Windows Install Unattended.xml

[Montray Yadav]

Ifthe update is delivered through Windows Update, Windows Setup searches in a default location for a setupconfig file. You can include the setupconfig file at %systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WSUS\SetupConfig.ini

Windows Setup searches for answer files at the beginning of each configuration pass, including the initial installation and after applying and booting an image. If an answer file is found, and it contains settings for the given configuration pass, it processes those settings.

Windows Setup caches answer files to this location for use in subsequent stages of installation. For example, when a computer reboots, Setup can continue to apply the settings in an answer file. If you explicitly specify an answer file by using Windows Setup or Sysprep, the answer file cached to this directory is overwritten with the explicitly specified answer file.

Do not use, modify, or overwrite the answer file in this directory. The answer file in this directory is annotated by Windows Setup during installation. This answer file cannot be reused in Windows SIM or any other Windows installations.

Because answer files are cached to the computer during Windows Setup, your answer files will persist on the computer between reboots. Before you deliver the computer to a customer, you must delete the cached answer file in the %WINDIR%\panther directory. There might be potential security issues if you include domain passwords, product keys, or other sensitive data in your answer file.

If you have unprocessed settings in the oobeSystem configuration pass that you intend to run when an end user starts the computer, consider deleting the sections of the answer file that have already been processed. One option when you run the sysprep /oobe command might be to use a separate answer file that only contains settings in the oobeSystem configuration pass.

If an answer file is embedded in a higher precedence location than the cached answer file, then the cached answer may be overwritten at the beginning of each subsequent configuration pass, if the embedded answer file matches the implicit search criteria.

For example, if an answer file is embedded at %WINDIR%\Panther\Unattend\Unattend.xml, the embedded answer file will replace the cached answer file at the beginning of each configuration pass. For example, if the embedded answer file specifies both the specialize and oobeSystem configuration passes, then the embedded answer file is discovered for the specialize configuration pass, cached, processed, and sensitive data is cleared. The embedded answer file is discovered again during the oobeSystem configuration pass and cached again. As a result, the sensitive data for the specialize configuration pass is no longer cleared. Sensitive data for previously processed configuration passes will not be cleared again. Unless the cached answer file must be overridden, embed the answer files at a location that has a lower precedence.

Because answer files are cached to the computer during Windows Setup, your answer files will persist on the computer between reboots. Before you deliver the computer to a customer, you must delete the cached answer file in the %WINDIR%\panther directory. There might be potential security issues if you include domain passwords, product keys, or other sensitive data in your answer file. However, if you have unprocessed settings in the oobeSystem configuration pass that you intend to run when an end user starts the computer, consider deleting the sections of the answer file that have already been processed. One option when you run the sysprep /oobe command might be to use a separate answer file that only contains settings in the oobeSystem configuration pass.

After a configuration pass is processed, Windows Setup annotates the cached answer file to indicate that the pass has been processed. If the configuration pass is run again and the cached answer file has not been replaced or updated in the interim, the answer file settings are not processed again. Instead, Windows Setup will search for implicit Unattend.xml files that are at a lower precedence location than the cached Unattend.xml file.

For example, you can install Windows with an answer file that contains Microsoft-Windows-Deployment/RunSynchronous commands in the specialize configuration pass. During installation, the specialize configuration pass runs and the RunSynchronous commands execute. After installation, run the sysprep command with the /generalize option. If there is no answer file in a higher precedence than the cached answer file or an answer file was not explicitly passed to the Sysprep tool, Setup runs the specialize configuration pass the next time that the computer boots. Because the cached answer file contains an annotation that the settings for that configuration pass were already applied, the RunSynchronous commands do not execute.

Windows Setup starts and automatically identifies Autounattend.xml as a valid answer file. Because the answer file uses a valid file name (Autounattend.xml), is located in one of the valid search paths (the root of D), and includes valid settings for the current configuration pass (windowsPE), this answer file is used.

Because the %WINDIR%\System32\Sysprep directory is in the implicit search paths, the answer file copied to this directory is found. However, an answer file that was used to install Windows is still cached on the computer and contains settings for the generalize configuration pass. This cached answer file has a higher precedence than the one copied to the Sysprep directory. The cached answer file is used.

To use the new answer file, you can copy it to a directory of a higher precedence than the cached answer file, or you can specify the answer file by using the /unattend option. For example:

At my I.T. job we regularly get new computers to burn-in. The computers come with Windows 10 Pro preinstalled and it is my job to go through the Windows 10 Pro setup that shows up when first starting up the computer.

"You can automate Windows installation by using an answer file:1. Use a USB flash drive2. Use an existing answer file or create your own with Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM).3. Save the file as Autounattend.xml on the root of a USB flash drive.4. On a new PC, insert a Windows installation USB flash drive, as well as the flash drive that contains Autounattend.xml and then boot the PC. When no other answer file is selected, Windows Setup searches for this file."

Please pay attention to #4: "insert a Windows installation USB flash drive".. I'm confused if this means these instructions can only be used on computers that do not have Windows 10 installed yet. So, can I follow this guide for my situation or do I need to figure out another way? If another way, could you please link me to a guide?

Edit: Please note I did try to plug in a USB drive to a laptop I had to setup Windows for. I just put the autounattend.xml file on the USB drive and plugged it in when it showed the Windows setup screen (without the Windows install ISO because it had already been installed). This did not work.

I think you misunderstood. When computers come to me Windows is installed but not setup. Each computer asks me what language I want to use, whether I want to setup a second keyboard language, whether I want to create a Microsoft account or a local user account, whether I want location services on, targeted ads, etc.

This is the portion I'm trying to automate and from my understanding that is what the Unattended file is used for. I'm just wondering whether I can make it work for my scenario (of computers that have Windows installed by the manufacturers but not setup yet).

If you were building the actual Windows image and putting it on the first time, you would use System Image Manager (SIM) from the Windows ADK as the instructions suggest. This is what OEMs do to automate the installation of Windows. Some OEM will also create a second answer file for sysprep.

It sounds like you are getting computers with Windows installed already. When you are getting a new computer with Windows already installed, it will go through mini-setup and out-of-box experience (OOBE). This is what you are seeing when you boot the new computer.

Rather than creating the full unattended file to install windows, you could create a OOBE.XML file that addresses the OOBE screens that come up. You would have to boot each system to WinPE from a USB flash disk and copy over the oobe.xml file to the C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info folder, shutdown the system, remove the USB stick, and the boot the system to run through OOBE.

The way I use this process (not sysprep, not auto pilot) is with the XML file to blow any existing OS on laptops and install fresh Windows 10; non-domain joined; local accounts and auto-login to desktop. You plug the stick, power ON the PC, make sure it actually boots off the stick and walk away. I literally copied my XML from our old Windows XP "blow OS CD" and it worked less the product key of course.

What I am yet to figure out is how to leave the Windows 10 product key empty and have the installer use digital product key which now days is integrated into modern laptops. It works just fine with manual OS install by clicking "I do not have product key" and it then finds the digital license but how can one use this very same feature with the XML? Any help will be appreciated!

I'm working with Windows Server 2012, Windows Deployment Service (WDS), and Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). I created a base unattended.xml file. When I go to edit in an xml editor it's actually a bit annoying since I don't have an xsd.

I can't seem to find the attributes available for each node.

For example... I know that Microsoft-Windows-Setup allows for attributes such as publicKeyToken, language, versionScope, and processorArchitecture just by looking at the default unattended.xml file that I have; but, on the page I do not see these attributes listed... only a summary and what nodes can be placed within this node.

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