Sysprep: unable to validate current Windows installation.

DMD · Sep 27, 2023

Good morning I never encountered any problem creating deployment images, today I get this message.
I don't know where to look for the error.
Thank you

cereberus · Sep 27, 2023

Well, it tells you where to look in second sentence.

DMD · Sep 27, 2023

I uninstalled Virtualbox and reinstalled, deleted all files and started a new procedure.
When I select "Generalize" and "Shut down the system" shortly after I get "Fatal error while running sysprep".
I don't know how to fix it.

hsehestedt · Sep 27, 2023

Without your logs, it is hard to say with absolutely no data available to aid in diagnosis, but I'm going to take a wild guess here:

Are you installing or uninstalling any Windows Store apps prior to running sysprep? If so, that will cause Syaprep to fail.

garlin · Sep 27, 2023

hsehestedt said:
Without your logs, it is hard to say with absolutely no data available to aid in diagnosis, but I'm going to take a wild guess here:

Are you installing or uninstalling any Windows Store apps prior to running sysprep? If so, that will cause Syaprep to fail.

It's not necessary to eveb install Store apps, if you don't disable the network or unplug the cable then WU will silently update UWP apps in the background if you're sitting there too long.

DMD · Sep 28, 2023

I attach the log files of the path
"C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther"
But they are of no help to me.
I also tried to follow the video tutorial, but I still have the same problem.

DMD · Sep 29, 2023

I did some more testing and got these logs taken from the virtual machine
From what I understand the problem is the web experience app? or am I wrong.
Thanks

garlin · Sep 29, 2023

Always unplug the network while sysprepping on W10/11, that's always been the advice. There's other ways to disable WU by integrating reg changes or running Unattended commands -- but disconnecting the cable is the easiest.

If you need network acccess to copy other files into the image, then run this before exiting:

Code:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUser | Where {$_.PackageFullName -like "*Client.WebExperience*"} | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUser

hsehestedt · Sep 29, 2023

garlin said:
disconnecting the cable is the easiest to do

Agreed. As an alternative, if your computer is tucked away in a corner where getting to the network cable is a pain, you can open a command prompt and issue an ipconfig /release. That would be pretty much the equivalent of disconnecting the cable.

DMD · Sep 29, 2023

I always had the network connection active when generalizing sysprp, this happens by upgrading from build 2283 to 2361.
Before generalizing I disconnect the network I see what happens.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Can I disconnect from the virtual machine as well?

Unfortunately, it returns me the same error.

garlin · Sep 29, 2023

You need to disable the network as soon as it boots into audit. WU will start updating in the background, there's no set time but if nothing else is going on it will start downloading UWP updates. Otherwise run the Remove-AppxPackage to clear what's been added, before rebooting to generalize mode.

hsehestedt · Sep 29, 2023

garlin said:
You need to disable the network as soon as it boots into audit. WU will start updating in the background, there's no set time but if nothing else is going on it will start downloading UWP updates. Otherwise run the Remove-AppxPackage to clear what's been added, before rebooting to generalize mode.

Ah yes, thanks.

DMD · Sep 29, 2023

After numerous attempts, I recreated the iso lite by including "ClientWebExperience" and finally managed to generalize sysprep without errors.

garlin · Sep 29, 2023

I don't think you can remove Windows Backup this way.

You would have to permanently block app updates, and never install the latest CU's since the current ISO copy of ClientWebExperience doesn't (yet) have Windows Backup. And both methods will force install the latest package.

DMD · Oct 2, 2023

Thank you very much.
I solved this problem by invesitgating on the fact that I had also installed an App ( SpeedtestbyOokla) from the store returning the following message:

Code:

023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP Package Ookla.SpeedtestbyOokla_1.16.165.0_x64__43tkc6nmykmb6 was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x80073cf2.
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x3cf2.
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'SysprepGeneralizeValidate' from C:\Windows\System32\AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Error in validating actions from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error                 SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while validating Sysprep session actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error      [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x3cf2
2023-10-02 12:20:55, Error      [0x0f00d8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while pre-validate sysprep generalize internal providers; hr = 0x80073cf2

Only by uninstalling this App is generalization possible.
I ask if there is a procedure to install third-party Apps avoiding the sysprep error.
I also tried disconnecting the network, after installing the APP.
Thank you

garlin · Oct 2, 2023

You're missing the key point:
sysprep doesn't go forward if ANY user profile has registered ANY new Appx package (or newer version of existing package installed in the install image). This has always been the case, it's well known to the Windows IT community.

The options are:
1. Don't allow any new Appx packages (or updated versions) to be installed by disabling WU or Store updates. Most non-technical users choose to disable networking so they don't need to script anything, or to add registry values. If you disable them using a setting, usually you need to undo the change right before capturing the image.

2. "Get-AppxPackage -AllUser | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUser" unregisters all user profiles, which satisfies sysprep.

3. Run Add-AppxProvisonedPackage on a local Appx package file. This installs the package to the image, but doesn't register it to any user. Normal user provisioning will pick up the packages on first logon.

4. I've seen a hack to disable sysprep's user profile check. It exists, but I don't recommend it unless you're a serious professional.