For a Limited Audience: A Collection of Generic Answer Files, Each with a Different Purpose

hsehestedt · Jun 25, 2024

Mr Hosam said:
I used " Fully Unattended Installation, Creates Recovery Partition Last "
and i run into an error as below, Any Help Please

Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file
[C:\\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml] for pass [oobeSystem].
The settings specified in answer file cannot be applied.
The error was detected while processing setting for
component [Microsoft-Windows-Shill-Setup].

First, I hope that this was just a typo:

The error was detected while processing setting for
component [Microsoft-Windows-Shill-Setup].

Notice that the error references "Shill-Setup". That should be "Shell" (with an e rather than an i). I hope that you typed this manually. If not, make sure that this is correct in your real answer file.

Also, I notice that the path being referenced is "C:\\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml". The answer file as I have created it is intended to be place onto the root of your installation media and saved as autounattend.xml, not unattend.xml.

If you have made any changes to the answer file, could you post a copy of the file as you are using it here? This would allow me to test it to see if I can figure out where the problem is.

At this point I feel that it would be good to explain what the difference between the autounattend.xml and the unattend.xml file is:

-----
What is the difference between the autounattend.xml and the unattend.xml answer files?

autounattend.xml - This file deals with the information needed by Windows to understand how to install Windows, the critical pieces of information needed to setup Windows. For example, what disk should Windows be installed on, how should that disk be partitioned, etc.

unattend.xml - This file deals mainly with the OOBE (Out Of Box Experience). In other words, once the basic installation is done and Windows is booted for the first time after the initial installation, this file applies customizations to Windows. For example, it changes the computer name to the name you specify, it sets OEM information for the system, allows you to bypass the EULA, create user accounts, etc.

Note that the unattend.xml file is only used if you create a reference system. You can take most of the settings that are in the unattend.xml file and place them in the autounattend.xml if you do not want to create a reference system.
-----

After you check the above, if you are still having difficulties, please post a copy of your answer file if you have made any changes to it so that I can test if to see if I have any difficulties with it.

Have you also made sure that in your system, the drive to which Windows should be installed onto is drive number 0 (zero)? On some systems, this needs to be changed. On my primary desktop PC, as an example, Windows is installed on disk 2. You can verify this like this:

Boot from your Windows installation media WITHOUT AN ANSWER FILE. At the first static screen where Windows setup stops tomask you for information, press SHIFT + F10 to open a command prompt. Run DISKPART. Within diskpart, do a "list disk". Hopefully from the information displayed you can determine which disk is the one to which Windows needs to be installed. Make note of that drive number. That is the drive number to use in the answer file. Note that if you need more info on a drive to determine if it is the correct drive, you can do this:

select disk 0
detail disk

Repeat the above commands for disk 1, 2, etc. as needed.

When done, type "exit" to exit from diskpart and then reboot your system.

If this still does not help, please let me know and I will help further.

Mr Hosam · Jun 26, 2024

hsehestedt said:
First, I hope that this was just a typo:

The error was detected while processing setting for
component [Microsoft-Windows-Shill-Setup].

Notice that the error references "Shill-Setup". That should be "Shell" (with an e rather than an i). I hope that you typed this manually. If not, make sure that this is correct in your real answer file.

Also, I notice that the path being referenced is "C:\\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml". The answer file as I have created it is intended to be place onto the root of your installation media and saved as autounattend.xml, not unattend.xml.

If you have made any changes to the answer file, could you post a copy of the file as you are using it here? This would allow me to test it to see if I can figure out where the problem is.

At this point I feel that it would be good to explain what the difference between the autounattend.xml and the unattend.xml file is:

-----
What is the difference between the autounattend.xml and the unattend.xml answer files?

autounattend.xml - This file deals with the information needed by Windows to understand how to install Windows, the critical pieces of information needed to setup Windows. For example, what disk should Windows be installed on, how should that disk be partitioned, etc.

unattend.xml - This file deals mainly with the OOBE (Out Of Box Experience). In other words, once the basic installation is done and Windows is booted for the first time after the initial installation, this file applies customizations to Windows. For example, it changes the computer name to the name you specify, it sets OEM information for the system, allows you to bypass the EULA, create user accounts, etc.

Note that the unattend.xml file is only used if you create a reference system. You can take most of the settings that are in the unattend.xml file and place them in the autounattend.xml if you do not want to create a reference system.
-----

After you check the above, if you are still having difficulties, please post a copy of your answer file if you have made any changes to it so that I can test if to see if I have any difficulties with it.

Have you also made sure that in your system, the drive to which Windows should be installed onto is drive number 0 (zero)? On some systems, this needs to be changed. On my primary desktop PC, as an example, Windows is installed on disk 2. You can verify this like this:

Boot from your Windows installation media WITHOUT AN ANSWER FILE. At the first static screen where Windows setup stops tomask you for information, press SHIFT + F10 to open a command prompt. Run DISKPART. Within diskpart, do a "list disk". Hopefully from the information displayed you can determine which disk is the one to which Windows needs to be installed. Make note of that drive number. That is the drive number to use in the answer file. Note that if you need more info on a drive to determine if it is the correct drive, you can do this:

select disk 0
detail disk

Repeat the above commands for disk 1, 2, etc. as needed.

When done, type "exit" to exit from diskpart and then reboot your system.

If this still does not help, please let me know and I will help further.

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--
Notes about this answer file:

This answer file is for UEFI based systems only.

It includes a Windows 10 / 11 Pro key.

It creates an Admin level user named "WinUser", full name "Windows User" with an initial password of "Password1".

Locale settings are set to United States English.

IMPORTANT: The "User Locale" has been changed from en-US to en-001 in both places where it appears. This is the equivalent of
           "English (World)". By doing this, Windows will not believe itself to be in a location where Microsoft Store access
           is available and as a result none of the "bloatware" placeholder icons will be installed to Start. After Windows is
           installed you will need to do the following:

           1) Make certain that Windows has Internet access BEFORE you perform step 2 below. If you perform step 2 before
              Windows has had a chance to connect to the Internet, the placeholder icons will appear in Start as soon as
              Internet access becomes available.

           2) Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region. Under "Region" change "Country or region" to United States
              (or the region appropriate to you). Also, change the "Regional format" to "English (United States)" or to the
              setting appropriate for your region. Note that "Recommended" can also be used here.

Time zone is set to US Central Time. Change this if needed.

It includes settings to bypass Windows 11 system requirements.

The size of the Recovery Tools partition created by this answer will be larger than normal at 2 GB. Change this if you are very short on space or prefer a smaller Recovery Tools partition.

It will install automatically to disk 0 and creates the recovery partition last, as Microsoft recommends. To accomplish this,
we do not use the standard method of specifying the disk configuration information, but we create a diskpart script to
configure the disk.

This answer file can be used with both Windows 10 and 11. The settings to bypass
Windows 11 system requirement checks will have no effect on Windows 10.

END OF NOTES
-->
<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>
                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
            <UserLocale>en-001</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">
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallTo>
                        <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                        <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                    </InstallTo>
                    <!--
Below you will find 6 lines that are commented out. These lines will allow you to specify a specific Windows edition to install
in those case where your Windows image has more than one of the same edition. As an example, suppose that you have more than
one Windows Pro edition. Maybe one of these is a standard Windows Pro edition, and another has Windows Pro with drivers added
for use in a specific system. If you are specifying a generic Windows Pro key for installation, setup will pause and expect
you to specify which Windows Pro edition to install since there is more than one. By uncommenting the section below, you
are telling setup exactly which one of these to install. Make sure to update the index value to the correct value for
your situation. You can ignore this if you are using a standard retail Windows installation media.

Note that you can also change the value for "key"  to /IMAGE/NAME or /IMAGE/DESCRIPTION to specify the edition to be
installed by NAME or DESCRIPTION rather than by index number.
-->
                    <!--
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                            <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                            <Value>Windows 11 Pro</Value>
                        </MetaData>
                    </InstallFrom>
-->
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
<!--
The first 4 Synchronous Commands below bypass the Windows 11 system requirement checks. The checks that are bypassed are:

TPM Check
Secure Boot Check
RAM Check
CPU Check

The remaining Synchronous Commands will partition the hard disk with the following settings:

NOTE: Synchronous Command #5 selects disk 0. If disk 0 is not the disk you need to use, change this to the correct disk number.

Partion Type   |     Size (in MB)       | Format
================================================
    EFI        |            260         | FAT32
    MSR        |            128         | NONE
  Windows      | Remaining Space - 2 GB | NTFS
  Recovery     |           2,048        | NTFS
================================================
-->

            <RunSynchronous>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>2</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>3</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassRAMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>4</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassCPUCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>5</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo select disk 0 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>6</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo clean &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>7</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo convert gpt &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>8</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition efi size=260 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>9</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=fat32 quick label=&quot;System&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>10</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition msr size=128 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>11</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition primary &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>12</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo shrink desired=2048 minimum=2048  &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>13</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=ntfs quick label=&quot;Windows&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>14</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo assign letter=W &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>15</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition primary &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>16</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=ntfs quick label=&quot;Recovery&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>17</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo set id=&quot;de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>18</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>19</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo exit &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>20</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c diskpart.exe /s X:\DiskPartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
            </RunSynchronous>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <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-001</UserLocale>
        </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">
            <OOBE>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
                <UnattendEnableRetailDemo>false</UnattendEnableRetailDemo>
            </OOBE>
            <UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <Value>QwBPAEUAJAAyADAAMQA3ACQAQwBPAEUA</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                        <DisplayName>CoEAdmin</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>COE</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <TimeZone>Arabian Standard Time</TimeZone>
            <FirstLogonCommands>
                <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <CommandLine>reg add &quot;HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon&quot; /v AutoLogonCount /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f</CommandLine>
                    <Order>1</Order>
                </SynchronousCommand>
            </FirstLogonCommands>
            <AutoLogon>
                <Password>
                    <Value>QwBPAEUAJAAyADAAMQA3ACQAQwBPAEUA</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </Password>
                <Username>COE</Username>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
            </AutoLogon>
        </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">
            <OEMInformation>
                <Manufacturer></Manufacturer>
                <SupportHours></SupportHours>
                <SupportPhone></SupportPhone>
                <SupportURL></SupportURL>
            </OEMInformation>
            <OEMName></OEMName>
            <TimeZone>Arabian Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog:c:/data/windows/windows tools and deployment apps/assets and tools for deployment/catalog files for windows sim/windows 11 22h2 catalog files/install_windows 11 pro.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

hsehestedt · Jun 26, 2024

I think that I have found the problem...

First, I should note that your answer file also failed for me, but I got a very different error.

When making changes to the user account information, I've noticed that you should always do this using the "Windows System Image Manager". For some reason, making changes manually to this section seems to sometimes cause password problems.

To resolve the issue, I did this:

1) Load the answer file into the "Windows System Image Manager".

2) DELETE both of the password blocks and then re-add them.

NOTE: I've noticed this behavior before, as a result, any time I make changes to the user account info I always delete the password block and re-add it just to be on the safe side.

Below is an updated version of the answer file. Note that the user account now has NO password. You can change this if you like, but I suggest that you try this answer file as it is first to see if this solves the issue for you or if you are still having any problems with it.

I tested it here and it worked fine for me.

NOTE: I made one other change: I changed the two occurrences of en-001 to en-US. You can change this back if you like, but again, I would suggest testing it as it is. I was planning on changing it back myself and testing it but I'm simply running short on time at the moment. I may try it myself later.

XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--
Notes about this answer file:

This answer file is for UEFI based systems only.

It includes a Windows 10 / 11 Pro key.

It creates an Admin level user named "WinUser", full name "Windows User" with an initial password of "Password1".

Locale settings are set to United States English.

Time zone is set to "Arabian Standard Time". Change this if needed.

It includes settings to bypass Windows 11 system requirements.

The size of the Recovery Tools partition created by this answer will be larger than normal at 2 GB. Change this if you are very short on space or prefer a smaller Recovery Tools partition.

It will install automatically to disk 0 and creates the recovery partition last, as Microsoft recommends. To accomplish this,
we do not use the standard method of specifying the disk configuration information, but we create a diskpart script to
configure the disk.

This answer file can be used with both Windows 10 and 11. The settings to bypass
Windows 11 system requirement checks will have no effect on Windows 10.

END OF NOTES
-->
<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>
                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
            <UserLocale>en-US</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">
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallTo>
                        <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                        <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                    </InstallTo>
                    <!--
Below you will find 6 lines that are commented out. These lines will allow you to specify a specific Windows edition to install
in those case where your Windows image has more than one of the same edition. As an example, suppose that you have more than
one Windows Pro edition. Maybe one of these is a standard Windows Pro edition, and another has Windows Pro with drivers added
for use in a specific system. If you are specifying a generic Windows Pro key for installation, setup will pause and expect
you to specify which Windows Pro edition to install since there is more than one. By uncommenting the section below, you
are telling setup exactly which one of these to install. Make sure to update the index value to the correct value for
your situation. You can ignore this if you are using a standard retail Windows installation media.

Note that you can also change the value for "key"  to /IMAGE/NAME or /IMAGE/DESCRIPTION to specify the edition to be
installed by NAME or DESCRIPTION rather than by index number.
-->
                    <!--
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                            <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                            <Value>Windows 11 Pro</Value>
                        </MetaData>
                    </InstallFrom>
-->
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
            <!--
The first 4 Synchronous Commands below bypass the Windows 11 system requirement checks. The checks that are bypassed are:

TPM Check
Secure Boot Check
RAM Check
CPU Check

The remaining Synchronous Commands will partition the hard disk with the following settings:

NOTE: Synchronous Command #5 selects disk 0. If disk 0 is not the disk you need to use, change this to the correct disk number.

Partion Type   |     Size (in MB)       | Format
================================================
    EFI        |            260         | FAT32
    MSR        |            128         | NONE
  Windows      | Remaining Space - 2 GB | NTFS
  Recovery     |           2,048        | NTFS
================================================
-->
            <RunSynchronous>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>2</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>3</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassRAMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>4</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassCPUCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>5</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo select disk 0 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>6</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo clean &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>7</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo convert gpt &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>8</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition efi size=260 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>9</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=fat32 quick label=&quot;System&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>10</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition msr size=128 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>11</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition primary &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>12</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo shrink desired=2048 minimum=2048  &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>13</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=ntfs quick label=&quot;Windows&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>14</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo assign letter=W &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>15</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition primary &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>16</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=ntfs quick label=&quot;Recovery&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>17</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo set id=&quot;de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>18</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>19</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo exit &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>20</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c diskpart.exe /s X:\DiskPartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
            </RunSynchronous>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <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>
        <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>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
                <UnattendEnableRetailDemo>false</UnattendEnableRetailDemo>
            </OOBE>
            <UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <DisplayName>CoEAdmin</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>COE</Name>
                        <Password>
                            <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <TimeZone>Arabian Standard Time</TimeZone>
            <FirstLogonCommands>
                <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <CommandLine>reg add &quot;HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon&quot; /v AutoLogonCount /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f</CommandLine>
                    <Order>1</Order>
                </SynchronousCommand>
            </FirstLogonCommands>
            <AutoLogon>
                <Username>COE</Username>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
                <Password>
                    <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </Password>
            </AutoLogon>
        </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">
            <OEMInformation>
                <Manufacturer></Manufacturer>
                <SupportHours></SupportHours>
                <SupportPhone></SupportPhone>
                <SupportURL></SupportURL>
            </OEMInformation>
            <OEMName></OEMName>
            <TimeZone>Arabian Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog://minipc-ck10/windows_driveiso_files/sources/install_windows 11 pro.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Mr Hosam · Jun 30, 2024

hsehestedt said:

I think that I have found the problem...

First, I should note that your answer file also failed for me, but I got a very different error.

When making changes to the user account information, I've noticed that you should always do this using the "Windows System Image Manager". For some reason, making changes manually to this section seems to sometimes cause password problems.

To resolve the issue, I did this:

1) Load the answer file into the "Windows System Image Manager".

2) DELETE both of the password blocks and then re-add them.

NOTE: I've noticed this behavior before, as a result, any time I make changes to the user account info I always delete the password block and re-add it just to be on the safe side.

Below is an updated version of the answer file. Note that the user account now has NO password. You can change this if you like, but I suggest that you try this answer file as it is first to see if this solves the issue for you or if you are still having any problems with it.

I tested it here and it worked fine for me.

NOTE: I made one other change: I changed the two occurrences of en-001 to en-US. You can change this back if you like, but again, I would suggest testing it as it is. I was planning on changing it back myself and testing it but I'm simply running short on time at the moment. I may try it myself later.

XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--
Notes about this answer file:

This answer file is for UEFI based systems only.

It includes a Windows 10 / 11 Pro key.

It creates an Admin level user named "WinUser", full name "Windows User" with an initial password of "Password1".

Locale settings are set to United States English.

Time zone is set to "Arabian Standard Time". Change this if needed.

It includes settings to bypass Windows 11 system requirements.

The size of the Recovery Tools partition created by this answer will be larger than normal at 2 GB. Change this if you are very short on space or prefer a smaller Recovery Tools partition.

It will install automatically to disk 0 and creates the recovery partition last, as Microsoft recommends. To accomplish this,
we do not use the standard method of specifying the disk configuration information, but we create a diskpart script to
configure the disk.

This answer file can be used with both Windows 10 and 11. The settings to bypass
Windows 11 system requirement checks will have no effect on Windows 10.

END OF NOTES
-->
<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>
                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
            <UserLocale>en-US</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">
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallTo>
                        <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                        <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                    </InstallTo>
                    <!--
Below you will find 6 lines that are commented out. These lines will allow you to specify a specific Windows edition to install
in those case where your Windows image has more than one of the same edition. As an example, suppose that you have more than
one Windows Pro edition. Maybe one of these is a standard Windows Pro edition, and another has Windows Pro with drivers added
for use in a specific system. If you are specifying a generic Windows Pro key for installation, setup will pause and expect
you to specify which Windows Pro edition to install since there is more than one. By uncommenting the section below, you
are telling setup exactly which one of these to install. Make sure to update the index value to the correct value for
your situation. You can ignore this if you are using a standard retail Windows installation media.

Note that you can also change the value for "key"  to /IMAGE/NAME or /IMAGE/DESCRIPTION to specify the edition to be
installed by NAME or DESCRIPTION rather than by index number.
-->
                    <!--
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                            <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                            <Value>Windows 11 Pro</Value>
                        </MetaData>
                    </InstallFrom>
-->
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
            <!--
The first 4 Synchronous Commands below bypass the Windows 11 system requirement checks. The checks that are bypassed are:

TPM Check
Secure Boot Check
RAM Check
CPU Check

The remaining Synchronous Commands will partition the hard disk with the following settings:

NOTE: Synchronous Command #5 selects disk 0. If disk 0 is not the disk you need to use, change this to the correct disk number.

Partion Type   |     Size (in MB)       | Format
================================================
    EFI        |            260         | FAT32
    MSR        |            128         | NONE
  Windows      | Remaining Space - 2 GB | NTFS
  Recovery     |           2,048        | NTFS
================================================
-->
            <RunSynchronous>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>2</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>3</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassRAMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>4</Order>
                    <Path>reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassCPUCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>5</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo select disk 0 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>6</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo clean &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>7</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo convert gpt &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>8</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition efi size=260 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>9</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=fat32 quick label=&quot;System&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>10</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition msr size=128 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>11</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition primary &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>12</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo shrink desired=2048 minimum=2048  &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>13</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=ntfs quick label=&quot;Windows&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>14</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo assign letter=W &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>15</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo create partition primary &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>16</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo format fs=ntfs quick label=&quot;Recovery&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>17</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo set id=&quot;de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac&quot; &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>18</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001 &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>19</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c echo exit &gt;&gt; X:\diskpartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>20</Order>
                    <Path>cmd.exe /c diskpart.exe /s X:\DiskPartUEFI.txt</Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
            </RunSynchronous>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <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>
        <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>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
                <UnattendEnableRetailDemo>false</UnattendEnableRetailDemo>
            </OOBE>
            <UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <DisplayName>CoEAdmin</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>COE</Name>
                        <Password>
                            <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <TimeZone>Arabian Standard Time</TimeZone>
            <FirstLogonCommands>
                <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <CommandLine>reg add &quot;HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon&quot; /v AutoLogonCount /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f</CommandLine>
                    <Order>1</Order>
                </SynchronousCommand>
            </FirstLogonCommands>
            <AutoLogon>
                <Username>COE</Username>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
                <Password>
                    <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                </Password>
            </AutoLogon>
        </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">
            <OEMInformation>
                <Manufacturer></Manufacturer>
                <SupportHours></SupportHours>
                <SupportPhone></SupportPhone>
                <SupportURL></SupportURL>
            </OEMInformation>
            <OEMName></OEMName>
            <TimeZone>Arabian Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog://minipc-ck10/windows_driveiso_files/sources/install_windows 11 pro.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

it worked but when I added the password as below with password " COE$2017$COE " it for some reason making it as " COE$2017$COEPassword "
How can i remove the " Password " that come in the end of the password?

hsehestedt · Jun 30, 2024

If you want to change the password or modify it, you should load your answer file in the Windows System Image Manager (installed as part of the Windows ADK) just as you show it in your last screenshot.

If we look at your screenshot, you will notice that the value shown for your password is an encrypted hash of your password. Highlight that hash and delete it, then enter your new password. Save this. You will note that your password again gets changed into an encrypted hash. Just be sure to change the password everywhere! For example, change the password where the account is created in the answer file, but also change it in any other locations such as the "AutoLogon" section as well.

hsehestedt · Jun 30, 2024

Some additional information: If you do not want your password to be shown as an encrypted hash, change the option for plain text to "true".

Mr Hosam · Jul 1, 2024

hsehestedt said:
If you want to change the password or modify it, you should load your answer file in the Windows System Image Manager (installed as part of the Windows ADK) just as you show it in your last screenshot.

If we look at your screenshot, you will notice that the value shown for your password is an encrypted hash of your password. Highlight that hash and delete it, then enter your new password. Save this. You will note that your password again gets changed into an encrypted hash. Just be sure to change the password everywhere! For example, change the password where the account is created in the answer file, but also change it in any other locations such as the "AutoLogon" section as well.

hsehestedt said:
Some additional information: If you do not want your password to be shown as an encrypted hash, change the option for plain text to "true".

View attachment 100345

Thanks for the help it worked, I deleted the password then i saved the Answer file after that I re-added the password and now windows start and make the password as intended.

hsehestedt · Jul 1, 2024

Mr Hosam said:
Thanks for the help it worked, I deleted the password then i saved the Answer file after that I re-added the password and now windows start and make the password as intended.

Excellent! Thanks for letting us know that it worked.

CanOWorms · Aug 11, 2024

This website has a very comprehensive autounattend.xml, generator including commands to: disable Windows apps like Media Player, install virtual machine support, remove Bitlocker device encryption, etc. I've tested it on unblemished OEM .ISOs as well as customized .ISOs and the generated autounattend scripts work like champs. Highly recommended.

For a Limited Audience: A Collection of Generic Answer Files, Each with a Different Purpose

hsehestedt

Well-known member

My Computers

System One System Two

Mr Hosam

New member

My Computer

System One

hsehestedt

Well-known member

My Computers

System One System Two

Mr Hosam

New member

My Computer

System One

hsehestedt

Well-known member

My Computers

System One System Two

hsehestedt

Well-known member

My Computers

System One System Two

Mr Hosam

New member

My Computer

System One

hsehestedt

Well-known member

My Computers

System One System Two

CanOWorms

Member

My Computer

System One

Similar threads

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials