Unattended.xml

When the Sysprep is run and the /unattend:X:\MyAnswerFile switch is not used (X:\MyAnswerFile = path to your answer file), Sysprep looks if the folder C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep contains an answer file unattend.xml. If not, Sysprep will be run without an answer file.

In other words, if you name your answer file as unattend.xml and save it to C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep folder, it will be used. If you name it anything else, or if you place it to any other location, you have to use the /unattend:X:\MyAnswerFile switch.

Example 1: An answer file called unattend.xml saved in C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep folder, this command would run Sysprep using that answer file, rebooting to OOBE mode:

Code:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /reboot

The /unattend switch was not needed because Sysprep found an answer file with default name in default location.

Example 2: An answer file called MyAnswerFile.xml saved in X:\AnswerFiles folder, this command would run Sysprep using that answer file, rebooting to OOBE mode:

Code:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /reboot /unattend:X:\AnswerFiles\MyAnswerFile.xml

The answer file will remain intact and after the OOBE it can be found where you had stored it if your answer file does not specifically tell Sysprep to remove it when ready.

The folder C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther contains logs of all Sysprep runs, nothing else.

Kari