SYSPREP Windows XP: Cloned PC asked for all details?

[suseli]

I duplicated the SYSPREP image to other computers, later when the cloned computer re-started they asked for all details like Owner Details, CD-Key, Computer name….
Why is this? Is it normal?

I have 50 computers, does it mean that i have go thru each computer to do this or there is other way out to skip entering details.

 

[burninwolf]

That is details which has to be unique for each pc the CD Key is the 16 digi code you got wit the original Windows XP disk

 

[suseli]

Its a corporate pcs
All pc will have same domain name, same cd key, same admministrator password, same company name, except diff computer name.

 

[Dillinger99]

Are you using a sysprep.inf answer file when you boot up the newly imaged PCs? If the PC can't find one it will assume you want to manually input all of the info.

 

[bcastner]

. Make sure you have the right Deployment tools for your service pack level:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/default.mspx

. You use Setup Manager to create the answer file:

To install the Setup Manager tool and to create a Sysprep.inf answer file, follow these steps:

1. Open My Computer, and then open the Support\Tools folder on the Windows XP CD (or the location for the newer file you downloaded above).
2. Double-click the Deploy.cab file to open it.
3. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
4. On the Edit menu, click Copy To Folder.
5. Click Make New Folder.

Type the name that you want for the Setup Manager folder, and then press ENTER. For example, type setup manager, and then press ENTER.
6. Click Copy.
7. Open the new folder that you created, and then double-click the Setupmgr.exe file. The Windows Setup Manager Wizard starts.
8. Follow the instructions in the wizard to create an answer file.
For additional information about how to create an answer file, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
308662 (

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308662/)

HOW TO: Use Setup Manager to create an answer file in Windows 2000

 

[suseli]

This is what i did:
-I installed fresh copy of xp.
-Extracted deploy.cab to c:\sysprep
-Used setupmgr.exe to create a answer file named sysprep.inf, where all the details like product key, org name, owner name are filled.
-Then i clicked sysprep.exe, ticked on mini setup options, clicked on Factory. Computer shutdown.
-Took out the hard-drive and made imgage using ghost.
-Restored the image to new pcs, when windows started clicked on Reseal, then computer restarted asking EULA, Product key, Comp Name, Org Name......

 

[bcastner]

The answer file needs to be named WINNT.SIF if using CD images, RIS or had disk installations.

Save the Answer File in Setup Manager - Put a formatted floppy disk into your A drive. Where it says “Location and file name”, type in A:\winnt.sif. If you are using bootable CD images, we must name the answer file winnt.sif. Choose the hard disk location where \i386 was copied to create winnt.sif.

If you do not have a Floppy drive or just want to put it on your Windows XP CD - You will need to save the answer file to your hard drive as winnt.sif. You will be required to make a backup of your Windows XP CD. First of all, you will need to extract the contents of your Windows XP CD to your hard drive. Then you must add winnt.sif to the I386 folder. You will not need to use the batch file (winnt.bat), although it makes the process unambiguous.

You may need to edit the path for setup to find the files it needs. The winnt.bat batch file here says:

1. The answer file is winnt.sif

2. Setup files are located on E:\ (My CD-ROM Drive) in the I386 folder.

3. Tells Setup to begin using winnt32 with a script to tell it to use the unattended method.

@rem SetupMgrTag
@echo off

rem
rem This is a SAMPLE batch script generated by the Setup Manager Wizard.
rem If this script is moved from the location where it was generated, it may have to be modified.
rem

set AnswerFile=.\winnt.sif
set SetupFiles=E:\i386

E:\i386\winnt32 /s:%SetupFiles% /unattend:%AnswerFile%