Create media for automated unattended install of Windows 10  

I'm beginning to hate this custom build stuff.

Just went through (twice) to create a Windows 10 Home X64 for UEFI. Win10 Home 18362.239 X64 1903.
Both time I get to the same point and get these errors:


After I click OK I get this error repeatedly.


As you can see I used diskpart to look at the partitions and they look correct for a UEFI install (turns out you can use Shift+F10 anywhere after the first windows pops up, pretty neat).

I also checked and unattend.xml is in C:\Windows\system32\sysprep where it should be. This is what it looks like (from 7-zip inside install.wim):

unattend.xml

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" 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">
            <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-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">
            <OOBE>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
                <UnattendEnableRetailDemo>false</UnattendEnableRetailDemo>
            </OOBE>
            <UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Description>Main local login</Description>
                        <DisplayName>Owner</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>Owner</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <RegisteredOwner>ACTS</RegisteredOwner>
            <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-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">
            <OEMInformation>
                <Manufacturer>ACTS</Manufacturer>
            </OEMInformation>
            <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
            <OEMName>ACTS</OEMName>
            <RegisteredOrganization>ACTS</RegisteredOrganization>
            <RegisteredOwner>Owner</RegisteredOwner>
            <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog://desktop/lenovo_gcustom_os/oscdimage_source/sources/install_windows 10 Home.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Any idea what I did wrong this time? Incredibly frustrating as I thought I had a good feel for this, now I'm back to square one. No idea what is wrong and no idea how to fix it.

The only thing I seem to have right is the autounattend.xml part which setup the partitions correctly.

Ztruker said:

Any idea what I did wrong this time? Incredibly frustrating as I thought I had a good feel for this, now I'm back to square one. No idea what is wrong and no idea how to fix it.

The only thing I seem to have right is the autounattend.xml part which setup the partitions correctly.

I copied your answer file, mounted Windows 10 Home image, applied your answer file (tutorial) without any whatsoever changes.

Installed on Generation 2 Hyper-V VM (UEFI / GPT). Had no issues, installation went smoothly, OOBE was fully automated and finished here, as it should:

hsehestedt said:

I think that this line should look like this:

Code:

<InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>

Currently, you have it set to this:

Code:

<InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>

All locales can be given in hex values xxxx:YYYYYYYY, or as xx-YY (x is the language and Y is the region). It is absolutely the same if for instance US English InputLocale (keyboard layout) is given as 0409:00000409 or en-US.

Complete list of locales: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/win...language-packs

Kari

Hmmm, I'm using Oracle VB. Tried vdi and vhd, same error with both. I'll nuke the VM and start again since the xml is good.
I'll go with MBR first and if that works then try GPT.

Thanks you both.

hsehestedt, I'm using your usbcreate.bat file with the attrib commands REMmed out and it works a treat. Takes a couple minuts tomake the USB 2 partition flash drive.

hsehestedt said:

I have a 54 page document that I've created for myself, largely based upon all your tutorials, that covers nothing but unattended installation topics. I've just updated it to make a note of that point

The misunderstanding was / is my fault. To show that both expressions can be used in locale values, I've always used one hex value xxxx:YYYYYYYY in my answer file samples, writing the rest of them in xx:YY format.

The thing is, I've never explained why I have done it like that. Completely my mistake, I should have explained it.

Kari

Multiple attempts, same failure. UEFI/MPB or UEFI/GPT.

Kari, how did you plug in my unattend.xml? Did you use 7-Zip to edit the install.wim and delete what was there in Windows\system32\sysprep then add mine or did you actually gen a new install.wim?

I'm at the point now where all I have left is a bad install.wim. Everything else has been validated. I'll try once more to gen a new one starting with a clean install ow Win 10 Home X64 on a new Oracle VB VM. I'll use a VHD instead of a VDI this time though it shouldn't make any difference.