Unattend Operating System Installation

Sysprep is very useful in preparing an image for cloning / imaging by stripping all specialization from the installation like: drives, SID, PNP enumeration, name and more. During the next reboot PNP is initiated and the Out Of Box Experience is run; this is similar to a preloaded laptop or computer from the factory starting up for the first time.

 When you are cloning/imaging machines in mass it is extremely handy to automate as much as possible. Using the Windows AIK (Automated Installation Kit) specifically a tool called Windows SIM (System Image Manager) you can automate the entire process. The unattend.xml file is used along with sysprep to automate the image specialization and OOBE after it is cloned and rebooted.

To create an answer file, we need download Windows AIK from http://downloads.microsoft.com and use Windows SIM to load install.win in the Operating System installation files.

And there is an easy way to create a generic unattend file, try this web page.

http://benosullivan.co.uk/windows-7-unattend-xml-generator/

An example is as below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
  <settings pass="windowsPE">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <SetupUILanguage>
        <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      </SetupUILanguage>
      <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <UserData>
        <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
        <FullName>Color</FullName>
        <Organization>ColorAda</Organization>
        <ProductKey>
          <Key>XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX</Key>
          <WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
        </ProductKey>
      </UserData>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="oobeSystem">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <OOBE>
        <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
        <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
        <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
        <SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>
        <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
      </OOBE>
      <TimeZone>Pacific Standard Time</TimeZone>
      <UserAccounts>
        <AdministratorPassword>
          <Value>Password01!</Value>
          <PlainText>true</PlainText>
        </AdministratorPassword>
        <LocalAccounts>
          <LocalAccount>
            <Password>
              <Value>Tester</Value>
              <PlainText>true</PlainText>
            </Password>
            <Description>Tester</Description>
            <DisplayName>Tester</DisplayName>
            <Group>Administrators;</Group>
            <Name>Tester</Name>
          </LocalAccount>
        </LocalAccounts>
      </UserAccounts>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="specialize">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <ComputerName>*</ComputerName>
      <CopyProfile>false</CopyProfile>
      <RegisteredOrganization>ColorAda</RegisteredOrganization>
      <RegisteredOwner>ColorAda</RegisteredOwner>
      <Display>
        <ColorDepth>32</ColorDepth>
        <HorizontalResolution>1024</HorizontalResolution>
        <RefreshRate>60</RefreshRate>
        <VerticalResolution>768</VerticalResolution>
      </Display>
    </component>
  
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
      <Identification>
        <Credentials>
          <Domain>Domain</Domain>
          <Password>DomainPWD</Password>
          <Username>DomainUser</Username>
        </Credentials>
      </Identification>
    </component>

  </settings>
</unattend>