US and the image answer file is set to en-GB.

I'm now two days behind my deployment schedule for the summer and this is driving me nuts, so any help is very much appreciated!

**Gatt** · 13th July 2010, 08:24 AM

Can you post your Answer file so we can have a quick look at it?

**Reaper** · 13th July 2010, 10:28 AM

WinPE WDS Unattend:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
<WindowsDeploymentServices>
<Login>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<Credentials>
<Username>User</Username>
<Domain>domain.local</Domain>
<Password>Password</Password>
</Credentials>
</Login>
<ImageSelection>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<InstallImage>
<ImageName>October-Curriculum-Image</ImageName>
<ImageGroup>Curriculum</ImageGroup>
<Filename>XP945Curric-GCNL-Oct.wim</Filename>
</InstallImage>
<InstallTo>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</InstallTo>
</ImageSelection>
</WindowsDeploymentServices>
<DiskConfiguration>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<Disk>
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition>
<Order>1</Order>
<Type>Primary</Type>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition>
<Active>true</Active>
<Extend>false</Extend>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Label>Local Disk</Label>
<Letter>C</Letter>
<Order>1</Order>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
<SetupUILanguage>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
</SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>

Image OOBE Unattend:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<servicing></servicing>
<settings pass="generalize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP" processorArchitecture="x86" 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-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="x86" 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="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
<TimeZone>GMT Standard Time</TimeZone>
<ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<CompanyName>School</CompanyName>
<PlaySound>false</PlaySound>
<Home_Page>http://intranet</Home_Page>
</component>
<component name="Networking-MPSSVC-Svc" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<DomainProfile_EnableFirewall>false</DomainProfile_EnableFirewall>
<PrivateProfile_EnableFirewall>false</PrivateProfile_EnableFirewall>
<PublicProfile_EnableFirewall>false</PublicProfile_EnableFirewall>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" 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-gb</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>en-gb</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>en-gb</UILanguage>
<UserLocale>en-gb</UserLocale>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" 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>password</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Enabled>true</Enabled>
<LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
<Username>administrator</Username>
</AutoLogon>
<FirstLogonCommands>
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<CommandLine>cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk key</CommandLine>
<Order>2</Order>
<RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
</SynchronousCommand>
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<CommandLine>cscript //b c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato</CommandLine>
<Order>3</Order>
<RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
</SynchronousCommand>
<SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<CommandLine>C:\Windows\System32\SysPrep\JoinDomai n\JoinDom.bat</CommandLine>
<Order>1</Order>
</SynchronousCommand>
</FirstLogonCommands>
<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
<ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
</OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
<LocalAccounts>
<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
<Password>
<Value>password</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Description>IT Department</Description>
<DisplayName>itdepartment</DisplayName>
<Group>Administrators</Group>
<Name>itdepartment</Name>
</LocalAccount>
</LocalAccounts>
</UserAccounts>
<RegisteredOrganization>School</RegisteredOrganization>
<RegisteredOwner>IT Department</RegisteredOwner>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi

fflineImage cpi:source="catalog://ijedi/e$sources/install_windows 7 enterprise.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

**Gatt** · 13th July 2010, 10:43 AM

You have this at the end of your WDS Unattend:

Code:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
<SetupUILanguage>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI> 
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> 
</SetupUILanguage>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage> 
</component>

try changing it to this..

Code:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SetupUILanguage>
                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>en-gb</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-gb</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-gb</UILanguage>
            <UILanguageFallback>en-gb</UILanguageFallback>
            <UserLocale>en-gb</UserLocale>
        </component>]

Also, I have it right at the start of the file... (attached)
Unattend.rar

**Reaper** · 13th July 2010, 10:50 AM

Thanks for the reply, I've seen a couple with it at the start and at the end. The odd (and annoying) thing is, is that it worked fine up until recently. I'll give your way a shot and get back to you.

Quick thought, I thought that the language options for the WDS unattend all had to be en-US?

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