Windows cannot parse the answer file's <diskconfiguration> setting

[vlakarmis]

Windows cannot parse the answer file's <diskconfiguration> setting

Hello,

I am currently studying to take the 70-680 in a week's time and am trying to build an answer file. Having done so and included in in the root directory of my Windows 7 USB installation disk, i get the following error: Windows cannot parse the answer file's <diskconfiguration> setting.

Here is what my answer file looks like:


<?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="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>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<UILanguage>en-uk</UILanguage>
</SetupUILanguage>
<InputLocale>en-uk</InputLocale>
<SystemLocale>en-uk</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>en-uk</UILanguage>
<UserLocale>en-uk</UserLocale>
</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">
<DiskConfiguration>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<Disk wcm:action="add">
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Size>15000</Size>
<Type>Primary</Type>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
<Active>true</Active>
<Extend>false</Extend>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Label>OS_install</Label>
<Letter>C</Letter>
<Order>1</Order>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
<TypeID></TypeID>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>
<ImageInstall>
<OSImage>
<InstallTo>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</InstallTo>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<InstallToAvailablePartition>true</InstallToAvailablePartition>
</OSImage>
</ImageInstall>
<UserData>
<ProductKey>
<Key>CQBVJ-9J697-PWB9R-4K7W4-2BT4J</Key>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
</ProductKey>
<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
<FullName>Test User</FullName>
<Organization>Testing</Organization>
</UserData>
<EnableFirewall>true</EnableFirewall>
<EnableNetwork>true</EnableNetwork>
<LogPath>C:\</LogPath>
<Restart>Restart</Restart>
<UseConfigurationSet>true</UseConfigurationSet>
</component>
</settings>
<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">
<AutoLogon>
<Password>
<Value>TQBpAHIAawB3AG8AbwBkADEAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Domain>Corp.poshcleaning.com</Domain>
<Enabled>true</Enabled>
<LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
<Username>VM1</Username>
</AutoLogon>
</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>
<NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
<ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
</OOBE>
<BluetoothTaskbarIconEnabled>true</BluetoothTaskbarIconEnabled>
<DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>false</DisableAutoDaylightTimeSet>
<DoNotCleanTaskBar>true</DoNotCleanTaskBar>
<ShowWindowsLive>true</ShowWindowsLive>
<StartPanelOff>true</StartPanelOff>
<TimeZone>GMT</TimeZone>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="offlineServicing">
<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">
<OEMInformation>
<HelpCustomized>false</HelpCustomized>
<Manufacturer>Dream Catcher Design</Manufacturer>
<Model></Model>
<SupportHours>10:00 - 18:00</SupportHours>
<SupportPhone>0208 3549321</SupportPhone>
<SupportURL>www.dreamcatcherdesign.co.uk</SupportURL>
</OEMInformation>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="auditSystem">
<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">
<Reseal>
<Mode>Audit</Mode>
</Reseal>
</component>
</settings>
<cpifflineImage cpi:source="wim://rami-pc/users/rami/desktop/windows%207%20image/install.wim#Windows 7 ENTERPRISE" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

 

[Kari]

<DiskConfiguration>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<Disk wcm:action="add">
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
<Order>1</Order>
<Size>15000</Size>
<Type>Primary</Type>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
<Active>true</Active>
<Extend>false</Extend>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Label>OS_install</Label>
<Letter>C</Letter>
<Order>1</Order>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
<TypeID></TypeID>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>

Might be that you are trying to create an absolutely too small drive C:. The size is given in megabytes, your 15000MB means a bit under 15GB (14.6GB) partition.

This is also supported by the fact that validating your xml in WSIM gives no errors.

Kari

 

[vlakarmis]

Thanks Kari. I have tried upping memory of the partition to 25gb but still no luck. Same error message. WSIM indicates an error unrelated to Diskconfiguration. Something to do with StarpanelOff being deprecated and 'should not be used' (i have no settings for Startpaneloff anyway)

Any ideas? Thanks in advance

 

[Kari]

First, you should remove your Windows product key from the answer file in your first post.

I do not find any errors although I know there of course must be at least one if it does not work . See this tutorial if you can find any tips or things to check: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/286053-system-preparation-tool-use-customize-windows.html

Here's a long quote of the tutorial, read it through and check your answer file again:

   Tip

As we are now preparing our partly installed Windows to be sysprepped, main core of Windows is already installed on C:. For this Windows setup it is not a good idea to change disk and partition information with Sysprep, for this setup modifiying partitions should be done with Windows Disk Manager.

However, if we were now creating a general Windows image to be deployed, used in installing Windows to other computers, we could also automatize the partitioning of the hard disk or disks. To give you an example how easy it is, here below you can see what would be needed to automatically partition a system with two 500GB hard disks creating a 250GB partition C: for system with name OS and a 250GB partition D: for user profiles named as UserProfiles, both these partition on first hard disk, and then use the second hd completely for one partition called Data and giving it a drive letter X:.

All partitioning components can be found in component group Microsoft Windows Setup > DiskConfiguration. We need one component for creating each partition and one component to modify each partition as follows (all settings in Pass 1 windowsPE):

Hard disk numbers start from 0, partition numbers from 1 therefore in this example C: = Disk 0 Partition 1, D: = Disk 0 Partition 2 and X: = Disk 1 Partition 1. Remembering this I need to browse to component group Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration and start configuring. (Remember: all following components to Pass 1 windowsPE!)

First we create two disks and wipe them to be able to start from empty disks, Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration > Disk, values to Pass 1 windowsPE

• DiskID = 0
• WillWipeDisk = true (this will erase the hard disk so partitions are created on an empty disk)

And the same for second hard disk:

• DiskID = 1
• WillWipeDisk = true

Next we create first partition on first disk. Component Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration > Disk > CreatePartitions > CreatePartition, values to Pass 1 windowsPE

• Extend = false
• Order = 1
• Size = 250000 (size in Megabytes)
• Type = Primary

And second partition, component Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration > Disk > CreatePartitions > CreatePartition, values to Pass 1 windowsPE

• Extend = false
• Order = 2
• Size = 250000
• Type = Primary

Finally the third, Data partition, first partition on second disk. Component Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration > Disk > CreatePartitions > CreatePartition, values to Pass 1 windowsPE

• Extend = false
• Order = 1 (first partition of second HD)
• Size = 500000
• Type = Primary

Now we need to edit those three raw partitions. First C:

Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration > Disk > ModifyPartitions > ModifyPartition, values to Pass 1 windowsPE:

• Active = true
• Extend = false
• Format = NTFS
• Label = OS (any name you want to give to your system partition)
• Letter = C
• Order = 1
• PartitionID = 1

The D: partition:

Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration > Disk > ModifyPartitions > ModifyPartition, values to Pass 1 windowsPE:

• Active = false (only one partition can be active)
• Extend = false
• Format = NTFS
• Label = UserProfiles (any name you want to)
• Letter = D
• Order = 2
• PartitionID = 2

Last but not least the data partition X:

Microsoft-Windows-Setup > DiskConfiguration > Disk > ModifyPartitions > ModifyPartition, values to Pass 1 windowsPE:

• Active = false
• Extend = false
• Format = NTFS
• Label = Data
• Letter = X
• Order = 1
• PartitionID = 1

View attachment 264090
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These components with correct values would then create our two disk three partition system when Windows would be installed using our sysprepped image.