I am unable to set computer name using my unattend.xml file for Windows 2008 R2. I want to set the computer name to WINDOWS-O03BOYD but it is getting set to some random string, in this case to WIN-U5GVC692KJ1. Please see my unattend file after booting into the system below: *** <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> - <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"> - <settings pass="auditSystem" wasPassProcessed="true"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" 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" /> </settings> - <settings pass="auditUser" wasPassProcessed="true"> - <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="AMD64"> - <Reseal> <ForceShutdownNow>false</ForceShutdownNow> <Mode>OOBE</Mode> </Reseal> - <RunSynchronous> - <RunSynchronousCommand> <Description>BESR Restore Anyware NIC Settings</Description> <Order>1</Order> <Path>C:\Windows\System32\cscript.exe /nologo C:\BESRNicSettings.Vbs</Path> </RunSynchronousCommand> - <RunSynchronousCommand> <Description>BESR Restore Anyware NIC Settings Cleanup</Description> <Order>2</Order> <Path>C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /d /e:off /f:off /v:off /q /c "del C:\BESRNicSettings.Vbs"</Path> </RunSynchronousCommand> </RunSynchronous> </component> </settings> - <settings pass="oobeSystem" wasPassProcessed="true"> - <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="AMD64"> - <OOBE> <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage> <SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE> <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE> </OOBE> - <AutoLogon> <Enabled>true</Enabled> <Username>Administrator</Username> <LogonCount>1</LogonCount> </AutoLogon> </component> </settings> - <settings pass="specialize"> - <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="AMD64" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <CopyProfile>true</CopyProfile> <ComputerName>WINDOWS-O03BOYD</ComputerName> </component> </settings> </unattend> *** As you can see for specialize pass the wasPassProcessed is not set to TRUE so I guess the pass was not successful. But setuperr file in both panther and panther\unattendGC is 0 kb meaning no errors during setup. setupact file insode unattendGC folder has following entries which tells that the computer name is being set as per unattend.xml file *** [Shell Unattend] Running 'specialize' pass 2011-05-31 23:44:38, Info [Shell Unattend] WindowsFeatures: Launched HideWindowsLive 2011-05-31 23:44:38, Info [Shell Unattend] ComputerName: generating computer name from user name 2011-05-31 23:44:38, Info [Shell Unattend] ComputerName: generated name 'WINDOWS-O03BOYD' 2011-05-31 23:44:38, Info [Shell Unattend] ComputerName set to WINDOWS-O03BOYD 2011-05-31 23:44:38, Warning [Shell Unattend] TimeZone: Unknown time zone 'Indian Standard Time' 2011-05-31 23:44:38, Info [Shell Unattend] Exiting 'specialize' pass with status 0x001f1000 *** But setupact file inside pather folder has following entries *** [0x060004] IBS Callback_UpdateDrivePathsOnBB:No need to update the blackboard paths. 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info [0x070035] DIAG CallBack_DiagnosticDataGeneration: Called with notification for Initialization 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info DIAG CallBack_DiagnosticDataGeneration: Setup was started from Phase 4. Disabling Diagnostics [DiagnosticDataGeneration] in this scenario 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info [0x060258] IBS GenerateName: Failed to read the Key UserData\FullName\Value from Blackboard defaulting to WIN 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info [0x060259] IBS GenerateName: Failed to read the Key UserData\OrgName\Value from Blackboard 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info [0x06025d] IBS Callback_ComputerName_Validate:Computer name is WIN-U5GVC692KJ1 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info [0x06025a] IBS Callback_ComputerName_Generate:Computer name [WIN-U5GVC692KJ1] is valid. 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info IBS SetComputerNameOnline: Set the computer name to WIN-U5GVC692KJ1 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info UI CallbackInitOnlineUI: Enter 2011-06-08 04:16:49, Info UI CallbackInitOnlineUI: Exit *** also it has following entries which are relevant ** 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [setup.exe] ValidateSMIPass: load SMI settings; status 0x00000000 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x0600c0] IBS Callback_Unattend_InitEngine:Successfully deserialized and validated unattend file [C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml]. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x0604d4] IBS Callback_ConfigSetProcessUnattend: UseConfigurationSet is false. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info DIAG Callback_Diagnostic_Unattend: Setup was started from Phase 4. Disabling Diagnostics [ ProcessUnattend ] in this scenario 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x064047] IBSLIB MarkUnattendSettingAsProcessed: Marking unattend setting [ProductKey\ProductKey] as processed. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x064047] IBSLIB MarkUnattendSettingAsProcessed: Marking unattend setting [UserData\ComputerName] as processed. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x064047] IBSLIB MarkUnattendSettingAsProcessed: Marking unattend setting [SetupUI\SkipEula] as processed. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x064047] IBSLIB MarkUnattendSettingAsProcessed: Marking unattend setting [PrepareDisks] as processed. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x064047] IBSLIB MarkUnattendSettingAsProcessed: Marking unattend setting [LangPacks] as processed. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info [0x060590] IBS CallBack_LanguagePacks_Unattend:Unattend already processed. 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info PnPIBS: Entering PnP callback to validate unattend.xml settings for component Microsoft-Windows-PnPCustomizationsWinPE ... 2011-06-08 04:21:15, Info PnPIBS: Unattend settings need not be processed. Nothing more to be done here! ** I am not using WDS. Can some one help out here ? Thanks, Ganesh

here's how to do it http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/582-how-can-i-change-computername-using-windows-sim/ by the way, this forum is for System Center Conifguration Manager 2007, are you using that ? My step by step SCCM Guides I'm on Twitter > ncbrady

Thanks but I dont want to generate unattend.xml file. I already have it and its settings are not getting reflected. I would like to know how to achieve that.

Where are you getting you computername from MDT or SCCM?

Maybe you can try to add it manually in the unattend.xml file? This can be found here:http://forums.techarena.in/operating-systems/1371872.htm How many times or how many servers are we talking about and is it only one Windows 2008 R2 machine? My ConfigMgr blog: http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com Follow me on Twitter: @henkhoogendoorn

I have entered the computer name in unattend file as you can see in my unattend file in my first post above. <ComputerName>WINDOWS-O03BOYD</ComputerName> My problem is after the image is restored, answer file is created and I have rebooted the machine, the machine takes some random computer name instead of the one mentioned above. I want my machine to automatically take up the computer name mentioned in my unattend.xml file. But thats not happening.

Hi, are you using MDT or SCCM for this? Which tools your using? That way we can decide what's the best option possible here.. Where do you place your own unattend.xml file during deployment? My ConfigMgr blog: http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com Follow me on Twitter: @henkhoogendoorn

I am using Symantec BESR. It has restored the system and it has also created the unattend file for me in c:\windows\panther directory. It seems to have restored the system and seems to have created unattend file perfectly fine. As you can see in my first post the unattend.xml seems perfect. But now if I try to boot the restored machine, the computer name goes for toss. So I dont really know whats happening here.

Have you seen the following posts already? Server Deployment: Autounattend.xml Windows Server 2008 R2: http://www.networknet.nl/apps/wp/archives/954 Unattended Installation of Windows Server 2008: http://www.windowsreference.com/windows-server-2008/unattended-installation-of-windows-server-2008/ Windows 2008 R2, where to place unattend.xml in image: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-IE/winserversetup/thread/0ecc2221-9dad-4de0-87a6-d4b382eb05e4 It mentions: Found when I put the unattend.xml in the \panther directory, it works! Guess I will keep it there and then run sysprep with /unattend:path to panther dir etc ... Is it working that way?My ConfigMgr blog: http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com Follow me on Twitter: @henkhoogendoorn

The issue here is not finding the unattend.xml file. The issue is all the passes except the specialize pass are getting processed. Somehow settings in specialize pass are not applied.

Hi, have a look at this then, it has something to do with CopyProfile I think: CopyProfile does not process and causes Windows could not parse or process the Unattend answer file for the pass [Specialize]: http://jamiebaldanza.org/2010/03/31/copyprofile-does-not-process-and-causes-windows-could-not-parse-or-process-the-unattend-answer-file-for-the-pass-specialize/ The following error appears if CopyProfile setting is set to true configured in the unattend.xml file. Windows could not parse or process the Unattend answer file for the pass [Specialize]. The settings in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing settings for component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup] Solutions was to delete any users from the following location in the registry that do not exist anymore HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList After doing that you should be able to sysprep the gold image correctly. This can also be found on TechNet Forums: Windows could not parse or process the unattend answer file for pass [specialize]. The setting specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing the settings for component [Microsoft-Shell setup]" http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserversetup/thread/ce69efd2-a90f-403a-8427-3a5d953e87cf The error you got means Windows cannot process some settings for the component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup] under spacialize pass. I noticed that in sysprep.xml you specified the <CopyProfile> setting under component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup] in specialize pass. I assume this is the unattend file you use when you sysprep the computer. If you capture an image after the generalize phase of Windows Setup has completed and use that image to install Windows with an explicit Unattend.xml answer file passed to Setup.exe, then the explicit Unattend.xml answer file must have <CopyProfile> set to true, otherwise the customized user profile will not be copied over the default user profile. In other words, you must also specify <CopyProfile> setting as true in the unattend answer file of the image you captured when you deploy it. My ConfigMgr blog: http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com Follow me on Twitter: @henkhoogendoorn

Thanks a lot for your help and patience. I did not get chance to try these out but I tried running windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe from command prompt of the booted machine and it applied the specialize pass and set the computer name correctly.It also set waspassprocessed to TRUE for specialized pass. I think my key HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup has parameter "CmdLine" set to "oobe\\windeploy.exe". I think that is causing the issue. I may have to set it to something like sysprep.exe /generalize. Will try out some options. Please let em know if my analysis is correct.

Yes, you can try that. Have a look also at the CopyProfile mentioned above. This because it looks like your issue.My ConfigMgr blog: http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com Follow me on Twitter: @henkhoogendoorn