after running sysprep on a machine. the source machine will not boot normally

Question

I reimage a machine with my current image. I make a few file change and sysprep it.

After the machine is powered back on, using a std sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:c:\unattend.xml. When the machine starts I get the "just a moment" screen and then after a few minutes machine will reboot and I will get a blue screen stating Why did my PC restart?

I boot the machine with a winpe stick and copy the log in the c:\windows\panther\UnattendGC to check them. I see no error that would cause screen.

I have used this unattend.xml file several times

What have I not checked? Where do i go from here.

Answer 1

Hello,

The panther logs you’ve mentioned are a good start. Look for any warnings or errors, not just those that explicitly say “error.” Sometimes, the issue can be identified through a warning. Check other relevant logs such as setupact.log and setuperr.log in the C:\Windows\Panther directory or the C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther directory.

Ensure that you have not exceeded the sysprep limitation. Windows can only be sysprepped a certain number of times (usually three) before it will no longer process these requests.

If you have made many changes to the system or installed a lot of software, consider starting with a fresh Windows image.

Review Specialize Pass:

Sometimes, errors can occur during the specialize pass of the Windows Setup process. Examine any specialized configuration in the unattend.xml file.

Best Regards,

Hania Lian

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