Seeing the RunOnce process when automatically dropping into Audit Mode

Question

Hi there,

For WDS, I wrote an answer file that instructs the client machine to drop into Audit Mode, instead of the OOBE.
When I try to put a command line in said answer file or in a HKLM RunOnce registry value, it gets stuck at the Welcome Administrator login screen.

However, when I hit CTRL-ALT-DEL followed by ESC, I'll get to see the result of said command line. (mostly test batch scripts that wait for keyboard input to close)

Is there a way to basically taskkill that Welcome screen that seems to get stuck?

Answer 1

Hello @wesley ligtvoet

All in all, the ideal would be to debug the scripts that are "locking" the screen, but you can avoid the Welcome screen and/or "setting up things" screens with the next registry change:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "EnableFirstLogonAnimation" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f  

Hope this helps with your query,

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Answer 2

Found it!

For my fellow sysadmins:
Just put Windows-Shell-Setup/RunSynchronousCommand in the oobeSystem phase, even though you wrote the answer file to drop into Audit Mode instead of the actual OOBE.
It goes to said command window in the blink of an eye.