{"id":1402,"date":"2011-06-17T06:59:43","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T04:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ubuntu-vm.networknet.nl\/networknet.nl\/apps\/wp\/?p=1402"},"modified":"2011-06-29T17:56:44","modified_gmt":"2011-06-29T15:56:44","slug":"windows-7-how-to-use-autounattend-xml-and-deploy-the-os","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.networknet.nl\/apps\/wp\/archives\/1402","title":{"rendered":"Windows 7: how to use Autounattend.xml and deploy the OS?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deploying Windows 7 in an enterprise requires more then just installing the systems from a dvd media. With Windows 7 you can use an answer file<\/strong> to configure Windows settings during installation process. The XML answer file will contain all of the settings that are required for an unattended installation. The ultimate goal during the installation is that we are not be prompted with user interface interaction.<\/p>\n

What is a unattended answer file?<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

An “answer file” is an XML-based file that contains setting definitions and values to use during Windows\u00a0Setup. In an answer file, you specify various setup options, including how to partition disks, the location of the Windows image to install, and the product key to apply. You can also specify values that apply to the Windows installation, such as the names of user accounts, display settings, and Internet Explorer Favorites. The answer file for Setup is typically called Autounattend.xml or Unattend.xml.<\/p>\n

Answer files created in Windows System Image Manager (Windows\u00a0SIM) are associated with a particular Windows image. This enables you to validate the settings in the answer file to the settings available in the Windows image. However, because any answer file can be used to install any Windows image, if there are settings in the answer file for components that do not exist in the Windows image, those settings are ignored.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

I am creating an answer file using Windows System Image Manager (SIM), a utility for creating and modifying unattended answer files. Below I am sharing a sample Autounattend.xml<\/strong> answer file that includes basic Windows Setup configuration and minimum Windows Welcome customizations.<\/p>\n

The Autounattend.xml <\/strong>is generated using different component settings areas. Component setting are the configurable aspects of each component in a Windows 7 installation for unattended setup. The following components I am using for the sample file:<\/p>\n

Windows PE: Component – Microsoft-Windows-Setup<\/h5>\n
Wipe the disk, create new primary partition, extend the partition with formatting and install Windows 7. Accept the Microsoft EULA and use my full name and company.<\/span><\/div>\n
Windows PE: Component – Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE<\/h5>\n
I am specifying the default language, locale, and other international settings to use during Windows\u00a0Setup. In this step you can define other language options. I used this step to define Dutch, German, Japanese and Chinese settings during my deployment!<\/span><\/div>\n
Specialize: Component – Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup<\/h5>\n
Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup contains elements and settings that control how the shell of the Windows operating system. I am using this step to define my time zone. Also this step is important if you want to provide the ComputerName<\/strong>. I am not using this phase now but I will do that later on with Sysprep.<\/span><\/div>\n
Specialize: Component – Microsoft-Windows-Deployment<\/h5>\n
Out of the box installation of Windows 7 disables the Administrator <\/strong>account and prompts you to provide a name for the default admin account. In this step I am enabling the local Administrator<\/strong> account. This is the old way using the net.exe command. You can also add additional commands to run other actions.<\/span><\/div>\n
oobeSystem: Component – Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup<\/h5>\n
The oobeSystem pass configures settings that are applied during the first-boot experience for end users. I am providing default settings and also hiding the steps. I will also add a new local Administrator <\/strong>account here. The password is password2011<\/strong>. Please make sure you modify the password at some point if using my sample file!<\/span><\/div>\n

Autounattend.xml<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>\r\n<unattend xmlns=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend\">\r\n    <settings pass=\"windowsPE\">\r\n        <component name=\"Microsoft-Windows-Setup\" processorArchitecture=\"x86\" publicKeyToken=\"31bf3856ad364e35\" language=\"neutral\" versionScope=\"nonSxS\" xmlns:wcm=\"http:\/\/schemas.microsoft.com\/WMIConfig\/2002\/State\" xmlns:xsi=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2001\/XMLSchema-instance\">\r\n            <DiskConfiguration>\r\n                <Disk wcm:action=\"add\">\r\n                    <CreatePartitions>\r\n                        <CreatePartition wcm:action=\"add\">\r\n                            <Order>1<\/Order>\r\n                            <Extend>true<\/Extend>\r\n                            <Type>Primary<\/Type>\r\n                        <\/CreatePartition>\r\n                    <\/CreatePartitions>\r\n                    <ModifyPartitions>\r\n                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action=\"add\">\r\n                            <Active>true<\/Active>\r\n                            <Format>NTFS<\/Format>\r\n                            <Label>LocalWin7HDD<\/Label>\r\n                            <Letter>C<\/Letter>\r\n                            <Order>1<\/Order>\r\n                            <PartitionID>1<\/PartitionID>\r\n                        <\/ModifyPartition>\r\n                    <\/ModifyPartitions>\r\n                    <DiskID>0<\/DiskID>\r\n                    <WillWipeDisk>true<\/WillWipeDisk>\r\n                <\/Disk>\r\n                <WillShowUI>OnError<\/WillShowUI>\r\n            <\/DiskConfiguration>\r\n            <ImageInstall>\r\n                <OSImage>\r\n                    <InstallTo>\r\n                        <DiskID>0<\/DiskID>\r\n                        <PartitionID>1<\/PartitionID>\r\n                    <\/InstallTo>\r\n                    <WillShowUI>OnError<\/WillShowUI>\r\n                <\/OSImage>\r\n            <\/ImageInstall>\r\n            <UserData>\r\n                <AcceptEula>true<\/AcceptEula>\r\n                <Organization>Networknet<\/Organization>\r\n                <FullName>Networknet<\/FullName>\r\n            <\/UserData>\r\n        <\/component>\r\n        <component name=\"Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE\" processorArchitecture=\"x86\" publicKeyToken=\"31bf3856ad364e35\" language=\"neutral\" versionScope=\"nonSxS\" xmlns:wcm=\"http:\/\/schemas.microsoft.com\/WMIConfig\/2002\/State\" xmlns:xsi=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2001\/XMLSchema-instance\">\r\n            <SetupUILanguage>\r\n            <UILanguage>en-US <\/UILanguage>\r\n            <\/SetupUILanguage>\r\n            <InputLocale>en-US <\/InputLocale>\r\n            <SystemLocale>en-US <\/SystemLocale>\r\n            <UILanguage>en-US <\/UILanguage>\r\n            <UILanguageFallback>en-US <\/UILanguageFallback>\r\n            <UserLocale>en-US <\/UserLocale>\r\n        <\/component>\r\n    <\/settings>\r\n    <settings pass=\"specialize\">\r\n        <component name=\"Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup\" processorArchitecture=\"x86\" publicKeyToken=\"31bf3856ad364e35\" language=\"neutral\" versionScope=\"nonSxS\" xmlns:wcm=\"http:\/\/schemas.microsoft.com\/WMIConfig\/2002\/State\" xmlns:xsi=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2001\/XMLSchema-instance\">\r\n            <TimeZone>W. Europe Standard Time<\/TimeZone>\r\n            <ComputerName><\/ComputerName>\r\n        <\/component>\r\n        <component name=\"Microsoft-Windows-Deployment\" processorArchitecture=\"x86\" publicKeyToken=\"31bf3856ad364e35\" language=\"neutral\" versionScope=\"nonSxS\" xmlns:wcm=\"http:\/\/schemas.microsoft.com\/WMIConfig\/2002\/State\" xmlns:xsi=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2001\/XMLSchema-instance\">\r\n            <RunSynchronous>\r\n                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action=\"add\">\r\n                    <Description>Enable Administrator account<\/Description>\r\n                    <Path>net user administrator \/active:yes<\/Path>\r\n                    <Order>1<\/Order>\r\n                <\/RunSynchronousCommand>\r\n            <\/RunSynchronous>\r\n        <\/component>\r\n    <\/settings>\r\n    <settings pass=\"oobeSystem\">\r\n        <component name=\"Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup\" processorArchitecture=\"x86\" publicKeyToken=\"31bf3856ad364e35\" language=\"neutral\" versionScope=\"nonSxS\" xmlns:wcm=\"http:\/\/schemas.microsoft.com\/WMIConfig\/2002\/State\" xmlns:xsi=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2001\/XMLSchema-instance\">\r\n            <OOBE>\r\n                <ProtectYourPC>1<\/ProtectYourPC>\r\n                <NetworkLocation>Work<\/NetworkLocation>\r\n                <HideEULAPage>true<\/HideEULAPage>\r\n                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true<\/HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>\r\n            <\/OOBE>\r\n            <UserAccounts>\r\n                <LocalAccounts>\r\n                    <LocalAccount wcm:action=\"add\">\r\n                        <Password>\r\n                            <Value>cABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADIAMAAxADEAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==<\/Value>\r\n                            <PlainText>false<\/PlainText>\r\n                        <\/Password>\r\n                        <Name>administrator<\/Name>\r\n                        <Group>administrators<\/Group>\r\n                        <DisplayName>administrator<\/DisplayName>\r\n                        <Description>Default Administrator Account<\/Description>\r\n                    <\/LocalAccount>\r\n                <\/LocalAccounts>\r\n            <\/UserAccounts>\r\n        <\/component>\r\n    <\/settings>\r\n    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source=\"catalog:c:\/vm-backup\/win7-enterprise\/sources\/install_windows 7 enterprise.clg\" xmlns:cpi=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi\" \/>\r\n<\/unattend><\/pre>\n
Create the Autounattend.xml answer file<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n