wds server, unattend xml,

[chazzy2501]

welp, I've spend 5 hours and 36 attempts with co-pilot to try and get WDS to get a working unattend xml to work and I'm super duper frustrated and have of course failed...

 

I have windows 10 clients I want to install a fresh windows 11... wipe the disk setup for uefi, join the domain unsecured , all english, skip all the questions and the auto login. 

 

Seems like it should be easy but every time it'll fail or seem like nothing is working.  I'm unsure if I should add the unattend twice once in client (for the boot wim and windows PC) and again on the install image or just the install image.. (I've tried both but the copilot says just the install image, so that is what I mostly tried)

 

the immediate issue is that it still shows the partition list even though the disk config is set for no ui... 

 

I have gone to WDS chosen the only install image (stock windows 11 education), checked the allow unattend.xml added the xml from the file menu and it has made a copy of it into the image folder root.  

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend"><settings pass="windowsPE"><component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"><DiskConfiguration><WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI><Disk><DiskID>0</DiskID><WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk><CreatePartitions><CreatePartition><Order>1</Order><Type>EFI</Type><Size>100</Size></CreatePartition><CreatePartition><Order>2</Order><Type>MSR</Type><Size>16</Size></CreatePartition><CreatePartition><Order>3</Order><Type>Primary</Type><Extend>true</Extend></CreatePartition></CreatePartitions><ModifyPartitions><ModifyPartition><Order>1</Order><PartitionID>1</PartitionID><Format>FAT32</Format><Label>System</Label><Active>true</Active></ModifyPartition><ModifyPartition><Order>3</Order><PartitionID>3</PartitionID><Format>NTFS</Format><Label>Windows</Label></ModifyPartition></ModifyPartitions></Disk></DiskConfiguration><ImageInstall><OSImage><InstallTo><DiskID>0</DiskID><PartitionID>3</PartitionID></InstallTo><WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI></OSImage></ImageInstall></component></settings><settings pass="windowsPE"><component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"><InputLocale>en-GB</InputLocale><SystemLocale>en-GB</SystemLocale><UILanguage>en-GB</UILanguage><UserLocale>en-GB</UserLocale></component></settings><settings pass="specialize"><component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"><Identification><JoinDomain>dcc-sch-4505</JoinDomain></Identification></component></settings><settings pass="oobeSystem"><component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"><TimeZone>GMT Standard Time</TimeZone><RegisteredOrganization>School</RegisteredOrganization><RegisteredOwner>IT Admin</RegisteredOwner><DoNotCleanTaskBar>true</DoNotCleanTaskBar><HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE><SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE><SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE></component></settings><settings pass="oobeSystem"><component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"><InputLocale>en-GB</InputLocale><SystemLocale>en-GB</SystemLocale><UILanguage>en-GB</UILanguage><UserLocale>en-GB</UserLocale></component></settings></unattend>

 

is co-pilot leading me astray?! 

 

edit: I did validate the xml using wsim (that took 4 looong attempts before co-pilot suggested it)

 

cheers

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2025 by chazzy2501

[TheRobins]

Not sure if any help, But I followed this guide and it worked wonders. I dont use the Autopilot sequence so just removed it.

 

When imaging is finished it will whinge, get the red error screen, but just close and reboot and you are at the OOBE screen ready to deploy.

 

https://osddeployment.dk/2018/12/08/how-to-deploy-autopilot-device-fast-with-mdt/