Symantec helps consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. May 13, 2014 I've never had issues sysprep-ing Windows XP. However, it's come to the point where it would be highly advantageous to be able to sysprep with Windows 7. Basically, I roll out 4 PC's with the exact same specifications and software at a time. They have Windows 7 OEM licenses and Microsoft Office 2010 OEM licenses.
To deploy a Windows image to different PCs, you have to first generalize the image to remove computer-specific information such as installed drivers and the computer security identifier (SID). You can either use Sysprep by itself or Sysprep with an unattend answer file to generalize your image and make it ready for deployment.
For example, in Windows 7 you could use Sysprep to remove computer-specific and operating system-specific installation data from Windows 7, configure Windows 7 to boot in audit mode, configure Windows 7 to boot to the Windows Welcome screen, or reset Windows Product Activation (WPA) on the system up to three times.
Generalize a Windows installation
When you generalize a Windows image, Windows Setup processes settings in the generalize configuration pass. Even if you're capturing an image that's going to be deployed to a PC with similar hardware, you still have to generalize the Windows installation to remove unique PC-specific information from a Windows installation, which allows you to safely reuse your image.
When you generalize an image, Windows replaces the computer SID only on the operating system volume where you ran Sysprep. If a single computer has multiple operating systems, you must run Sysprep on each image individually.
If you're generalizing a Windows Server installation that has Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) clients or remote RADIUS server groups defined in the Network Policy Server (NPS) configuration, you should remove this information before you deploy it to a different computer. For more information, see Prepare a Network Policy Server (NPS) for Imaging.
Prevent Sysprep from removing installed devices
When you set up a Windows PC, Windows Setup configures all detected devices. Generalizing a Windows installation uninstalls configured devices, but does not remove device drivers from the PC.
If you're deploying an image to computers that have identical hardware and devices as the original PC, you can keep devices installed on the computer during system generalization by using an unattend file with Microsoft-Windows-PnPSysprep | PersistAllDeviceInstalls set to true. For more information about Sysprep-related Windows unattend components, see the Unattended Windows Setup Reference for Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep.
Limits on how many times you can run Sysprep
You can run the Sysprep command up to 8 times on a single Windows image. After running Sysprep 8 times, you must recreate your Windows image. In previous versions of Windows, you could use the SkipRearm answer file setting to reset the Windows Product Activation clock when running Sysprep. If you are using a volume licensing key or a retail product key, you don't have to use SkipRearm because Windows is automatically activated.
Microsoft Store apps
Installing new Microsoft Store apps or updating your existing Microsoft Store apps before generalizing a Windows image will cause Sysprep to fail. Sysprep /generalize requires that all apps are provisioned for all users; however, when you update an app from the Microsoft Store, that app becomes tied to the logged in user account. The following error appears in the Sysprep log files (located at %WINDIR%System32SysprepPanther):
<package name> was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.
Instead of using the Microsoft Store to update your apps, you should sideload updates to your line-of-business apps, provision offline-licensed Microsoft Store for Business apps for all users, or have end-users update their apps by using the Microsoft Store on their destination PCs. If Microsoft Store access in a managed environment is disabled by an IT administrator, end-users will not be able to update the Microsoft Store apps.
For more information about sideloading line-of-business Microsoft Store apps, see Sideload Apps with DISM and Customize the Start Screen.
Generalize an image
Generalize from Audit Mode
To generalize an image, you have to first boot into Audit Mode. You can boot into Audit Mode using an unattend file or from the Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE) screen. You can read about the different ways of booting into Audit Mode at Boot Windows to Audit Mode or OOBE.
Boot a PC into Audit Mode. When Windows boots into Audit Mode, System Preparation Tool will appear on the desktop. You can choose to either close the System Preparation Tool window or allow it to remain open.
Customize Windows by adding drivers, changing settings, and installing programs. Do not install any Microsoft Store apps using the Microsoft Store.
Run Sysprep.
If the System Preparation Tool window is still open, click Generalize, click Shutdown, and then click OK to generalize the image and shut down the PC.
-or-
Use Sysprep from Command Prompt. Run
%WINDIR%system32sysprepsysprep.exeto open the System Preparation Window. You can also use theSysprepcommand together with the /generalize, /shutdown, and /oobe options. See Sysprep command-line options to see available options.Note
If you are generalizing a VHD that will be deployed as a VHD on the same virtual machine or hypervisor, use the
/mode:vmoption with the Sysprep command-line.The computer generalizes the image and shuts down.
After the computer shuts down, capture your image with DISM.
Deploy this image to a reference computer. When the reference computer boots, it displays the OOBE screen.
Generalize using unattend
Download Sysprep Windows 7 64 Bit
If you use multiple unattend files during your computer deployment, you can add the following settings to your each of your unattend files so Windows Setup will generalize the PC after processing the unattend file.
- To automatically generalize the image and shut down, use the Microsoft-Windows-Deployment |
Generalizesetting. SetModeto OOBE or Audit, and setForceShutdownNowto true.
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- To generalize the system, and have it boot into Audit Mode, use the Microsoft-Windows-Deployment |
Resealsetting to the oobeSystem configuration pass. SetModeto Audit.
Related topics
Enabler works well but make sure you complete all steps.
1. Create a user profile that you want to use as your master, I create a roaming profile for a default user that is assigned to each group of computers that I want to behave the same. Once all settings are exactly the way I want them I restart the machine.
2. Logon as a user with administrative rights. Open start menu, right click on computer, click on properties, once properties are open, click on advanced settings, then click on settings related to logon (If you are reading this you know how to do this)
3. Delete all users with existing profiles if you want them to use the new default profile, otherwise highlight the profile that you want to copy, use enabler and use press on copy to.
4. When the box comes up, use the bottom of the box to activate it for everyone (just type in everyone) Once that is completed, in the copy to location type in C:usersdefault -- this copies the profile over the default profile. Allow that to complete and close this program.
5. Now run regedit.
6. Highlight Hkey_Users
7. Click on File, click on load hive, migrate to c:usersdefault and in the file blank type in ntuser.dat and press enter
8. In the blank box that comes up enter a name that you will remember, I use Default_User, but I have had kids use george, fred or whatever, it really doesn't matter.
9. Go back to regedit and expand Hkey_Users and highlight the name you just created
10. Go to edit and click on find and put in the name of your original default profile (the user profile you copied) Push enter
11. Delete whatever comes up highlighted, use F3 and continue the process until you delete all instances of that name. Delete the whole key, windows will recreate it with the new users name, on some pages you will see the name multiple times, use shift or control to highlight all instances.
12. Once you are done, re-highlight the name you used and click on file and unload hive.
13. Restart the machine (don't just log off)
14. Logon as a new user and they will have all the settings that you created for the default user.
I am using this in an educational setting and it has worked perfectly fine so far.
Sysprep For Windows 7 Download
windows enabler in google run as admin forget microsoft they didnt have the answer