Create media for automated unattended install of Windows 10

hsehestedt · 09 Jan 2020

Wolfy7, I use autologon to logon to the system once and once only. During that first logon it takes another couple of minutes for setup to complete because you get the screens that say things like "Hi", "We're setting everything up for you", "This may take a few minutes", "Almost done", etc. and then finally you end up on the desktop. Yes, you get that series of popups but they happen one time only and at least they are over and done with at the end of the installation procedure.

Wolfy7 · 09 Jan 2020

@Kari actually it's quite a popular bug related to copy profile that u can find it on several tech forums. I even got it when applying it in this tutorial. There is several explanations for this issue. Some refer it to windows latest cumulative updates and others say that it has to do with violating the registry in windows by some file associations which cause it to restore the settings thus, the "reset default app" notification pop up. Whatever is the cause it is still a Microsoft issue which I hope Microsoft got a fix for it so we can benefit from the copy profile functionality.

Kari · 09 Jan 2020

Wolfy7 said:

@Kari actually it's quite a popular bug related to copy profile that u can find it on several tech forums.

CopyProfile, when used only as it is intended to be used, has never caused any issues for me. It is safe to use. In most cases when users are complaining it causing issues, the real reason is somewhere else.

Kari

fastfaster · 09 Jan 2020

Kari said:

No. A disabled account can't be used for autologon.

So why it is mentioned in an official microsoft doc under "Enable and Disable the Built-in Administrator Account"? (More specific under "use an answer file".

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...trator-account

I tested it and it seems to work.

Kari said:

About possible CopyProfile bugs: I've never had any issues with it, never had any bugs. Works perfectly.

I belive you don't experience any bugs and that's why I'm trying to understand it. I have tried already several times and it always looks the same: When I create new profile, Windows search isn't working, Office programs are crashing just few seconds after launch. Only this solution works to fix it:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...t-user-profile

So I've written a script which deletes all those file/directories. But in your guide I don't see any mention of this so I'm just curious. I really don't want to write any nonsense here but I'm based on my experience.

Also ~~some~~ many people seem to have the same problem(?)

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...rue/m-p/132849
Windows 10 1803, Sysprep, CopyProfile, Broken Start Headaches (Continued..) : sysadmin
Windows 10 1703 delete "this" if you use "CopyProfile" in unattend.xml | FOG Project
Fallstricke beim Windows 10 Re-Imageing | Schwachstromblog.de
and it goes on..

I would love to use those "not deprecated" features which CopyProfile brings but I just can't..

Wolfy7 · 09 Jan 2020

@hsehestedt that's right, it only appears on 1st logon. Although it makes your work looks unprofessional and immature specially when u install it into a higher level end users who are not that tech savvy and got confused with it. Besides, it does ACTUALLY rest the apps that u customized as default for some reason. I really hope Microsoft fix this problem, till that time we gonna do a workaround to that issue.

hsehestedt · 09 Jan 2020

@Wolfy7, I understand your point. In fact, I once posted that issue as a question and got no satisfactory answers, probably because there is no solution as yet. But I use the autologon as a semi-workaround. At least that way, once the initial setup is done, the messages are done with as well.
@Kari, just in case you are interested in seeing what it is that we are talking about, I've attached a video clip showing the very end of the install process including these messages.

NOTE: The video is encoded in HEVC to keep it small. The free HEVC codec from Microsoft is located here:

https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9N4WGH0Z6VHQ

In my case, I know for a fact that the issue is not something I've done because the same exact answer files used with previous versions of Windows do not result in this problem. I know for a fact that it happens on 1909, not sure about 1903. Discussion on the internet speculates that this problem was introduced by Windows October 2019 updates. There is much discussion about this on the Internet.

EDIT: Note sure why, but my attachment is not showing up in the posting. It's only a 400K ZIP file and it shows up in the attachments section when I edit the post, but does not appear in the actual posting itself when I save it.

hsehestedt · 09 Jan 2020

Since the attachment is not working, here is a static screenshot showing one of the dozen or so messages:

Create media for automated unattended install of Windows 10-i1.jpg

Kari · 09 Jan 2020

Geeks, I let you to discuss these non-existing issues in peace, not commenting any more.

I just say this: I am quite experienced in creating and deploying custom Windows images. All my images are prepared, before capturing them, on a reference machine in Audit Mode.

In hundreds of installs and deployments for instance during the past year, most of them tests both on physical and virtual machines with Windows versions 1809 through 1909 and latest Insider builds, I have not had a single issue. CopyProfile used absolutely every time.

Start works, Cortana works, everything works.

I sincerely hope that Ten Forums would not be used to spread misunderstood, invalid information, but you geeks of course do what you want to do.

Kari

hsehestedt · 09 Jan 2020

@Kari, I mean no offense here. Please understand that I am merely noting my personal experience here. The fact that you cannot reproduce the issue does NOT mean that the issue is not real for MANY others. Please see the following for my reasoning. If I can be proven wrong, I would love that. After all, I've done some stupid things in my time

What I can tell you from postings on the internet is that it is clear that this issue is widespread. Are we all making the exact same mistake??? I don't think so.

To be clear - the problem I refer to is only the toast messages that say that an app default was reset. You get probably about a dozen of these messages but only upon first logon.

IMPORTANT: Over the past hour or two I have setup a new reference system 100% from scratch and was able once again to reproduce the issue again - easily. If this is some mistake that I am making, explain to me why every instance of my following this procedure prior to 1909 worked and EVERY instance with 1909 has the same problem?

I have no doubt that you are not running into the issue, but I can reproduce it at will. To reiterate, it is my belief that it is not anything I am doing wrong because

1) The unattend.xml works perfectly. Only problem is these toast messages.
2) The same unattend.xml works on previous releases of Windows 10. I only encounter this on 1909 although people on the internet seem to indicate it may have started with Oct 2019 updates. That part I cannot confirm.

Steps to reproduce the issue

1) Create a reference system. In my case, I am creating the reference system on the latest version of VMware Workstation Pro. I am using the Microsoft ISO image of Windows 10 1909 (1903 will NOT reproduce this problem!!).
2) Following the steps of the tutorial, the Reference System is started in Audit Mode.
3) I make ONLY these changes to the Reference System:

Modify some of the view options in file explorer.
Apply a theme that changes the desktop and a few other visual elements

That's it - I install no applications nor do I make any other changes.

4) Run sysprep precisely as instructed in tutorial.
5) Boot the VM from Windows ISO image, open command prompt, image the Reference System.
6) Reboot the Reference system normally.

NOTE: At this point one would normally go on to gather the image created, however, I don't even need to go that far. When the Reference System itself finishes booting the toast messages are displayed. This tells me that the issue is present and I know from having done this a couple dozen times that the resulting WIM when deployed will exhibit the same problem.

So again, this is insanely easy to duplicate and can be done with making no unusual modification to the Reference System.

If desired, I could create a video of me performing every single step to reproduce the issue.

EDIT: I was wrong about one thing. When I say that I make no other changes, I am in fact making the changes as outlined in the tutorial. For example, I place the runonce.bat on the system as indicated and create the C:\Image and C:\Scratch folders. That statement should say that I am making no other changes other than those directed by the tutorial.

hsehestedt · 09 Jan 2020

Okay, I'm gonna put the question of whether this issue is a real issue or not to bed.

I have absolute proof here that this is a real issue and not "non-existing issues" or "misunderstood, invalid information".

If anyone wants a challenge: I DEFY ANYONE to tell me what I have done wrong in this procedure. That's how confident I am in this.

First, to be clear, I am only proving here that the "app default reset" messages occur. Whether there are any other implications I cannot say. From my testing, I have not seen any other problems.

Be aware that the host system as well as the VM being created are Windows 10 Pro 1909.

Below you will find links to 2 videos:

Video #1: This is me creating the unattend.xml file from scratch. I show everything and omit nothing. I adhere strictly to the steps in the tutorial.

Video #2: This is Windows being installed up to the point noted in the tutorial, then booted into audit mode. Note that I make NOT ONE SINGLE CHANGE TO WINDOWS once it is installed. I simpy attach an ISO image that has the unattend.xml and the runonce.bat file and place them in the folders prescribed by the tutorial. A snapshot is taken in VMware (just in case I need to get back to this point) and the system is then syspreped.

IMPORTANT: At this point in time, the procedure would normally be to boot from install media, open a command prompt, and initiate the creation of an image of the sysprep install. However, you may note that after creating the image you boot the syspreped system normally so that you can retrieve the image from it. That syspreped system will go through OOBE ** Just like a system installed using the created image would **. Yes, I have tested and verified this. That process of creating the image takes a long time and is not necessary because the problem can be illustrated with the syspreped system just as well as a new install. The remainder of the video is this sytem being booted normally and upon first logon showing a series of "app default was reset" toast messages.

The free Microsoft HEVC codec is needed to view the videos in Windows. That is available here:

https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9N4WGH0Z6VHQ

The videos are available here:

Microsoft OneDrive - Access files anywhere. Create docs with free Office Online.