Windows 7 Answer File Inconsistent – 32bit vs 64bit

BCressman · 22 Jan 2016

I am having difficulty with my deployment images for 64 bit system as it does not appear to provide the answers correctly in a 64 bit environment but does work as I intend on 32 bit systems.
I am not using the full toolset from WAIK, in particular no WSIM tools are in play. I instead used a web resource to build an initial answer file and modified it until it behaved the way I was intending. I used the answer file initially created at the http://windowsafg.no-ip.org/ website.
This answer file has all of the same components/settings defined for both 32 bit (x86) and 64 bit (amd64) sections throughout, so I am expecting my first boot experience to be the same regardless of the OS architecture. They are not behaving the same.
My 32 Bit systems come up and only prompt for the COMPUTERNAME and Time/Timezone information which is all I want. Everything else is incorporated into my image file and the answer file.
My 64 Bit systems come up and go through all of the first boot prompting, including username, computername, locale, language, location, passwords, Windows Update settings, network location. My 64 Bit systems are behaving as if I have no answer file at all. I need it to prompt for the same information as my 32 Bit systems, just Computername and Time/Timezone.
My images are all prepared the same way with the same tools. The only difference is the partition size for my SystemReserved partition as my 32 bit systems use a 100MB partition and my 64 bit systems use a 1GB partition. I use the same DiskPart command line in order to prepare the partitions and format them to receive the WIM image files. I use DISM command line to apply the image files to these partitions. I use the same SYSPREP command line to prepare the master image. (Sysprep /oobe /shutdown /unattend:C:\Temp\Unattend3(public).xml …. Or …. Sysprep /oobe /generalize /shutdown /unattend:C:\Temp\Unattend3(public).xml).
How do I fix this answer file?
(Answer File contents listed below)

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
  <settings pass="windowsPE">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <SetupUILanguage>
        <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      </SetupUILanguage>
      <InputLocale>1033:00000409</InputLocale>
      <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" 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">
      <SetupUILanguage>
        <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      </SetupUILanguage>
      <InputLocale>1033:00000409</InputLocale>
      <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <Diagnostics>
        <OptIn>false</OptIn>
      </Diagnostics>
      <DiskConfiguration>
        <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
        <Disk wcm:action="add">
          <DiskID>0</DiskID>
          <WillWipeDisk>false</WillWipeDisk>
          <CreatePartitions>
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>1</Order>
              <Type>Primary</Type>
              <Size>100</Size>
            </CreatePartition>
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>2</Order>
              <Type>Primary</Type>
              <Extend>true</Extend>
            </CreatePartition>
          </CreatePartitions>
          <ModifyPartitions>
            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Format>NTFS</Format>
              <Label>System Reserved</Label>
              <Order>1</Order>
              <Active>true</Active>
              <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
              <TypeID>0x27</TypeID>
            </ModifyPartition>
            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Active>true</Active>
              <Format>NTFS</Format>
              <Label>OS</Label>
              <Letter>C</Letter>
              <Order>2</Order>
              <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
            </ModifyPartition>
          </ModifyPartitions>
        </Disk>
      </DiskConfiguration>
      <ImageInstall>
        <OSImage>
          <InstallTo>
            <DiskID>0</DiskID>
            <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
          </InstallTo>
          <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
          <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition>
        </OSImage>
      </ImageInstall>
      <UserData>
        <AcceptEula>false</AcceptEula>
        <FullName>MyUser</FullName>
        <Organization></Organization>
      </UserData>
      <EnableFirewall>true</EnableFirewall>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-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">
      <Diagnostics>
        <OptIn>false</OptIn>
      </Diagnostics>
      <DiskConfiguration>
        <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
        <Disk wcm:action="add">
          <DiskID>0</DiskID>
          <WillWipeDisk>false</WillWipeDisk>
          <CreatePartitions>
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>1</Order>
              <Type>Primary</Type>
              <Size>100</Size>
            </CreatePartition>
            <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
              <Order>2</Order>
              <Type>Primary</Type>
              <Extend>true</Extend>
            </CreatePartition>
          </CreatePartitions>
          <ModifyPartitions>
            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Format>NTFS</Format>
              <Label>System Reserved</Label>
              <Order>1</Order>
              <Active>true</Active>
              <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
              <TypeID>0x27</TypeID>
            </ModifyPartition>
            <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
              <Active>true</Active>
              <Format>NTFS</Format>
              <Label>OS</Label>
              <Letter>C</Letter>
              <Order>2</Order>
              <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
            </ModifyPartition>
          </ModifyPartitions>
        </Disk>
      </DiskConfiguration>
      <ImageInstall>
        <OSImage>
          <InstallTo>
            <DiskID>0</DiskID>
            <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
          </InstallTo>
          <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
          <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition>
        </OSImage>
      </ImageInstall>
      <UserData>
        <AcceptEula>false</AcceptEula>
        <FullName>MyUser</FullName>
        <Organization></Organization>
      </UserData>
      <EnableFirewall>true</EnableFirewall>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="generalize">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <SkipRearm>1</SkipRearm>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="generalize">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP" 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">
      <SkipRearm>1</SkipRearm>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="specialize">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" 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">
      <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"></component>
    <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"></component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="oobeSystem">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" 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>1033:00000409</InputLocale>
      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
    </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>1033:00000409</InputLocale>
      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <RegisteredOwner>MyUser</RegisteredOwner>
      <OOBE>
        <HideEULAPage>false</HideEULAPage>
        <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
        <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
        <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
        <SkipMachineOOBE>false</SkipMachineOOBE>
        <SkipUserOOBE>false</SkipUserOOBE>
      </OOBE>
      <DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>false</DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>
      <FirstLogonCommands>
        <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
          <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
          <Order>1</Order>
          <Description>Disable Auto Updates</Description>
          <CommandLine>reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update" /v AUOptions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f</CommandLine>
        </SynchronousCommand>
      </FirstLogonCommands>
      <AutoLogon>
        <Password>
          <Value>MyAdminPassword</Value>
          <PlainText>true</PlainText>
        </Password>
        <Enabled>true</Enabled>
        <Username>MyUser</Username>
      </AutoLogon>
      <UserAccounts>
        <LocalAccounts>
          <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
            <Password>
              <Value>MyAdminPassword</Value>
              <PlainText>true</PlainText>
            </Password>
            <Description></Description>
            <DisplayName>MyUser</DisplayName>
            <Group>Administrators</Group>
            <Name>MyUser</Name>
          </LocalAccount>
        </LocalAccounts>
      </UserAccounts>
    </component>
    <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">
      <RegisteredOwner>MyUser</RegisteredOwner>
      <OOBE>
        <HideEULAPage>false</HideEULAPage>
        <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
        <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
        <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
        <SkipMachineOOBE>false</SkipMachineOOBE>
        <SkipUserOOBE>false</SkipUserOOBE>
      </OOBE>
      <DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>false</DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>
      <FirstLogonCommands>
        <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
          <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>
          <Order>1</Order>
          <Description>Disable Auto Updates</Description>
          <CommandLine>reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update" /v AUOptions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f</CommandLine>
        </SynchronousCommand>
      </FirstLogonCommands>
      <AutoLogon>
        <Password>
          <Value>MyAdminPassword</Value>
          <PlainText>true</PlainText>
        </Password>
        <Enabled>true</Enabled>
        <Username>MyUser</Username>
      </AutoLogon>
      <UserAccounts>
        <LocalAccounts>
          <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
            <Password>
              <Value>MyAdminPassword</Value>
              <PlainText>true</PlainText>
            </Password>
            <Description></Description>
            <DisplayName>MyUser</DisplayName>
            <Group>Administrators</Group>
            <Name>MyUser</Name>
          </LocalAccount>
        </LocalAccounts>
      </UserAccounts>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="offlineServicing">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-LUA-Settings" processorArchitecture="x86" 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>true</EnableLUA>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <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>true</EnableLUA>
    </component>
  </settings>
</unattend>

Kari · 31 Jan 2016

To start with, I have to say that personally I do not see a single reason to use a third party tool to do something for which Microsoft provides excellent native tools. For me the only way to create an answer file is to do it in Windows System Image Manager.

Please do not take the above wrong, each and every geek has his / her own methods. I'm old school, I will only use third party tools if native ones are not available.

That being said, I do not wonder why your x64 deployment does not work; quite an opposite, I am wondering how you got the x86 deployment to work!

This extract from a TechNet article at https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/...v=ws.10).aspx:

Creating Architecture-Specific Sections for Each Configuration Pass in an Answer File

If you are performing cross-platform deployments, do not duplicate components for different architecture types in an answer file. If there are multiple components that apply to different architecture types in an answer file, there may be instances when the settings in the components are applied more than once, or are incorrectly applied.

For cross-platform deployments, you should create architecture-specific settings for each configuration pass in an answer file. For example, for a 32-bit preinstallation environment and a 64-bit destination computer, you should specify only x86-based components in the windowsPE configuration pass, and x64-based components in all other configuration passes.

Yes, I agree: that could be interpreted in several ways. However, to be sure that your deployment works, you need to use separate answer files for the x86 image deployment, and another for the x64 images.

Your answer file is correct containing no errors. It should work as is on x64 deployment when you remove all x86 references, and vice versa.

My recommendation, other geeks might suggest something else: Use Windows SIM and an x64 image to create an x64 specific answer file, and an x86 image to create an x86 specific answer file.

Kari

BCressman · 22 Feb 2016

Kari,

I appreciate your feedback and did create an answer file with just the x64 components referenced. This did not work as expected. I was prompted for all information as if I had no answer file at all.

Your suggestion to set up a reference machine and utilize the Windows System Image Manager to generate my answer file. While I may have to resort to this method as required. Hopefully I can then at least create an answer file that will respond properly in a 64 bit environment.

Please correct me if I am wrong as I have only investigated WSIM briefly and may have come to inaccurate conclusions. It seems that WSIM is intended for a deployment model where I have common system setup and program installation/configuration that is deployed to a variety of different hardware platforms. It will allow me to create a single image with all my Office software and other productivity tools installed and through WSIM, I can create a single image that could be deployed to various HP, Dell and any other system.

My environment is very different. I setup POS (point of sale) systems and my requirement is for a variety of software configurations and installations that are all different but run on the same hardware platform. This allows us to limit the time and skill set required in order to service our systems in production environments. A have a handful of images that all run on NCR 82XRT hardware but some have just the POS application installed, some have different banking software for different bank interfaces, others may also have fuel/pump controller software installed. Each of these configurations requires a separate image as I am unable to script the software deployment/configurations.

At the end of the day, I still have this problem that my 64bit systems do not prompt for the Comptuername and Timezone only, they go through all standard prompts which has lead to deployment issues.

Any other suggestions before I setup my reference systems and WSIM?

Brent