====== Sysprep ======

===== Preserve Activation =====

**Windows 10**: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3020-windows-10-image-customize-audit-mode-sysprep.html

**Windows Vista/7**: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=5114

**Windows XP**: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

<file>
sysprep -reseal -activated
</file>

===== Fatal Error =====

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/425bd101-8a87-488c-b2e2-9f2f8113a0d9/sysprep-fatal-error-occurred-while-trying-to-sysprep-the-machine?forum=w7itproinstall

Worked on Windows Server 2012 R2:

In Registry Editor, set the value of GeneralizationState under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Status\SysprepStatus to 7, then run sysprep again.

===== Windows XP =====

==== Lost Video or Other Drivers after Sysprep ====

Don't 'Generalize'.

See also: 	'Microsoft-Windows-Pnpsysprep'

==== Windows Activation ====

**Error: "Your grace period limit has been reached and will not be reset"**

In Windows XP Professional, Sysprep can reset Windows Product Activation a maximum of three times.

This causes a problem when deploying the image on other pc's as the image is redundant after 30 days of it being created.

e.g. create image on 1st sept - can deploy on other PCs in sept but when deploy the image on a pc in Oct it has expired and wont let me log on.

There is a solution buried in Microsoft KB308554:

  - Update your master system with applications and patches.
  - Run ''sysprep -factory'' and reboot.
  - Activate Windows.
  - Run ''sysprep -reseal -activated''. No error message about the grace period appears this time!
  - Use the prepped system's drive as your fresh master image for deployment. 

A fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine

**Error: Sysprep was probably run more than 3 times on the machine.**

To show:

<file>
slmgr /dlv
</file>

Generally speaking, to sysprep the image on a single computer for multiple times, you need to configure the Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP | SkipRearm to 1 in the unattend.xml file.

In Registry Editor

<file>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Status\SysprepStatus\GeneralizationState = 7
</file>

Then run sysprep again.

If the same issue still persists, please uninstall the MSDTC and re-install it

To uninstall MSDTC:

<file>
msdtc -uninstall
</file>

To reinstall  MSDTC:

<file>
msdtc -install
</file>