Sysprep from Win10 x64 ver 1809 fails with an error message, and after checking 16 suggestions, I ask for assistance.
Sysprep was not able to validate your Windows installation
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1n_G7_9baHMNmhwWAWKUolW5T5NMnhAsf lists the 24 errors found in %WINDIR%\System32\Sysprep\Panther\setupact.log when I tried to install Windows 10 version 1809 on a new desktop machine, a PC which installs flawlessly with Windows 10 1709.
https://superuser.com/questions/1238880/sysprep-was-not-able-to-validate-windows-installation suggested four things which did not work:
a) reviewing the Remaining Windows rearm count w/ slmgr /dlv
, which is 1000.
b) looking at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2769827/sysprep-fails-after-you-remove-or-update-windows-store-apps-that-inclu for provisioned M$ Store apps removed or updated. None were removed or updated.
c) Running a PowerShell command Get-AppxPackage -AllUser | Where PackageFullName -eq 89006A2E.AutodeskSketchBook_1.8.1.0_x64__tf1gferkr813w| Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
did not help.
d) Removing default pre-installed Appx for all users as per https://www.thewindowsclub.com/erase-default-preinstalled-modern-apps-windows-8 with Powershell-as-admin commands Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers
followed by 'Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online` which did not help.
Windows 8.1 Enterprise Sysprep Error suggested other things I have not done above:
e) Don't upgrade. It's not an upgrade, it's a brand new install.
f) Delete any other user account, use only Administrator. There are no other accounts other than Administrator.
g) Don't update Modern apps. No Modern apps are updated. The LAN is disconnected during install to prevent this.
h) If you need to add any other settings please use the answer file settings. No other settings are added.
i) Delete the Registry item DWORD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\Upgrade. No such item found.
j) Delete folders c:\windows.old and the c:\Windows~BT. No such folders found.
k) Following a Reddit tip https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/5gpk9u/sysprep_was_not_able_to_validate_your_windows/, I checked C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository\StateRepository-Machine.srd with sqlitebrowser3. No users who should not exist were found in the user and userpackage tables.
l) https://wibier.me/sysprep-not-able-validate-windows-installation/ suggested checking to make sure the OD was no labeled as an upgrade (even though it isn't an upgrade) but there was no REG_DWORD 'Upgrade' key found in the Registry at In the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\ node.
m) As per the suggestion of Origami below, I checked BitLocker with manage-bde -status
. It was on, so I ran a PowerShell command as Administrator in another window Disable-Bitlocker –MountPoint ‘C:’
and kept checking with manage-bde -status
in another window, until it showed C: was unencrypted. Then, also as per that suggestion, I followed http://computer-help-please.blogspot.com/2016/01/sysprep-error-windows-81-sysprep.html, and in Powershell opened as Administrator, ran Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage
then went to the Windows 10 Modern menu, selected every live tile, and marked them to turn them off. Also made sure the PC did not connect to a LAN, either Ethernet or WiFi. Made sure HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Status\SysprepStatus values for cleanupstate and generalizationstate matched the image shown at http://computer-help-please.blogspot.com/2016/01/sysprep-error-windows-81-sysprep.html. Chose Sysprep again with Generalize selected, it rebooted, and it failed again, returning me to the Administrator screen.
FYI, the Modern apps menu shows several tiles with icons for Calendar, Mail, Xbox, Photos, Microsoft Store, Edge, Skype, OneNote, My Office, Movies and TV, Calculator, Groove Music, and Maps, whereas on the previous reboot all it showed was the down-arrow icon.
https://theitbros.com/sysprep-was-not-able-to-validate-your-windows-installation/ suggested two more approaches to investigate:
n) looking for Error SYSPRP Package SomeAppName_1.2.3.500_x64__8we4y23f8b4ws was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image. However, there are no other users at this point besides Administrator, and no other packages are iinstalled.
o) looking for Error 0x0f0036 SYSPRP spopk.dll:: Sysprep will not run on an upgraded OS. You can only run Sysprep on a custom (clean) install version of Windows. That error did not appear and this was a clean install.
Another relevant possibility was found at Sysprepping an offline Windows 10 system?
p) Bring up a Administrator's cmd prompt, go to the oobe folder and manually run msoobe. This runs through the OOBE and then it gets to "Just a moment..."; the throbber spins over over an hour before I killed it.
I eagerly await other suggestions on how to resolve this besides https://xkcd.com/2083 or https://youtu.be/48vQ5q2b0rs.