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#550
The highlighted error message in above quote, shown after sysprep when rebooting to OOBE, it always (without an exception) means that Windows is not able to follow the instructions in answer file for one of the following reasons:
- A syntax error or typo in answer file
- An SSD card or flash drive is used as target for a system file or folder (it's a no go, it must be HDD or SSD)
- Non-existing resource
- No access to resource
In your case, reading that your optical drive is E: and Users folder trying to be relocated to D: drive, I suspect the last item on the above list.
Before explaining this a bit more, here's a warning as it can be seen in tutorial:
Warning
If you intend to use drive D: as the location for the relocated Users folder, please read this before proceeding!
Windows "likes" to set the the drive ID letters like this:
- Drive C: > The system drive where Windows will be installed
- Drive D: > First optical drive (CD / DVD drive)
- Drive E: > Second partition on the same disk where the C: is located, or in case that disk only has one partition, the first partition on the secondary disk
Now when you sysprep telling it to move the Users to D: drive, after the reboot Windows might find that the D: is an optical drive and your intended drive D: is now E:, sysprep fails and you have to reinstall.
To be sure you are able to use drive D: for the relocated Users folder you need to set the drive letters manually before the sysprep is run. In Audit Mode you can do this for instance with Disk Management by manually changing the drive letters:
- Change the optical drive letter to something at the end of the alphabet, I use X:
- Change the drive letter of the partition or disk you intend to use for the Users folder to D:
- If the partition or disk you want to use already has a letter D:, change it to something else, close the Disk Management, open it again and change the letter back to D:
See the tutorial at our sister site the Seven Forums: Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows - Windows 7 Help Forums
I recommend to always set drive letters manually to override the defaults but this is especially important for those wanting to use drive D: for relocated Users folder.
Quite often even when you see your hard drives as C: and D: and optical drive as E: when in Audit Mode, after sysprepping the installation, the system before it starts OOBE sets the hard drives as C: and E: giving D: to your optical drive. As the optical drive cannot be used to store a system folder, OOBE fails and the error message you got is shown.
The above warning in the tutorial is meant to be taken seriously! If your target for Users is D: drive, always (I repeat: always!) set the drive ID letters manually in Audit Mode. If your Disk Management shows hard drive D: and optical drive E:, don't take it at its face value. Change the letters to something else, close Disk Management, reopen it and set the letters back to D: and E:.
Kari