Windows 10: Customize Windows 10 Image in Audit Mode with Sysprep

Yes, that's what I did at the weekend. *Thumbs

I was using 32 bit but otherwise the same. (Apologies I've not been near a computer today to feed back how I did - but it looks like you covered it anyway.)

I did find that if I did a full shutdown (shutdown /s /t 10) then I could press F12 in Virtualbox at startup, and select a boot device without needing to swap around the order of the disks.

It feels better to use the full shutdown rather than the 'hybrid shutdown' version in any case , because it means I'm starting with an image at the point when it's properly switched off, rather than partially hibernated.

 

Hi Geeks.

Apparently Microsoft has got the Sysprep issues resolved in the latest Build 10041, released yesterday 18th of March 2015. Sysprep is working again as it should, I have already successfully customized the Windows 10 Build 10041 image as told in this tutorial.

There seems to be an issue though with the Windows ADK for Windows 10 Technical Preview, I had to create the answer file using ADK for Windows 8.1 and the 8.1 install.wim file. However, the end result was a fully functioning sysprepped Windows 10 Build 10041.

I will check a few more details to be absolutely sure I will tell the correct procedures, doing a few more test installs. I will update the tutorial within next few days and post again here when you can start using this method again.

 

Just a status update:

I have been installing and sysprepping since Wednesday evening all the time except sleeping a little every now and then. It's 3 AM Saturday now and I am slowly getting there, already seeing clear patterns as what can be done and what's a no go.

Good news is, after the disastrous bugs in Sysprep process in Build 9926 it finally (mostly) works in Build 10041. Even the <FolderLocations> tags work again without issues making it possible to relocate the complete Users folder and everything it contains to another drive.

Bad news is that to succeed you need a few workarounds, simply and easy to do but hopefully no longer needed when the 10 is finally released.

I will update this tutorial as soon as I can without hesitation offer working Sysprep scenarios. This weekend most probably but latest early next week.

 

Warning First Build 10074 Sysprep tests done, it looks that the CopyProfile is again broken. All scenarios I have now tested have failed if CopyProfile is set true. Please notice this is just a preliminary warning, I got the ISO created only a few hours ago and have done only 6 Sysprep runs testing different scenarios.

I will update the tutorial as soon as I have some definitive factual information.

 

I am somewhat disappointed, the CopyProfile=TRUE in answer file will still in Build 10122 cause an endless reboot loop when sysprepped and booted to OOBE.

This is an essential setting for image customization, I am sure it will be fixed. In the meantime I will prepare a video later today to show what can be done at the moment, and how it should be done. I will post the video link here when ready.

I also asked Gabe Aul if he has some more information on this subject, let's wait and see what he says.

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I'm still having trouble with sysprep fatal errors. As I understand it, Kari has got this to work, but I'm still having no success.

So I've posted a video, just in case someone can spot what I'm doing wrong. Some details of what I'm trying to do are:

• Run in a Virtualbox VM
• Using Build 10130, converted from ESD to ISO. (But I've had the same problems with 10122 and 10074.)
• 32-bit version of Windows
• Booted in non-EFI mode (I guess I'd call that BIOS mode?)
• It's a clean install in a partition which I've deleted in Setup
• The video starts when the install has got to the settings screen, with nothing else done in Setup since selecting the partition. At the start of the video I press Ctrl-Shift-F3
• I have a VHD linked into the VM, containing installers for Firefox, VLC Player, 7zip, Adobe Reader
• Network is disabled in my VM
• I want to use sysprep to generalize, as I'm trying to learn more about DISM etc., and all the Microsoft instructions I've seen say you need to generalize in sysprep.
• I'm not trying to use an answer file

The video is rough and ready, - I've not had time to edit and there's no sound. (You might want to skip to around 4 minutes 45 into the video for the action .)
[youtube]cbSRlftXaN4[/youtube]

So can anyone spot what I'm doing wrong/ not doing? Or is it a defect somewhere?

Thanks for your time!
David

 

David, I have not yet had time to test Sysprep in 10130. In 10122 it worked perfectly, apart the CopyProfile. I will do some testing and come back to tell how it went.

I've now watched your video and you do it exactly as it should be done. Only one unnecessary step there, I see that you changed the folder view options which of course would not stick because you do not use an answer file with the CopyProfile=True setting.

I'll come back with the results of my tests.

 

OK, seems that the Generalize fails every time, culprit seems to be Apppackages and the Modern Apps repository:




Will continue testing.

 

Hi Kari,

Many thanks for taking the time to look at my video and trying to replicate it.

Yes you're right of course. I changed the view settings the first 2 times I tried it, so thought I would do the same when I was recording, in case it made a difference (not that it should cause a crash, I think).

Thanks for finding that. I'm reassured that I'm not doing something silly - I guess I'll need to wait for another build. *Sad

 

OK, some further testing, seems that all Sysprep scenarios not involving the /generalize switch will work. For instance I just sysprepped the Users folder to drive E: (tutorial) without an issue:



More testing...

 

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I read the tutorial with interest, Kari, and generally understand it (I think *Biggrin).

Can I ask a couple of simple (I hope) questions please:

Firstly, you say this is 'hardware independent'. Does this mean that if I use your tutorial I can create an image that I could put onto a different laptop, say a new one I bought that did not have an OS installed? What about product keys?

Secondly, when my laptop is upgraded to W10 I will get the 'Home' version. Does the tutorial work with this version or only with pro and enterprise?

 

Hi Kari, I'm getting 10130 to sysprep just fine with a slight work around, copy profile works perfect as well.

tiledatamodelsvc is still playing up in this build

I'm booting to audit mode then making my image customization's, once complete open command prompt and goto the sysprep folder and type out the sysprep /generalize etc command but dont press enter.

Open up Services Snap-in and double-click on tiledatamodelsvc, keep pressing stop on it after 5-6 times it will stop for a while.
Quickly alt+tab to the command prompt window, press enter to run the command then quickly switch back to the tiledatamodelsvc properties.

Now start spamming that stop button like you have never spammed before!
It will keep trying to run while sysprep is doing it's thing so keep spamming and you may see some other error's, just ok them and keep spamming!

Hope that helps, nice thread...

 

Hi gtrX, welcome to the Ten Forums!

Quite an interesting workaround *Smile. I've tried stopping various services in Audit Mode to get the /generalize to work, never thought an approach like this, keep hitting the Stop.

I will do some tests this weekend with this, thanks for sharing.

 

OK, have been testing this. I do not get it working. Stopping the tiledatamodel service clearly helps somewhat, instead of Sysprep failing straight away it seems to be working, Windows can be booted to OOBE. But after asking the user about the settings, express or customize, when installation should proceed to create user dialog, installation stops with an error message "Windows cannot be installed on this computer".

Tested only on one vm and one real machine, will continue testing this.