Windows VM deployment with customization or using customization specification to deployed Widows VMs fails with "Cannot complete customization"

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• VM deployment with customization or using customization specification to deployed VMs fails with

Cannot complete customization

• In vpxd.log, you see entries similar to:

2019-05-07T19:00:10.545Z error vpxd[7F36C9BB7700] [Originator@6876 sub=VmCustomizer opID=CustomizeGuestOsDialog-apply-10273070-ngc:70310453-1e] Creating deploy pkg: oobeSystem.Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup.UserAccounts.AdministratorPassword.EncryptedValue
2019-05-07T19:00:10.545Z info vpxd[7F36C9BB7700] [Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=CustomizeGuestOsDialog-apply-10273070-ngc:70310453-1e] [VmCustomizer] Successfully deleted file/directory /tmp/imcf-v1EMfu
2019-05-07T19:00:10.545Z info vpxd[7F36C9BB7700] [Originator@6876 sub=vpxLro opID=CustomizeGuestOsDialog-apply-10273070-ngc:70310453-1e] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH task-28362
2019-05-07T19:00:10.545Z info vpxd[7F36C9BB7700] [Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=CustomizeGuestOsDialog-apply-10273070-ngc:70310453-1e] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-28362 -- vm-8698 -- vim.VirtualMachine.customize: vim.fault.CustomizationFault:
--> Result:
.
.

-->    identity = (vim.vm.customization.Sysprep) {
-->       guiUnattended = (vim.vm.customization.GuiUnattended) {
-->          password = (vim.vm.customization.Password) null,
-->          timeZone = 35,
-->          autoLogon = true,
-->          autoLogonCount = 2
-->       },
.
.

.Note: The preceding log excerpts are only examples. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.

Cause

This occurs when the Password parameter of the Customization Specification is empty

Resolution

Ensure the Windows Administrator password field in customization specification is not empty.