Windows 10: Problems with sign-in after sysprep

Hi,

I used SysPrep a little while ago to reset my system for anticipation of a motherboard swap. So I ran sysprep and then installed new motherboard and when I rebooted for first time again Windows setup created a new user. So now I have two users the first of which windows refuses to assign a logon pin for. The second newer user account I cant delete without getting stuck at the logon screen. So not sure how to fix this short of a clean install of Windows 10. Anyone have a solution I would appreciate it.

Thank you

:)

 

sysprep broken on windows 10 build 10586

I am trying to sysprep After installing windows update 3136561, sysprep fails, with message that says "Sysprep was not able to validate your Windows installation. Review the log file a %WINDIR% \Ssytem 32\Sysprep\Panther\setupact.log for details.

I was able to run sysprep before installing update KB3136561, which changed the OS version to 10.0.10586

This is on windows 10, Enterprise.

The log says "spopk.dll : : Sysprep will not run on an upgraded OS. You can only run Sysprep on a custom (clean) install version of Windows."

This was a clean install, until KB3136561 did the upgrade to version 10.0.10586

Help

 

Can't run Sysprep on Windows 10 Enterprise

Hi All,

So i'm having a bit a problem running sysprep on Windows 10. Currenty, im in the process of creating a new Win10 image for my company but i get the following error everytime i run sysprep:

"Sysprep was not able to validate your Windows installation. Review the log file at %WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\Sysprep\Panther\setupact.log for details. After resolving the issue, use sysprep to validate your installation again."

This is a fresh install of win10 **(not upgraded from 7,8, or 8.1)**. No provisioned apps have been installed\ran. I even tried installing win10 again thinking the install had been corrupted in some way. That didn't work either; however, in doing so i noticed
this only became a problem after running updates. Sysprep ran successfully before running any updates.

I check the log as well and, to be honest, i cant really tell where the problem stems from, its just not clear. I dont feel comfortable changing anything in the registry unless i know it wont have any adverse effect on anything else.

Any help\input would be greatly appreciated. At this point, im completely out of ideas. I just need to run this in OOTB mode and generalized. Never had this problem with 7 or 8.. .. Why must you break what was running perfectly in other platforms.

 

Hi David, welcome to the Ten Forums.

In Windows 7 it was and is important to generalize the Windows installation before transferring it to a new PC or the same PC when hardware will be replaced. For this I have written a tutorial on our sister site the Seven Forums: Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer - Windows 7 Help Forums

However, although the method in that Windows 7 tutorial also applies to Windows 8, 8.1 and 10, they are much better in coping with the hardware changes and usually you don't even have to generalize Windows before switching a motherboard like you did. Using the Sysprep generalizing is in any case a sure way to make Windows to work when replacing the motherboard. That being said, you have done right in using the method but sadly you have also done something wrong; the issues you told about do not occur when generalizing is done correctly.

To show you the workflow in Windows 10 I repeated the process now in a virtual to check it really works in Windows 10 as I have told in that Windows 7 tutorial. Here's how it should be done in Windows 10:
1. Close all programs and applications, run the sysprep command with generalize, oobe and shutdown switches:





2. When sysprep has shut down your PC, replace the motherboard

3. Start PC normally, it will now go through the OOBE / Welcome mode

4. Create a temporary local admin account:






5. Let Windows prepare the user profile for this temporary account, sign out as soon as you arrive to desktop

6. Now select your old, original admin account and sign in. Notice that because you have generalized Windows, it needs to go through a short user profile setup process as if your old account would be a new account. However, when setup is ready and your old account desktop is shown, you'll notice that all your data is there; Windows recreated your user account using the same username, user profile folder and data.

7. When signed in with your old, original user account simply delete the temporary user you had to create in step 4 (tutorial)
That's it. Your original user account will now work exactly as it did before the generalizing. If the PIN sign-in is not working, just remove the PIN and set a new one.

 

I wish I followed those steps earlier but what I did last night was enable the administrative account, backed up the data from the old account that I couldn't even set a pin for, logged into the newer account sysprep had created and deleted the old account. This time I was able to log into windows without any bricking issues. My thoughts are that the new account sysprep had created had become the master account and deleting it confused Windows 10 as the older account must have been partially corrupt maybe. Now its working though thanks.

 

I do this and now start menu and search don't work....