Windows 10: Windows 7 to 10 Upgrade? Windows could not parse or process

Hi, first time post............

Am trying to upgrade my daughters Acer laptop from W7 to W10 before the deadline but keep getting this error...........





Have done lots of reading up on it with lots of attempts to fix the problem but as yet I'm still no closer to solving this problem.

Could anyone please try and head me in the right direction as I'm really just about to give up and let her continue with 7.

Cheers,
John *Mad

:)

 

installing windows iso on Mac

when installing windows 10 iso on Mac all files load then during setup after "getting ready"

the following come up and asked to restart but just keeps restarting

"windows could not parse or process the unatend answer file for pass{specialise} the settings in the specified in the answer file cannot be applied, the error was detected while processing settings for component {Microsoft -windows-deployment}"

 

Can't install Windows 10 error "Windows could not parse of process the unattended answers file for pass"

I'm having the same exact problem as Tom Keeney. I've tried upgrading on 4 times and it keeps erroring out at the same point with the same error message as above every time.

I tried the media creation tool and it didn't help and produced the same error.

The hard drive I am trying to install Windows 10 on is a new SSD. I had Windows 7 on an older SSD which is still installed in the computer. I cloned the old SSD to the new SSD and use the new SSD as the boot hard drive. First time I booted up I had to
re-authenticate my Windows product key but everything has been working fine since, except for trying to upgrade to Windows 10.

 

That error message is shown when you run sysprep command in Windows with an answer file that has wrong syntax or other errors in it. In normal upgrade process you should have no reason to run sysprep. Sysprep is usually only used when you want to customize Windows install image for deployment.

Are you running sysprep on purpose, and if so could you please post the answer file used?

 

Hi Kari,

And thanks for your help.

Originally I just tried by using the W10 upgrade button on the daughters laptop, but for whatever reason nothing seemed to happen.

So then I downloaded the Media Creation Tool from MS and installed it on a USB and have since and forever got that error message when trying to install W10.

Currently I'm burning an ISO image but suspect I will have the same outcome?

I'm off to work shortly so will be off line for a couple of hours, but I will be back.

Cheers,
John

 

Something is not right there. That error message clearly shows that sysprep command was run, with faulty unattended answer file. I am afraid your only option is a clean install, either Windows 7 and then try to upgrade again, or directly installing Windows 10 using Windows product key.

Is there any important personal data (documents, images and such) on that laptop, something that needs to be saved?

 

Herein lies the folly of many users who are leaving it to the last minute to upgrade and then they run into issues, and I can see those posts now "I tried to upgrade by deadline but had issues and have missed the deadline".

We all know you can miss flights when if caught you in a traffic jam, and you should allow for this. Same applies to the activation servers as well - any bets that they do not get overloaded?

 

Hi Kari,
Yes I was afraid it was not going to be that simple. A clean install you say. Does that mean having to reformat the c drive.

We bought this laptop through her school and assume W7 was OEM as we were not supplied with any installation disc.

I had a look in Belarc advisor to find her license key.

I have managed to save all her school work and anything else that needs saving so will be good for the reinstall. Just hopefully I still know how to do it.

Cheers,
John

 

Thanks for such a positive comment!

 

Other forums are getting flooded with help requests. It is inevitable that somebody will miss the boat (mixing my metaphors), and if somebody reading this gets prompted into action sooner rather than too late, the comment has value.

 

This is how I would try the upgrade. Do you have the ISO file saved on the computer that needs to be upgraded? If not, save it there. Download and install the free version of WinIso:
WinISO Standard 6 - Edit, Create, Convert, ISO Software, Burn ISO and make Bootable ISO

Mount the ISO file with it. You will get a virtual DVD drive letter. From inside the virtual DVD drive letter run the setup.exe to start the upgrade.

Also what edition is the Windows 7? It's not a Single Language or K or KN edition is it? Just regular Windows 7 Home/Pro/Home Premium, etc?

@Kari - in order for the unattended answer file to interfere with the upgrade, doesn't the answer file have to be in the Windows installation media file structure? Or can an unattended answer file that is stored somewhere else on the computer interfere?

 

Fair enough!

 

John,

In addition to post #9 above yours, see here:
Will win 7 problems/corruption prohibit upgrading to win 10? - Windows 10 Forums

 

Hi Navy,
Thanks for the reply.

Yes it's just a regular Windows 7 home.

Cheers,
John

 

I hope the laptop was not volume licensed through her school, that would make this complicated. Anyway, I doubt that.
EDIT: Saw you posting it's Windows 7 Home, it can't be volume licensed so the above is of no concern.


You should find the correct product key in so called COA sticker, usually located on bottom of the laptop, sometimes hidden under the battery:




See this tutorial for instructions in clean installing Windows 10 using your Windows 7 product key: Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First - Windows 10 Forums

I agree. This is an important reminder now with only 11 days to go!

That option will not work in OP's case; the screenshot in first post clearly indicates that instead of Windows 10 upgrade, somehow Sysprep has been run. It has been run from within Windows 7. The error in screenshot tells that answer file is faulty and Windows cannot continue setup.

Exiting from that situation is only possible with repair or clean install, even repair does not work in most cases because setup is still reading instructions from answer file that wont work.

As it is now, OP has no chance to get to Windows 7 desktop to download ISO, mount it and start upgrade.

Not wanting to sound egoistic but judging by the context I assume you meant me?

If sysprep command was run without /unattendATH_TO_ANSWERFILE switch, no answer file would be used except if folder C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep contains one with exact name unattend.xml.

If sysprep was run with /unattendATH_TO_ANSWERFILE, it can be located anywhere and have any name.

In this OP's case, in both above scenarios it will be located on the Windows 7 laptop. Theoretically it could work to boot the laptop with a WinPE media, remove the answer file and reboot; however this fails more often than works.

In any case I would no longer even try to rescue the underlying Windows 7 because a failed sysprep has already left it marks.