"Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file" is displayed after deploying a sysprepped image to a predefined or unknown computer

Products

• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

After a sysprepped image is deployed to a predefined or unknown computer and the computer is booted to production, Windows setup will be unable to parse the unattend.xml answer file. This leaves the computer in a broken state.

When Windows Setup runs after the client has been booted to production, it will attempt to process the answer file and fail. The error will state, "Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file"

Environment

DS 8.0 HF3 ONLY

Cause

The issue is caused because of a change made in 8.0 HF3 that overwrites data in the tcpip table that is needed by the deploy image task to properly create an unattend.xml file.

Resolution

A pointfix has been released that fixes the issue.  To install do the following:

On the Notification server running 8.0 HF3

1. Download the zip files attached to this article and save to the NS hard drive.
2. Extract the PointFix to a directory that is NOT in the Altiris installation path(or any subfolder to it)!!!  E.g c:\program file\altiris
3. Execute PFInstaller.exe using a user that has administrative privileges.
4. If UAC box is presented, acccept UAC (User Account Control) prompt, select Install Files. Old assembly file will be replaced with the new ones.  A log file named  'Log.txt' will be created at the same location where PFinstaller is located.
5. Close and restart your NS console

Note: An entry to the registry is made at '[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Pointfixes\' when the pointfix is installed.

This issue will also be addressed in 8.0 HF4.