Windows – WDS Creating answer file for boot.wim

deploymentmdt-2012wdswindowswindows-server-2008

I'm trying to get the final step of an unattend install working.

I have 2 images:

boot.wim

install.wim

I've added drivers to both, and the reference install wim works fine with included programs and everything. I've created an unattend.xml file for install.wim which sets locale, language, etc. That's all working fine. However, I still have to "attend" the install as the PXE > boot.wim image asks for language and partition stuff.

I'm trying to create another unattend.xml for the boot.wim file (which is ripped directly from OEM disk from sources folder), but in WSIM, when I add the boot.wim image to the image manager (Windows 7 Setup or PE), there is no amd64_Microsoft-Windows-Setup/ component and thereby can't set things like language, partitions, and select the install image.

There are limited options in the componenets folder mostly related to networking.

Am I missing something?

As an aside, now that I've got this mostly working, I came across MSFT Deployment Toolkit… It looks promising, but am hesitant to jump in after spending all of this time on WDS. Should I go ahead with it? Any big benefits?

Thanks.

EDIT:

So, I have 2 images

boot.wim <- ripped from /Sources of OEM CD
– does not have unattend.xml
– can boot from (can choose PE or Windows setup)
— PE only has option to capture, not install (if I remember correctly — was so many reboots ago at this point 😉

install.wim <- captured image from sysprepped machine with various programs installed
– has unattend.xml (which works once I get into it via boot.wim)
– can't boot

install.wim unattend.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <servicing></servicing>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="xxx" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <InputLocale>en-US</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="xxx" 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>
                <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
                <ProtectYourPC>2</ProtectYourPC>
            </OOBE>
            <UserAccounts>
                <AdministratorPassword>
                    <Value>password123lol==</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </AdministratorPassword>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <Value>passwart==</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                        <Description>Local Admin</Description>
                        <DisplayName>BOSS</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>Tony Danza</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
                <DomainAccounts>
                    <DomainAccountList wcm:action="add">
                        <Domain>allMyDomainsAreWorkgroups</Domain>
                    </DomainAccountList>
                </DomainAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="xxx" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <WindowsFeatures>
                <ShowMediaCenter>false</ShowMediaCenter>
                <ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>false</ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>
            </WindowsFeatures>
            <ComputerName>Fonz</ComputerName>
            <ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive>
            <ProductKey>1234</ProductKey>
            <RegisteredOrganization>Jim's Bob Store</RegisteredOrganization>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim://TI-86/reminst/images/install.wim#WIN7" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Best Answer

There is no WindowsPE pass in your unattend. The very first example in this article is an example of a WindowsPE pass for WDS that should help you get past those initial prompts for language and setting up the hard drive. If you continue using MDT, you don't have to set much of this in the unattend file, since you can do all of this in the Task Sequence, and using the MDT LiteTouch.wim files as your boot images in WDS will let you choose the Task Sequence upon PXE boot. More information on the WindowsPE pass can be found in this article.

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