User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

Kari, I'm following your instructional to the T. I've tried it 3 times and each time, after I run the script and try to exit Audit mode I get the following Error Message as my machine tries to boot into Windows:

Install Windows

Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml] for pass [oobeSystem]. The settings specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing setting for component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup].

Once I get that error, there's no way for me to boot into windows, and I'm forced to reinstall again.

Is there a fix for this? Or is it something I'm doing wrong? Please help!

Hi Kari,

I'm stuck, tried your method of moving the USER folder over but no love. In the past I've been able to move a user folder following your guide but am having problems with this system.

My setup includes a C: drive (SSD) on Intel controller, two mirrored 3TB drives partitioned as GPT. The Intel controller is set to RAID so the SSD is on this as well. Does it matter as to the controller, i.e. Intel or Marvell? Does it matter if controller set to RAID? I've disabled the onboard Marvell controller.

Earlier you mentioned not formating drive D: prior to running the xml script in reply to another post. I hadn't tried that but well now. I've been going into Audit mode and partitioning Drive D: and formating it prior to running the xml code. Is the D: drive supposed to be unpartitioned when running the xml code? I'm guessing not as your example copied the xml file to the D: drive root directory prior to running.

Another thing I tried was disabling all the RAID drives and set the controller to AHCI and hooked up a single drive for the D: drive. I install Win 7 to the SSD and in AUDIT mode I create a partition on the single drive and assign drive letter D:. I make sure the DVD drive letter matches the XML code, the OS is "PROFESSIONAL" which is correct and it is a 64 bit OS so AMD64 is being used. I copied the source code to the root of drive D: and run the sysprep command. It closes out fine without error and reboots. Upon the second reboot the user files are created in the C: drive, and, newly created users are in the C: drive.

I am using Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM 64 bit. Now, this is a copy provided by the computer maker, which I think is a stock OEM DVD. Is it possible something on the install from that DVD is keeping it from working?

Thanks for your help!

Also, am wondering if there is a way after running the sysprep.exe command when it boots the 2nd time in to audit mode to check some way to see if it will actually create the User folder on the target drive? It'd be nice so you wouldn't have to boot into Out-of-box to see if it worked.

Btw - I redid the Win 7 install from scratch again without creating a partition on the D: drive and upon booting into normal mode the USER was on the C: drive and the 2nd harddrive wasn't partitioned or formatted so I answered part of my question in that the D: drive needs to be partitioned, if not formatted.

Btw - here is the script I'm using which I just checked again and seems to match up. Note - the Win 7 DVD is in drive F:.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64"
publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"
xmlns:wcm="Error"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<FolderLocations>
<ProfilesDirectory>d:\Users</ProfilesDirectory>
<ProgramData>d:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>
</component>
</settings>
<cpifflineImage cpi:source="wim:F:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL"
xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Also, this is the command I used to execute the xml file...

sysprep.exe /audit /reboot /unattend:c:\relocatepro.xml

I called it relocatepro.xml for Win 7 Professional. I'll make a separate one for Win 7 Home later.

OK - success! Apparently the included Windows 7 PRO DVD from the computer manufacturer is the cause of this not working. When I used a new OEM Windows 7 PRO SP1 DVD the USER folder transferred fine!!!!

Might want to include this little caveat with your guide.

Freaking out! I just built this cpu had win7ultimate x64 on SSD and Formatted WD 2TB HD All working and installed Anti-virus...then tried this but first time was not sure if you ment to make Folders called Users and program data on D first(and am not sure if I deleted before script ran), got distracted came back an ran script but I deleted Users and Program folder without even testing if.....well it seemed easy so I thought I would do a fresh install and do it again to make sure and got error script is already running (this may have had to do with the fact I forgot to take out usb drive with script an note pad commands?) Then forgot with SSD I was suppose to start at forums #22 So reinstalled for like the fourth time and ran it... what I had not knowticed is that my CD drive was D and Data drive was E tried to swich drive letters and run again then swich drive letters reinstall 7 and they come back the same and when I run cd \Windows\Sysprep32\sysprep I get cannot find sysprep or something how do I proceed...How do I Wipe SSD back to factory settings and then can I put in mother board cd and get main drivers on and start again?

Thank you Kari for a very thorough set of notes. Sorry if my question is basic - I am a complete novice when it comes to xml scripts, audit mode etc. As far as I can see the target drive - D: in your case - is not specified in the script, so is the target drive determined by where you place the xml file? So, I have a logical drive / partition "S:" which I want to house my user profile. Do I simply, load the xml file in the root of "S:" ? (I am aware of changes to the script to state my version of Windows. It is just the target drive I am trying to pin down). Tony

Thanks for the tutorial.

Should you end up having to reactivate Windows at the end of all this?? It asked for Product Key at some point when I created the temporary account thinking once I was back to my real or actual user account things would be back as they were (i.e., already activated).