Sysprep answer file

can I add them to the image before running sysprep, or would the generalize just wipe them away?

the key worked in the specialize pass. I have since taken it out while testing other settings so I don't keep using it, but that was the last place it worked before I added other things.

Awesome! That is good to know. It sounds like that will be the easiest way to add the drivers I need when it is time. Would you have any idea why I cant join the domain? mysysprep works and prompts me for a name, but it seems like the unattendjoin is not working at all. No errors though I'm just not on the domain.

fyi doing this in a VM is the only way to do it. it makes testing things out a breeze. I cant imagine how long it would have taken me to do it with ghost alone.

This is it with the key and passwords removed
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="specialize">
<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">
<TimeZone>Central Standard Time</TimeZone>
<CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile>
<ComputerName>%Computer Name%</ComputerName>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin" 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">
<Identification>
<Credentials>
<Domain>sxu.local</Domain>
<Password>*******</Password>
<Username>******</Username>
</Credentials>
<JoinDomain>SXU</JoinDomain>
</Identification>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<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">
<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
<NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
</OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
<LocalAccounts>
<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
<Password>
<Value>MQAzAHMAawBvAHAAMQAzAFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Description>InfoTech</Description>
<DisplayName>InfoTech</DisplayName>
<Name>InfoTech</Name>
<Group>Administrator</Group>
</LocalAccount>
<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
<Password>
<Value>MAA5AE4AZQBFAGgAMAA5AFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Description>servicetemp</Description>
<DisplayName>servicetemp</DisplayName>
<Name>servicetemp</Name>
<Group>Administrator</Group>
</LocalAccount>
</LocalAccounts>
</UserAccounts>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" 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">
<InputLocale>en-us</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>en-us</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>en-us</UILanguage>
<UILanguageFallback>en-us</UILanguageFallback>
<UserLocale>en-us</UserLocale>
</component>
</settings>
<cpifflineImage cpi:source="catalog://dw-s119-pasch/esources/install_windows 7 professional.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Well guys thanks to your help I have been able to successfully create an image. Now I have a few things I would like to get working in it that I'm hoping you might be able to help with.

Logo:
I was trying to change the default user icon from the flower thing, to our logo. I was able to replace the original flower icon with our logo, and I even changed its name to match hoping Windows wouldn't notice the change and just display my file rather than the yellow flower, but after imaging it somehow goes back to the flower file. Any Ideas?

Browser Home Pages:
I set them up in my image to be our page, but after imaging they go back to the downloaded default. Bookmarks and popup blocker settings stayed, but not the home page.

And I'm sure there are more things, but I am yet to find them.

Thanks again for all of your help guys. This truely is THE place for win7 info

At what point would I modify the .wim? Would this be done before I install windows for the first time (and thus before any updates or changes made to the image) or is this something I can do after everything is already made? I had planed to use ghost to deploy the images, and at this point I am nearly done except for these somewhat minor changed.