AutoUnattend.xml Partitioning Failure

Vincint said:

I just tried the AutoUnattend.xml again, and it still stops at Disk Configuration and does not create or modify the partitions. Seriously, I know this is just something stupid, and something that I am just either not aware of or am overlooking, but this is driving me crazy! HELP! lol

This would be much easier for you, if you just followed instructions.

As was with <Active> tags in <ModifyPartition> for GPT disk, also the <Extend> tags have nothing to in <ModifyPartition>, just making partitioning to fail. In your last answer file, partitions 2 and 3 have this unnecessary, completely wrong setting.

You set the size of the partition or extend it if / when necessary in <CreatePartition>. In <ModifyPartition> you then tell how to format and label that partition. Because size is already known, or instead of size if that partition will be extended to use all remaining space, you do not put the size again in <ModifyPartition>.

You mentioned that you have read my tutorials. Simple instructions for partitioning in answer file, what belongs where can be found in steps 3.11 through 3.18 in this tutorial: Create media for automated unattended install of Windows 10

Kari

Vincint said:

As is evinced above, the code is slightly different than my previous posted disk config, but if it works, I will take it as a win!

It works now because your new answer file took care of the error I told about in my last post:

Kari said:

As was with <Active> tags in <ModifyPartition> for GPT disk, also the <Extend> tags have nothing to in <ModifyPartition>, just making partitioning to fail. In your last answer file, partitions 2 and 3 have this unnecessary, completely wrong setting.

You set the size of the partition or extend it if / when necessary in <CreatePartition>. In <ModifyPartition> you then tell how to format and label that partition. Because size is already known, or instead of size if that partition will be extended to use all remaining space, you do not put the size again in <ModifyPartition>.

Anyway, main thing is it works now for you.

Kari

Vincint said:

I had tried using Kari's tutorials, they didn't work. I made the changes he suggested, but they didn't work either.

I am sorry, but do you really think that I would post complex instructions like in my Sysprep / customizing related tutorials without being sure that the instructions are valid, that the process works as described? Do you have any idea how much testing is behind a tutorial like that?

My suggestions? I told you to change the value MODIFY to ADD, and later that you used ACTIVE tags wrong, in wrong places. With those changes, your answer file would have worked. Both of these changes you had made to answer file are not mentioned in my tutorial, you have made those errors by yourself.

Vincint said:

I had switched the unattend file to never show any notifications, which finally prompted me with an error message which provided me with two errors which I had not seen previously...

Both of errors you list clearly show that they are caused by wrong syntax, thus being completely caused by user, you in this case

Let's look the first one:

"Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [C:\autounattend.xml] for pass [windowsPE]. A required value is missing from the answer file. The error was detected at XML path [unattend\settings[pass=windowsPE]\component[name=Microsoft-Windows-Setup][processorArchitecture=amd64]\DiskConfiguration\Disk:0[Order=4]] in the answer file."

A required setting for partition 4 is missing in answer file. Following my tutorial, which tells all required settings and values for all partitions, you would have never seen that error message. Let me just assure you, those instructions for partitioning are 100% correct and valid, and tested countless times. A bit funny that no one else has complained about wrong instructions.

OK, your second error. It could not be more clear that it is completely, profoundly, totally a user caused error:

"Windows could not set a partition active on Disk 0. The target disk, partition, or volume does not support the specified operation. The error occurred while applying the unattend answer file's <DiskConfiguration> setting. Error code: 0x80300024."

As I told you in post #11 in this thread, you had wrongly added ACTIVE tags to your answer file for several partitions, marking them all active. This setting should never be used on GPT disk. My instructions clearly tell to make one, only one partition active, and only on MBR disk. Never on GPT disk.

Vincint said:

The other error which I was seeing, which I didn't get a picture of, sadly, said something to the affect of the partitioning scheme I was using was not right, and to check the Microsoft website for more information on the GPT partitioning scheme, which I found really ironic, since I had set my disk partitioning schema to match that created automatically by Windows 10 Pro, when you delete the partitioning manually until there is just 100% unallocated space and hitting new, and letting Windows create the partitions for you!

Unfortunately, you had not followed step by step instructions in tutorial. It had given you clear instructions in making partitioning work.

Vincint said:

Whatever the case was, the partition sizes were different in the last disk configuration I posted than in the first I had posted; also, the <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk> had moved from the bottom of disk config to the top -- always thought having that flag on the bottom was odd, but it's what SIM created, so I wasn't going to argue with it's placement, but putting that flag on top seems to have also assisted with how the unattend file worked.

No, not true. Windows Setup does not care in which order various settings passes, components and settings are given. In fact, using Windows SIM to generate answer files, then checking them in a text editor often shows that something might not be in order, when eventually everything is OK. The position of WILLWIPEDISK is totally irrelevant.

Try it if you do not believe me. Put it back at the end of DISKCONFIGURATION and see it by yourself, it works.

Vincint said:

I think the 1803 ADK that I am using might have a few bugs in it, especially since my OS updated to 1809 not long ago, so I am just wondering if that could have anything to do with it?

There are no bugs in 1803 ADK.

I will try to remain calm, and as polite and respectful as I can be:

I really much resent the fact that although you have clearly shown that you have not followed the instructions but instead changed things without checking if they are right, like using MODIFY instead of ADD or adding ACTIVE tags where they shouldn't be used, yet you start your post with "I had tried using Kari's tutorials, they didn't work".

The tutorial which shows the partitioning in answer file has 115,000 views. Nobody else has complained about those instructions being wrong, shouldn't that tell you something?

I thank you for telling future readers of this thread that my tutorials do not work.

Kari

wmheid said:

Thank you Kari for an excellent tutorial and your explanations of the various errors!

I have never been accused to be modest, never suffered from modesty. That being said, I must tell that I really respect you joining the forums to say that, make your first post to be a "thank you" post.



Kari

Hey guys, great thread and great tutorial Kari. I'm having a slight issue here that's the same as the OP. The Install doesn't do the partitioning automatically and stops me and manually makes me do it. I've got to be missing something obvious but after a few hours of trial and error I'm at a loss. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Code:

<?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="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SetupUILanguage>
                <UILanguage>en-CA</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>1009:00000409</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-CA</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-CA</UILanguage>
            <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
            <UserLocale>en-CA</UserLocale>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <DiskConfiguration>
                <Disk wcm:action="add">
                    <CreatePartitions>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Extend>true</Extend>
                            <Order>4</Order>
                            <Type>Primary</Type>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Order>3</Order>
                            <Size>16</Size>
                            <Type>MSR</Type>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Order>2</Order>
                            <Size>100</Size>
                            <Type>EFI</Type>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Order>1</Order>
                            <Size>450</Size>
                            <Type>Primary</Type>
                        </CreatePartition>
                    </CreatePartitions>
                    <ModifyPartitions>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>NTFS</Format>
                            <Label>Windows</Label>
                            <Letter>C</Letter>
                            <Order>4</Order>
                            <PartitionID>4</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Order>3</Order>
                            <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>FAT32</Format>
                            <Label>System</Label>
                            <Order>2</Order>
                            <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>NTFS</Format>
                            <Label>WinRE</Label>
                            <Order>1</Order>
                            <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
                            <TypeID>DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC</TypeID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                    </ModifyPartitions>
                    <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                    <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
                </Disk>
            </DiskConfiguration>
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallTo>
                        <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                        <PartitionID>4</PartitionID>
                    </InstallTo>
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
                <Organization>NetSpectrum</Organization>
            </UserData>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim:c:/users/bking/desktop/windows/sources/install.wim#Windows 10 Pro" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

EDIT: I should also mention that I am using WDS on an AD based server not a stand alone one if that somehow makes a difference here? It's not spitting out an error at me, it's just stopping at the partitioning and making me manually do it. Server is configured for UEFI, computer is configured for UEFI boot.

Again, any help is appreciated, thanks!

Bryan