Vista Sysprep error

We are deploying Vista on 400+ Dell desktops, all hardware identical. Dell
created an Image for us that suits all but about 70 computers.

I have created a master image for these computers but am havings sysprep
problems.

I created an answer file (sysprepdomain.xml) for sysprep with WSIM and it
passed all the error checks in WAIK, but when I move the .xml file to the
C:\windows\system32\sysprep folder and run sysprep with this command line
(sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:sysprepdomain.xml) I get the
error "Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file
[sysprepdomain.xml]. The specified file does not exist".

The xml file is in the same folder with sysprep.exe and the name is correct.

Why is sysprep not finding the xml file?

Is there another masked error occurring here?

I have run the sysprep without the /unattend part of the command, but it
messes up my desktop (loss of icons on quickstart bar).

Any ideas??

I have attached the xml file with embedded passwords deleted if anyone needs
to look through it.



Jim Smith
Lubbock Christian University
Technology Services

Use this forum to discuss all aspects of imaging and deploying Windows Vista:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/...=721&SiteID=17

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Jim Smith" <jim.smith@lcu.edu> wrote in message news:OaezQhwyIHA.4704@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
We are deploying Vista on 400+ Dell desktops, all hardware identical. Dell
created an Image for us that suits all but about 70 computers.

I have created a master image for these computers but am havings sysprep
problems.

I created an answer file (sysprepdomain.xml) for sysprep with WSIM and it
passed all the error checks in WAIK, but when I move the .xml file to the
C:\windows\system32\sysprep folder and run sysprep with this command line
(sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:sysprepdomain.xml) I get the
error "Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file
[sysprepdomain.xml]. The specified file does not exist".

The xml file is in the same folder with sysprep.exe and the name is correct.

Why is sysprep not finding the xml file?

Is there another masked error occurring here?

I have run the sysprep without the /unattend part of the command, but it
messes up my desktop (loss of icons on quickstart bar).

Any ideas??

I have attached the xml file with embedded passwords deleted if anyone needs
to look through it.



Jim Smith
Lubbock Christian University
Technology Services

Hello Jim,
From what I read it's finding the file and erroring out with a setting
inside the file.
I don't see an obvious error in the file, can you maybe try simplifying the
file and trying it with less settings
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
| >From: "Jim Smith" <jim.smith@lcu.edu>
| >Subject: Vista Sysprep error
| >Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:43:13 -0500
| >Lines: 156
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| >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
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| >Message-ID: <OaezQhwyIHA.4704@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl>
| >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
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| >Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl
| >Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup:40868
| >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
| >
| >We are deploying Vista on 400+ Dell desktops, all hardware identical.
Dell
| >created an Image for us that suits all but about 70 computers.
| >
| >I have created a master image for these computers but am havings sysprep
| >problems.
| >
| >I created an answer file (sysprepdomain.xml) for sysprep with WSIM and
it
| >passed all the error checks in WAIK, but when I move the .xml file to
the
| >C:\windows\system32\sysprep folder and run sysprep with this command
line
| >(sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:sysprepdomain.xml) I get
the
| >error "Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file
| >[sysprepdomain.xml]. The specified file does not exist".
| >
| >The xml file is in the same folder with sysprep.exe and the name is
correct.
| >
| >Why is sysprep not finding the xml file?
| >
| >Is there another masked error occurring here?
| >
| >I have run the sysprep without the /unattend part of the command, but it
| >messes up my desktop (loss of icons on quickstart bar).
| >
| >Any ideas??
| >
| >I have attached the xml file with embedded passwords deleted if anyone
needs
| >to look through it.
| >
| >
| >
| >Jim Smith
| >Lubbock Christian University
| >Technology Services
| >
| >
| >

I got sysprep to run, but had to explicitly specify the full path both to
the sysprep.exe file and the sysprepdomain.xml file in the command prompt.

Vista is soooo picky.


"Jim Smith" <jim.smith@lcu.edu> wrote in message
news:OaezQhwyIHA.4704@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> We are deploying Vista on 400+ Dell desktops, all hardware identical.
> Dell created an Image for us that suits all but about 70 computers.
>
> I have created a master image for these computers but am havings sysprep
> problems.
>
> I created an answer file (sysprepdomain.xml) for sysprep with WSIM and it
> passed all the error checks in WAIK, but when I move the .xml file to the
> C:\windows\system32\sysprep folder and run sysprep with this command line
> (sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:sysprepdomain.xml) I get
> the error "Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file
> [sysprepdomain.xml]. The specified file does not exist".
>
> The xml file is in the same folder with sysprep.exe and the name is
> correct.
>
> Why is sysprep not finding the xml file?
>
> Is there another masked error occurring here?
>
> I have run the sysprep without the /unattend part of the command, but it
> messes up my desktop (loss of icons on quickstart bar).
>
> Any ideas??
>
> I have attached the xml file with embedded passwords deleted if anyone
> needs to look through it.
>
>
>
> Jim Smith
> Lubbock Christian University
> Technology Services
>
>
>

I finally got sysprep to run without the error message.

I had to explicityl specify the full path to both the sysprep.exe and the
sysprepdomain.xml files like:
C:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown
/unattend:C:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprepdomain.xml.

Vista is SOOOO picky



"Jim Smith" <jim.smith@lcu.edu> wrote in message
news:OaezQhwyIHA.4704@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> We are deploying Vista on 400+ Dell desktops, all hardware identical.
> Dell created an Image for us that suits all but about 70 computers.
>
> I have created a master image for these computers but am havings sysprep
> problems.
>
> I created an answer file (sysprepdomain.xml) for sysprep with WSIM and it
> passed all the error checks in WAIK, but when I move the .xml file to the
> C:\windows\system32\sysprep folder and run sysprep with this command line
> (sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:sysprepdomain.xml) I get
> the error "Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file
> [sysprepdomain.xml]. The specified file does not exist".
>
> The xml file is in the same folder with sysprep.exe and the name is
> correct.
>
> Why is sysprep not finding the xml file?
>
> Is there another masked error occurring here?
>
> I have run the sysprep without the /unattend part of the command, but it
> messes up my desktop (loss of icons on quickstart bar).
>
> Any ideas??
>
> I have attached the xml file with embedded passwords deleted if anyone
> needs to look through it.
>
>
>
> Jim Smith
> Lubbock Christian University
> Technology Services
>
>
>