User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

RCWin7 4M said:

I'm using Notepad++ to edit Kari's script. I keep getting an error message when I check the xml syntax. "XML parsing error at line 11; Extra content at the end of the document"
...

Syntax is correct, if your install media is located on drive R:.

You can use any Windows 7 install media when sysprepping, it does not need to be the one you have used to install. Get an OEM or Retail SP1 ISO, burn or create a USB and use it. Should work.

Kari

Kari,

This is simply an outstanding tutorial, I spent a few weeks looking into this. I find this method to be just superb as to doing manual registry edits to get similar results.

I had to use the method twice because I didn't read the full thread about doing system imaging. I have a 100GB SSD and a 2TB HDD. I originally just moved users and program data to the HDD which only had the one partition. I realized in order to make a good image I need all the basic windows folders (user and program data included). I realized that would now require me to image the full HDD. So I decided against that and created a partition and make the move, one more time. The only thing I am noticing is that now in both my C and E drives still contain a ProgramData folder. I am not sure if it is safe to delete those folders all together because it seems redundant. On the E: there is a Microsoft folder that has a search folder and windows folder. The same folder is on C: too. The one on Z: (the partition) has a more extensive Microsoft folder that has just more than Search and Windows. Would it be safe to delete on the other drives, assuming your or anybody else came across something similar.

Edit....I was thinking for imaging and backing up reasons, would it be possible to make a symbolic link on your OS drive to the user and programData folder drive, so therefore when the image is being created it will know where to look for the remaining system folders. This might be a completely dumb question as I am by know means computer savvy, so bare with me.

BWR said:

"Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml for pass oobeSystem"

This only shows up once and then I'm back to the "Windows could not complete the installation. To intall Windows on this computer, please restart the installation" over the "Setup is preparing your computer for first use" screen.

Has there been a resolution to this?

It seems that this is the one issue that seems to get ignored.


Please help if possible.

The error message you get is one normally gotten when there's a syntax error in answer file, when answer file or install.wim is not found. This can be the case for instance if the drive letter is changed between Audit Mode and first boot to OOBE. Also, I have seen this error when sysprepping some heavily manipulated OEM Windows versions.

This error message might also occur when sysprepping a Windows version with bootloader. This, of course, I do not believe your case.

Reading your answer file I noticed that it returns an error where there should be a schematic check:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"
xmlns:wcm="Error" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

I need to check if I need to rebuild this answer file again, original was created about two years ago.

I will be back as soon as I find some time to spare.

dcapit8 said:

Kari,

This is simply an outstanding tutorial, I spent a few weeks looking into this. I find this method to be just superb as to doing manual registry edits to get similar results.

I had to use the method twice because I didn't read the full thread about doing system imaging. I have a 100GB SSD and a 2TB HDD. I originally just moved users and program data to the HDD which only had the one partition. I realized in order to make a good image I need all the basic windows folders (user and program data included). I realized that would now require me to image the full HDD. So I decided against that and created a partition and make the move, one more time. The only thing I am noticing is that now in both my C and E drives still contain a ProgramData folder. I am not sure if it is safe to delete those folders all together because it seems redundant. On the E: there is a Microsoft folder that has a search folder and windows folder. The same folder is on C: too. The one on Z: (the partition) has a more extensive Microsoft folder that has just more than Search and Windows. Would it be safe to delete on the other drives, assuming your or anybody else came across something similar.

Edit....I was thinking for imaging and backing up reasons, would it be possible to make a symbolic link on your OS drive to the user and programData folder drive, so therefore when the image is being created it will know where to look for the remaining system folders. This might be a completely dumb question as I am by know means computer savvy, so bare with me.

About duplicate Programdata folders, read this post: User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

Imaging and how to do it is up to you. I am a bit disappointed in Microsoft for making using built-in imaging tool so difficult when system folders are spread on two or more drives, so I use Macrium Reflect to always create an image containing both system drive (Program Files, Windows) and the Users drive (ProgramData, Users).

Call me coward but I really do not want to give detailed instructions in how to image an SSD / HDD system with system folders spread in between them. So much can (must not!) go wrong and me being not an imaging expert, I would spent rest of my days in explaining my wrong advice

Kari