Does WinX have SYS-Prep?

[Z15CAM]

2nd attempt on this topic.

Does a fresh install of WinX have the SYS-Prep Option?

If so; how many rounds?

Or is WinX considered an UpDate like a SP UpDate and SYS-Prep is gone for New HardWare (MB's)?

 

[ArisVer]

There should be one. I used it a few days ago on an older technical preview. I had errors but the function was there.

 

[paul878]

yes

 

[Z15CAM]

OK - But has anyone actually successively tested it through the whole process where you save a SYS-Prep Image as a BackUp to New HardWare?

And if so how many rounds are you entitled to?

Granted that anybody who is familiar with Installing a SYS-Prep BackUp Image knows enough into log into a Dummy User Account during the SetUp process.

 

[matricks]

This thread is the second Google hit for "sysprep rounds". What on earth are these rounds you speak of? The Internet is unfamiliar with the term.

CamelCasing is UnNeCessarily BotherSome to ReAd, and has no use in the EngLish LangUage. Why do you make such an effort to camelcase random words?

 

[Z15CAM]

Matricks - Thank you for your interest but you obliviously need to learn more about the Windows SYS-Prep Option before commenting.

HINT: Backing Up a SYS-Prep Installation Image for New Hardware will fail after typing "windir%\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe" in an elevated CMD prompt if you have updated your OS with a Service Pack or UPGRADED to a newer Win OS and Lock the OS to your specific hardware - Meaning you can't transfer your Personal Windows OS and Apps to other HardWare.

The definition of Rounds refer to the number of times you can build a SYS-Prep Image Win7 allows 3

 

[Puffnstuff]

Matricks - Thank you for your interest but you obliviously need to learn more about the Windows SYS-Prep Option before commenting.

Why are you asking us for information on this topic?

 

[Z15CAM]

Then why are you asking us for information on this topic?

If you are considering the idiom as "US" to "YOU" in respect to more knowledgeable members of AnandTech Forum Members on this Topic - That's you case - Start a New Thread ;o)

Believe me I have NO issues using Win7 SP1 64-Bit SYS-Prep Backup Installation Images to migrate my System to other hardware. I'm asking if a Fresh Installation of WinX complies with the Win7 SYS-Prep Option. SP and Win OS UpGrading are exempt and does WinX's mandatory UpDates defeat the SYS-Prep option.

I've no experience with WinX - That's why I'm asking my peers on Anandtech Forums with more experience then me regarding WinX concerning Backup SYS-Prep Installation Images. If SYS-Prep exist on after fresh install and then you loose it - Can you Re-Arm it.

Get the drift now: Puffninstuff

 

[Ketchup]

You can download a trial of Windows 10 Enterprise for free. Grab a spare drive and see what happens. Can YOU do it?

 

[JackMDS]

http://www.niallbrady.com/2015/05/25/cannot-sysprep-windows-10-build-10122-fails-to-generalize/

.

 

[xSauronx]

http://www.niallbrady.com/2015/05/25/cannot-sysprep-windows-10-build-10122-fails-to-generalize/

.

not just that, but windows 8 is a lot more particular about tolerated OS changes than windows 7. since it is meant just for customizing deployed pcs, really using a pc then trying to run sysprep can cause headaches. the resolution to a lot of them is: just deploy a fresh OS, IMMEDIATELY run sysrep in audit mode, reboot and customize it, then resume the sysrep and immediately capture the image. thats what the tool is for. windows 10 is going to behave similarly. it is not meant for cloning a pc that has been in use, id suggest trying a backup/clone software first. dont know what to tell you about the activation, but i did feel it worth mentioning how uptight sysprep is on newer OSes

 

[matricks]

Matricks - Thank you for your interest but you obliviously need to learn more about the Windows SYS-Prep Option before commenting.

I suppose What is Sysprep (technet.microsoft.com) is a suitable place to "learn more about Sysprep", as you suggest. I found some interesting quotes:

The System Preparation (Sysprep) tool prepares an installation of Windows for duplication, auditing, and customer delivery.

Which of these are you trying to accomplish?

Sysprep must be used only to configure new installations of Windows.

You said you wanted to "transfer your Personal Windows OS and Apps to other HardWare" [sic]. A personalized Windows installation with personal apps is not a new installation.

On to what I think you are referring to:

You can run Sysprep as many times as required to build and to configure your installation of Windows. However, you can reset Windows activation only up to three times.

So, you are actually asking about the rearm count. Which is only related to Sysprep due to Sysprep resetting activation. Sysprep doesn't care how many times you run it, it says so right there. Windows activation cares, which is a different issue altogether. The rearm count is three in Windows 10 as well as 7.

You must not use Sysprep to reconfigure an existing installation of Windows that has already been deployed. Use Sysprep only to configure new installations of Windows.

Even more specifics about when Sysprep is and is not appropriate.

You are using Sysprep to accomplish a goal that it is not designed to accomplish. Even if it works, it isn't the right way. It works for three runs, and then it stops. This is not because of Sysprep, but simply how Sysprep interacts with Windows activation.

On an unrelated note, I have run Sysprep more times than I have posts on this forum. To accomplish goals it is designed to accomplish. I know what it is, does and how to run it. Which is why the concept of rounds had no meaning.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Having read through the many helpful comments posted in this thread and the hostile responses from the OP I rather think that he might actually need a proctologist for his problem. :awe:

 

[WinOutreach2]

Sysprep works just like it did in Windows 8.1. Rearm count on my machine is 1001, but I upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 and you cannot Sysprep upgraded environments. If you want to prepare an image as a form of backup, you’ll need to do it from a clean installed environment.

Another option for your scenario is an image based backup, but as you seem to be aware an image based backup is not intended to be hardware agnostic and of course includes data.

When you say to use a dummy account to prepare the image before Sysprep, you should really be using Audit Mode (Ctrl+Shift+F3 during Windows Setup before it asks for a user name, product key, etc.). That logs you in as Administrator and lets you make changes and when you generalize the image there will be no user account left over. You should also ensure that you do not install drivers during the image preparation as this will decrease the likelihood of cross hardware compatibility.

In the world of corporate deployment, the recommended procedure is to create the reference image in a virtual machine to avoid complex drivers and to create the image with the minimum of software installed. Modern deployment solutions like the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) can be configured to inject needed drivers, install software, and configure the operating system during the deployment process. This makes it much easier to repeat the steps and get the same configuration on different machines, especially with different hardware or if you need slightly different configurations of software.

Brandon
Windows Outreach Team- IT Pro
Windows for IT Pros at TechNet

 

[Z15CAM]

WinOutreach2: Good Post for a Junior Member on AnandTech - I'm an Old Fart and I agree although I do not use Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) but a method of my own based on a DOS Boot 1.36MB app named GHOST.EXE utilizing a SYS-Prep Image.

 

[JackMDS]

The best cost effective solution is this for $49.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=acronis_trueimage-_-32-200-078-_-Product

Imaging and Recover with correction for different Hardware.

Might be that whatever you want to do now and in the future does not justify the cost of a meal for 4 people in a fast food Joint.

That is OK, but it does merit such "despair and dis-trust".

 

[Z15CAM]

Other then providing an Image Backup for your particular hardware, Ghost, Acronis, Macrium or other backup utilities ... etc have nothing to do with preparing a SYS-Prep State of your Win OS.

 

[JackMDS]

Well, I guess that you have a large Enterprise Network loaded with large number of Win 10 Enterprise computers.

That said, in case of few Win 10 computers at home a use of dissimilar hardware Imaging program usually entails just few extra minutes per computer to adjust the imaged computer for the home Network credentials.

 

[Z15CAM]

From my experience unless a MS OS is Clean Install any MS Win SP UpGrade or System UpGrade such as WinX "NULLIFIIES" SYS-Prep. Am I correct?

Just wish someone would type in an elevated CMD Prompt "%windir%\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe" in WinX.

SELECT: Enter System Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE)
Check - GENERALIZE.

Shut Down and report back if it works after UpGrading or doing a Clean install of WinX.

Suggest you create a OS BackUp Image before attempting this.

Whether or not the Command responds or fails report back if you have UpGraded to WinX or did a Clean Install.

I don't believe I can explain it any simpler and I want proof from Members that have loaded WinX that WinX has SYS-Prep before endeavoring into WinX. OK I've become Lazy to play with the latest MS OS - LOL.

 

[matricks]

So, you want several members to back up their perfectly working Windows 10 install, irreversibly mess with said perfectly working install, and revert to said backup should the resulting environment be undesirable. And you will sit back and wait for their scientific, peer reviewed research reports.

OK I've become Lazy

Good, very good. The first step is admitting you have a problem. You're making progress.

 

[ultimatebob]

This thread is the second Google hit for "sysprep rounds". What on earth are these rounds you speak of? The Internet is unfamiliar with the term.

CamelCasing is UnNeCessarily BotherSome to ReAd, and has no use in the EngLish LangUage. Why do you make such an effort to camelcase random words?

Maybe there is a secret message embedded in the post?

 

[JackMDS]

Maybe there is a secret message embedded in the post?

If you look at the Google result, the other finding there includes the following line.

"Using BCDBOOT using easy BCD SYSPREP. Rounds was$504 $454 and free shipping".


.

 

[WinOutreach2]

From my experience unless a MS OS is Clean Install any MS Win SP UpGrade or System UpGrade such as WinX "NULLIFIIES" SYS-Prep. Am I correct?

Just wish someone would type in an elevated CMD Prompt "%windir%\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe" in WinX.

SELECT: Enter System Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE)
Check - GENERALIZE.

Shut Down and report back if it works after UpGrading or doing a Clean install of WinX.

Suggest you create a OS BackUp Image before attempting this.

Whether or not the Command responds or fails report back if you have UpGraded to WinX or did a Clean Install.

I don't believe I can explain it any simpler and I want proof from Members that have loaded WinX that WinX has SYS-Prep before endeavoring into WinX. OK I've become Lazy to play with the latest MS OS - LOL.

I can definitively tell you that Sysprep does not work on upgraded environments. This includes Windows 10 upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 upgraded between builds.

I can also definitively tell you that Sysprep is present and still used for image preparation in Windows 10, you just need to ensure that you are working from a clean installed environment.

If you have Windows 10 and upgraded from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, bear in mind that once the upgraded environment is activated, you can perform a clean installation from the media created here.

Windows 10 is very robust at hardware detection and you can probably move an image from machine to machine without much issue. Like previous versions of Windows, Sysprep is less important for removing hardware specific information than actually uninstalling drivers from Programs and Features and ensuring that the drivers for the correct storage mode are enabled (you turn them on in the registry). You also need to ensure that source and destination computers are both running the same firmware model (UEFI or BIOS), since the boot requirements for each are quite different.

Brandon
Windows Outreach Team- IT Pro
Windows for IT Pros at TechNet

 

[Mushkins]

Brandon is spot on. You should never, ever be trying to sysprep a system after doing an in-place upgrade of the OS anyway, it's a good thing it flat out doesn't let you.

The tool is available in Win10, and it stops you from making poor decisions that would otherwise corrupt your OS. Sysprep is NOT its own fully featured imaging and migration solution any more than VSC is a robust backup solution.