Hello Everyone, I have been unable to force a sysprep'd Windows Server 2008 machine to prompt for a computer name during the initial boot. Everytime I have run sysprep on a W2K8 machine, a computer name is automatically selected. I have come across some information regarding a known problem with joining a domain and setting a computer name, but I am not attempting to join a domain, and I am still not being prompted to enter a computer name. According to the documentation I've found, removing/not includingthe ComputerName field from the XML file is supposed to force the 'mini setup' to prompt for a computer name, but instead it selects a random computer name everytime.I would like to sysprep my W2K8 server image and have it prompt for an administrator password and a computer name upon first boot. If someone has an idea about how to force W2K8 to prompt for Computer Name during the initial boot after running sysprep, please share. The XML file I'm using with sysprep is listed below: <unattend xmlns="urnchemas-microsoft-com:unattend"> <settings pass="generalize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <PersistAllDeviceInstalls>true</PersistAllDeviceInstalls> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-OutOfBoxExperience" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DoNotOpenInitialConfigurationTasksAtLogon>true</DoNotOpenInitialConfigurationTasksAtLogon> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-ServerManager-SvrMgrNc" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <DoNotOpenServerManagerAtLogon>true</DoNotOpenServerManagerAtLogon> </component> </settings> <settings pass="specialize"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <ProductKey>XXXXXXXX</ProductKey> <RegisteredOrganization>XXX</RegisteredOrganization> <RegisteredOwner>XXX</RegisteredOwner> <TimeZone>Eastern Time</TimeZone> </component> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="x86" 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> <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale> </component> </settings> <settings pass="oobeSystem"> <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" 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> </OOBE> <Display> <HorizontalResolution>800</HorizontalResolution> <RefreshRate>72</RefreshRate> <VerticalResolution>600</VerticalResolution> <ColorDepth>16</ColorDepth> </Display> </component> </settings> <cpifflineImage cpiource="wim://l-2022/users/xxx/desktop/install.wim#Windows Longhorn SERVERENTERPRISE" xmlns:cpi="urnchemas-microsoft-com:cpi" /></unattend> The command I'm using to sysprep the server is: sysprep /oobe /generalize /shutdown /unattend:c:\w2k8.xml Thanks in advance!

Not sure but worth a shot -- also something you didn't list as trying already. I'm just now diving into sysprep for '08 so I'm no expert yet. In past versions, I have always left the entry there, however, it would be blank by using 2 double-quotes. For the XML version I'd imagine you might try including the entry and not specifying a value (i.e., <ComputerName></ComputerName>). I believe with the entry removed that it defaults to an asterisk (*) value by default.

Using the double-quotes sounds like a good idea Eric. Are you going to try this option? If so, please post the results to this thread for everyone. Thanks. jason

No I am not trying it anytime soon. A process I use "injects" it into the OS before the mini-setup runs by editing the sysprep.inf/xml file post-image and pre mini-seup execution while it's still in WinPE. The double-quotes was the way with the older INF versions of sysprep. For the XML version of sysprep, you simply would try using <ComputerName></ComputerName> with no value specified.

Entering double quotes in WSIM results in an xml file that reads: <ComputerName>&quot;&quot;</ComputerName>I knew this wasn't going to work, but I tried it anyway, and got a parse error during the specialize pass after starting up the sysprepped machine.Also, leaving the tag empty: <ComputerName></ComputerName>doesn't give any errors, but auto-generates the computer name.I'm trying to have Setup stop to ask for a computer name before proceeding, but there doesn't seem to be any immediately obvious way of doing it.Anyone else have any suggestions?

I know I'm posting to an old thread... but I've been having the same problem and found a different solution (or rather workaround) to the ones suggested here. Thought someone else may find this useful.Removing the <ComputerName></ComputerName> didn't work for me either, the computer name was still being auto-generated.So I started with some basic settings, and was prompted for the computer name. I then added in the settings I wanted one-by-one and tested each time to see if I was still being prompted (thank god for vmware and snapshots!!).I eventually nailed the <ProductKey>...</ProductKey> option in the Specialize pass as being the problem. Tested a number of times - when specified, the computer name was auto-generated and I wasn't prompted. When not, I was prompted.No idea if this is a bug or not. So for now I'm not worrying about the <ProductKey> tag - which may not be an option for some, but at least now I'm being prompted for the hostname which for me is more important!Michael

Thanks for the update. I'm getting ready to update my Server 2008 image and this should prove helpful. Hopefully this can be corrected in the future via a patch.

Instead of wrestling with Sysprep to make it prompt for user inputs as you like. Try MySysprep 2 at http://www.tsaysoft.com/MySysprep2. You have more flexible and predicable results.Tsaysoft.com

Could you please post an example of what the file should include? Should the <ProductKey> be completely removed along with the <ComputerName> tag, or just by itself? Any specifics would be much appreciated.Thanks,

Was a while ago now, but from memory I think I had to remove both the <ProductKey> in the Specialize pass as well as the <ComputerName> tag.