User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

Kari · 14 Feb 2013

No, you don't lose installed program but you lose Windows Activation so you need to have a legal, valid product key to re-activate.

Threepwood · 16 Feb 2013

jvidamins said:

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!

It seems it's my first post here so hello to everyone

I've had the same problem as mentioned above. I think the problem was with drive's letters. I did install Win7 with C and D partitions, my CD/DVD drive was on E but the Win7 install disk was on F and after last reboot my system probably switched my USB stick drive letter to E so, after a couple of installs, before booting to OOBE I just made a directory "win7" on D drive, copied all files and folders from usb stick to it, changed the path in XML script and... voila, everything went ok! :)

Kari · 16 Feb 2013

Hi Threepwood, welcome to the Seven Forums.

Yes, that error message normally means exactly that: absolute paths to either new folder locations or to install.wim are not correct.

Your workaround is elegant! I have done it by going to Disk Maintenance in Audit Mode and changing CD/DVD and / or USB drive letters there; when done, Windows remembers these drive letters also after reboot.

Kari

Camera · 16 Feb 2013

Kari - excellent guide
Just one question from a newbie. The line which reads "processorArchitecture ="amd64"
Is that the same regardless of whether the actual processor is amd or intel?

Thanks
Dave

Kari · 16 Feb 2013

Hi Camera, welcome to the Seven Forums.

Yes, it's the same:

Installing Windows x64 on any 64 bit PC > processorArchitecture = amd64
Installing Windows x86 on any 32 or 64 bit PC > processorArchitecture = x86
Installing Windows x86 on any Itanium PC > processorArchitecture = ia64
- (Itanium no longer supported on Windows 8)

Kari

Camera · 16 Feb 2013

Brilliant thanks - just completing an install on a new build. Thanks for the very quick response - I should get set up on two partitions from the outset

Kari · 16 Feb 2013

Here something to read before install: An Old School Geek’s approach to Installing & Setting Up a Windows PC

Camera · 16 Feb 2013

Thanks
I think I got most of the steps in that guide. Your profiles script worked brilliantly (once I corrected my typos)

Parman · 17 Feb 2013

Kari
Currently I'm using 2 128gb ssds with this. Do you think I will see huge performance decrease if I change the ssd to hhd? I think I might put that sad in another system.

Kari · 18 Feb 2013

Parman said:

Do you think I will see huge performance decrease if I change the ssd to hhd? I think I might put that sad in another system.

In my opinion no. The most time consuming tasks alongside with Windows boot is the application startups, it won't take so long then to get documents open from secondary disk.

This of course only my personal opinion.

Kari