SOLVED Creating Win10 image after using sysprep

[CoreyF]

I am using the Win10 built in backup/retore option to create a Win10 image for deployment to multiple pc's at work.
Created the Win10 repair boot disk first.
No problem using sysprep/generalize OOBE/shutdown option.
The problem is the repair boot disk does everything except allow you to create an image when i boot to the disk.
I needed to run sysprep OOBE with the shutdown option to ensure the SID gets changed for each pc I use the image on.
Before I attempted this I performed a quick imaging test just to see if I could make an image and restore it which all worked great.

 

[Wolfie]

HI Corey,

I don't use it much but I wouldn't use Sysprep anyway, I would go for the simple image creation and use that myself.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17127/windows-back-up-restore

maybe one of the other members has a better solution for you?.

 

[davehc]

Perhaps it would be useful if you posted this in your earlier thread
https://www.windows10forums.com/threads/sysprep-setup-failure.15589/#post-82220
as possible difficulties?
Maybe a moderator could merge??

 

[CoreyF]

HI Corey,

I don't use it much but I wouldn't use Sysprep anyway, I would go for the simple image creation and use that myself.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17127/windows-back-up-restore

maybe one of the other members has a better solution for you?.

I discovered that using sysprep in Windows 10 failed anyway. It would never complete the bootup after using it with the error: Installation could not be completed". So, it appears your recommendation is best at this point since imaging and restoring without sysprep worked just fine. It's my understanding though you must run sysprep in order to change the SID. I hope can image and restore then bootup and run sysprep.

 

[CoreyF]

Well, creating an image first that was not syspreped then trying to run sysprep afterwards still fails with the same exact error that "windows could not complete the installation and install again". I can't believe this is being so difficult. I have done this hundreds of times in the past before Windows 10 so I can't see what I may be forgetting. I'm ensuring when this error pops up that press SHIFT F10 and make sure all admininstrative accounts are enabled and have also tried resetting the admin passwords too. I also read online that with Windows 10 you do not have to sysprep in order to change the SID when imaging? Not sure that's true. I am using WSUS and I need to change the SID using sysprep. Anybody have other suggestions? I've tried using Macrium Reflect as well as the built in imaging util in Windows 10 too. Same error no matter what I do. Its got to be an account/password issue I would think.

 

[CoreyF]

Solved. I could tell it had to do with the local account(s). So it finally dawned on me to look at the local accounts password policy. For it to work for me I had to set two local accounts password policies before creating the image file.

Minimum password length = 0
Password complexity = Disabled.

Apparently even though I checked to be sure the local admin account was not disabled and the password was correct, when I got the windows installation error it seems sysprep was still looking for length = 8
Complexity = Enabled when I rebooted each time.