Unattend - Disable UAC, Install Reg files, etc.

Hello mate, you may find this interesting.

Elevated Program Shortcut without UAC Prompt - Create

This will disable the UAC

Code:

 <settings pass="offlineServicing">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-LUA-Settings" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <EnableLUA>false</EnableLUA>
        </component>
    </settings>

   Note

Change processorArchitecture to x86 if its a 32 bit installation

   Tip

See if this will help

It would be "x86" without quotes.

It would be amd64 if you were installing installing a 64-bit Windows 7

Code:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
   <RunSynchronous>
       <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
          <Order>1</Order>
          <Path>reg import c:\RegFile.reg</Path>
          <Description>Import Reg File</Description>
          <WillReboot>Never</WillReboot>
       </RunSynchronousCommand>
    </RunSynchronous>
</component>

Or

Code:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment"  processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"  language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"  xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
   <RunAsynchronous>
       <RunAsynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
          <Order>1</Order>
          <Path>reg import c:\RegFile.reg</Path>
          <Description>Import Reg File</Description>
       </RunAsynchronousCommand>
    </RunAsynchronous>
</component>

Need to change the bold text, the order controls the order if you are running more than one command. Will Reboot can be Always, Never or If Required, I think.

These will work from the "windowsPE", "specialize" or the "auditUser" passes I believe, depending on the reg files to where you will run them from but I would recommend the "oobeSystem". HKCU tweaks should probably not be ran any earlier as no account is set up other than the built in Admin which I believe is deleted or restored to it's default state after the audit passes are completed, unless you create a account during an ealier pass which then I don't know if it'll work or not.

For the "oobeSystem" pass you need to use

Code:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup"  processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"  language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"  xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
   <FirstLogonCommands>
       <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
          <Order>1</Order>
          <CommandLine>reg import c:\RegFile.reg</CommandLine>
          <Description>Import Reg File</Description>
       </SynchronousCommand>
   </FirstLogonCommands>
</component>

RunSynchronousCommand's must be enclosed between <RunSynchronous> and </RunSynchronous> but you can run as many "RunSynchronousCommand" as you like or run a single batch file, whichever is easiest. Same goes with RunAsynchronousCommand's. For oobe SynchronousCommand's they must between <FirstLogonCommands> and </FirstLogonCommands> but again run as many as you like. Another words there should only be one open and close <RunSynchronous>, <RunAsynchronous> and <FirstLogonCommands> per pass but there can be as many as you like of "RunSynchronousCommand", "RunAsynchronousCommand" and "SynchronousCommand" between them.

There's some restrictions on the passes things can run during and all my info may not be accurate as it has been a while since I created my unattended file so I would recommend downloading the Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7 which includes Windows System Image Manager and documentation that has all the settings, restrictions and help you should need.

Or at least download just the documentation - Download Windows AIK for Windows 7 documentation (May 2010 update) from Official Microsoft Download Center

Yes, during the "oobeSystem" pass. You can run just about anything using any of them, it's just more or less whether Windows is ready to accept the command. RunSynchronousCommand's and SynchronousCommand's work the same just during different passes only I can't remember if SynchronousCommand's accept the WillReboot field.

A little more info.
The above two commands will halt Windows setup and run each command in order and may cause setup to halt if any command returns certain errorlevels but RunAsynchronousCommand's will continue Windows setup while running the commands in the background. Something like that anyway.

And I forgot to remind you to change processorArchitecture="amd64" like I'm guessing you did earlier and if you already have the component name in your xml then you don't need to add the first or last lines just put the rest between them.

I've uploaded mine for reference, I don't know if they'll help or confuse you though.
You'll read something about HKCU tweaks during the auditUser pass but they are not actually applied there they are being loaded into the RunOnce key in the default user profile so they are applied to all new user accounts (not that I've needed to create any additional accounts yet ).