Sysprep unattended join with Win7/S2008R2 failing

This started out as an issue trying to deploy out VM's through VMWare vCenter – they previously were working flawlessly and then after I applied a few Windows updates they stopped working so flawlessly… I eventually narrowed it down to sysprep, specifically when I tell it to unattend join the domain. It fails 9 times out of 10, and I can't figure out what specifically makes it fail/work. If I remove the Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin section, it seems to work fine (kind of defeats the purpose of an unattended join though 🙂 ). Below are relevant log and sysprep.xml entries. I've tried this hotfix from MS, I've made sure that there are no orhpaned ProfileList registry keys, I've tried placing the XML in c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml, according to the DHCP logs it is getting a lease, and wiresharking the machine shows that it was communicating with the domain controllers (a single ldap query for it's machine name) prior to bombing out… I don't know what else to check for 🙁 Any ideas?

C:\Windows\Panther\UnattendGC\setuperr.log

2010-10-20 09:17:49, Error [windeploy.exe] Setup.exe failed, returning exit code [0x1f]
2010-10-20 09:17:49, Error [windeploy.exe] Failure occured during online installation. Online installation cannot complete at this time.; hr = 0x80004005

C:\Windows\Panther\UnattendGC\setupact.log

2010-08-03 23:25:07, Info [windeploy.exe] ————————————————
2010-08-03 23:25:07, Info [windeploy.exe] WinDeploy.exe launched with command-line []…
2010-08-03 23:25:07, Info [windeploy.exe] Setup has not completed, adding pending reboot.
2010-08-03 23:25:07, Info [windeploy.exe] Found generalization state [0x4], setup.exe completion flag [False] –> launching setup.exe.
2010-08-03 23:25:07, Info [windeploy.exe] Launching [C:\Windows\system32\oobe\setup.exe]…
2010-08-03 23:26:29, Info [windeploy.exe] Process exited with exit code [0x0]
2010-08-03 23:26:29, Info [windeploy.exe] Found completion flag [True], reboot requested flag [True] –> rebooting computer before proceeding with deployment…
2010-08-03 23:26:29, Info [windeploy.exe] Making sure that SystemSetupInProgress is cleared.
2010-08-03 23:26:29, Info [windeploy.exe] An immediate reboot or shutdown was requested/required… rebooting / shutting down computer
2010-08-03 23:26:29, Info [windeploy.exe] Flushing registry to disk…
2010-08-03 23:26:30, Info [windeploy.exe] Flush took 1110 ms.
2010-08-03 23:26:30, Info [windeploy.exe] WinDeploy.exe exiting with code [0x0]
2010-08-03 23:27:11, Info [windeploy.exe] ————————————————
2010-08-03 23:27:11, Info [windeploy.exe] WinDeploy.exe launched with command-line []…
2010-08-03 23:27:11, Info [windeploy.exe] Making sure that SystemSetupInProgress is cleared.
2010-08-03 23:27:12, Info [windeploy.exe] Found no unattend file.
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [windeploy.exe] WinSAT assessment failed with error 80040154
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [windeploy.exe] Launching [C:\Windows\system32\oobe\oobeldr.exe /system]…
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] OOBELdr.exe launched with command-line [/system]…
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] OrchestrateUpdateImageState: Updating image state from [IMAGE_STATE_SPECIALIZE_RESEAL_TO_OOBE] –> [IMAGE_STATE_UNDEPLOYABLE]
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] Parsing command line arguments…
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] Parsing the following command line: [/system]
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] Status for unattend pass [oobeSystem] = 0x0
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] Found no unattend file for oobeSystem pass; skipping pass.
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] No reboot has been requested for oobeSystem unattend.
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] Successfully ran oobeSystem pass.
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [oobeldr.exe] Launching [C:\Windows\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe]…
2010-08-03 23:27:13, Info [msoobe.exe] Starting service sppsvc
2010-08-03 23:27:14, Info [msoobe.exe] Service sppsvc reports as running
2010-08-03 23:27:14, Info [msoobe.exe] Successfully created first boot reg key
2010-08-03 23:27:14, Info [msoobe.exe] Server, exiting…
2010-08-03 23:27:14, Info [msoobe.exe] Running mandatory tasks
2010-08-03 23:27:14, Info [msoobe.exe] Doing background work directly in MandatoryTasks; eType=1
2010-08-03 23:27:15, Info [msoobe.exe] Successfully installed product key
2010-08-03 23:27:15, Info [msoobe.exe] Starting service netprofm
2010-08-03 23:27:16, Info [msoobe.exe] Service netprofm reports as running
2010-08-03 23:27:16, Info [msoobe.exe] Successfully signalled event to start up services
2010-08-03 23:27:16, Info [msoobe.exe] Doing background work directly in MandatoryTasks; eType=0
2010-08-03 23:27:16, Info [msoobe.exe] Starting service Schedule
2010-08-03 23:27:18, Info [msoobe.exe] Service Schedule is already running
2010-08-03 23:27:18, Info [msoobe.exe] Successfully verified and committed UI language settings
2010-08-03 23:27:25, Info [msoobe.exe] Successfully notified UI language change
2010-08-03 23:27:25, Info [msoobe.exe] Successfully installed Windows Recovery Environment
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [msoobe.exe] Successfully removed administrator profile
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [msoobe.exe] Exiting mandatory tasks… [0x00000000]
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [msoobe.exe] Cleaning up background work
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [oobeldr.exe] OrchestrateUpdateImageState: Updating image state from [IMAGE_STATE_UNDEPLOYABLE] –> [IMAGE_STATE_COMPLETE]
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [oobeldr.exe] OOBELdr.exe exiting with code [0x0]…
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [windeploy.exe] Process exited with exit code [0x0]
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [0x090008] PANTHR CBlackboard::Open: C:\Windows\Panther\SetupInfo succeeded.
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [0x090009] PANTHR CBlackboard::Close: c:\windows\panther\setupinfo.
2010-08-03 23:27:26, Info [windeploy.exe] WinDeploy.exe exiting with code [0x0]
2010-10-20 09:15:35, Info [windeploy.exe] ————————————————
2010-10-20 09:15:35, Info [windeploy.exe] WinDeploy.exe launched with command-line []…
2010-10-20 09:15:35, Info [windeploy.exe] Setup has not completed, adding pending reboot.
2010-10-20 09:15:35, Info [windeploy.exe] Found generalization state [0x4], setup.exe completion flag [False] –> launching setup.exe.
2010-10-20 09:15:35, Info [windeploy.exe] Launching [C:\Windows\system32\oobe\setup.exe]…
2010-10-20 09:17:00, Info [windeploy.exe] ————————————————
2010-10-20 09:17:00, Info [windeploy.exe] WinDeploy.exe launched with command-line []…
2010-10-20 09:17:00, Info [windeploy.exe] Setup has not completed, adding pending reboot.
2010-10-20 09:17:00, Info [windeploy.exe] Found generalization state [0x4], setup.exe completion flag [False] –> launching setup.exe.
2010-10-20 09:17:00, Info [windeploy.exe] Launching [C:\Windows\system32\oobe\setup.exe]…
2010-10-20 09:17:49, Info [windeploy.exe] Process exited with exit code [0x1f]
2010-10-20 09:17:49, Error [windeploy.exe] Setup.exe failed, returning exit code [0x1f]
2010-10-20 09:17:49, Error [windeploy.exe] Failure occured during online installation. Online installation cannot complete at this time.; hr = 0x80004005
2010-10-20 09:17:49, Info [windeploy.exe] Flushing registry to disk…
2010-10-20 09:17:51, Info [windeploy.exe] Flush took 1938 ms.
2010-10-20 09:17:51, Info [windeploy.exe] WinDeploy.exe exiting with code [0x80004005]

C:\sysprep\Sysprep.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="generalize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep" 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">
<PersistAllDeviceInstalls>true</PersistAllDeviceInstalls>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<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>
<SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
<SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>
<ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
<NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
<HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
</OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
<AdministratorPassword>
<Value>EncryptedPassword</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</AdministratorPassword>
</UserAccounts>
</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">
<ComputerName>ComputerName</ComputerName>
<CopyProfile>false</CopyProfile>
<RegisteredOrganization>OrgName</RegisteredOrganization>
<RegisteredOwner>OrgName</RegisteredOwner>
<ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive>
<TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" 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">
<Identification>
<Credentials>
<Password>UnencryptedPass</Password>
<Username>unattendjoiner</Username>
<Domain>domain.com</Domain>
</Credentials>
<JoinDomain>domain.com</JoinDomain>
<DebugJoin>true</DebugJoin>
</Identification>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" 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">
<RunSynchronous>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Path>C:\sysprep\guestcustutil.exe cleanBootExecute</Path>
<Order>1</Order>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Path>C:\sysprep\guestcustutil.exe flagComplete</Path>
<Order>2</Order>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
<Path>C:\sysprep\guestcustutil.exe deleteContainingFolder</Path>
<Order>3</Order>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
</RunSynchronous>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>