default location of sysprep file

[Migration User]

We are running DS 6.9 spk3
i am trying to find the location of the default sysprep file altiris uses when deploying an image through Hardware independance.

reason being is that after the image is deployed onto the machine, the mini-setup appears and tries to put the computer back onto the domain,
fails and waits for user interaction, at which it says that the domain is unavailable and you have to add the machine to a workgroup, or skip the joing domain sequence.

then altiris configuration utility kicks in next boot and fixes everything.

hence my desire to find the default sysprep file so i can edit it with the approriate details.

we are deploying windows XP spk3

so thought it may have been the standardxp.inf.
but changing this makes no difference.

 

[Migration User]

Based on your post above, sysprep is already part of the image.  The sysprep files are generally stored in c:\sysprep on the image itself.  You can modify the sysprep.ini file via image explorer, however, be careful with this as modifying images with Image Explorer has been known to corrupt images.  Your safest bet is to create a new image the way you want and re-sysprep it.

[Migration User]

no, sysprep is not part of the images.

i created them. we dont use sysprep as altiris does the work of sysprep using the configuration utility after an image process.

however when hardware independent imaging is ticked, altiris adds sysprep to the drive after imaging the machine, and runs a mini-setup to wipe the driver cache etc.

its then that the machine stands still, trying to add the computer onto the domain prematurely.

i found if i tick, "prepared using sysprep" inside altiris image job, then the machine name stays the same as the original from the image. and messes the domain SID for the machines.

[Migration User]

I've never heard of Altiris adding sysprep to an existing image before.  Sysprep has to be part of the image for that to happen.  It would make sense, however, if you are using a third party hardware independent imaging utilities, it is definitely going to need to run a mini-setup to detect the hardware and install the correct drivers.

When you created the image, was the machine already part of the domain at the time?  If so, this is where your problem lies.  The machine should not be part of a domain when pulling an image intended for other machines down the road.

[Migration User]

Hey there,

i am using stock altiris RDP 6.9 install, no third party software.

its all there in the tick boxes under the image process.

with our images, we always have them on the domain, then altiris removes, and re-instates them onto the domain and performs a SID change so that the machine images are unique.

the only fall over is when hardware independent imaging is ticked, then things go funny.

and yes i could remove the machines from the domain, before imaging, however, why do it when we havent had to in the past, we run the same image out to around 50 machines, of the same model, only when sending to a different model do we have an issue.

could be a fault with the hardware independent software altiris added into the solution, however their stance, when i phoned last was that i just had to tick "prepared using sysprep" and supply a sysprep file. this as mentioned earlier caused issues as the task renamed the each machine to the name of the created imaged.

[Migration User]

If I remember right, the default location is the file you found, though it does sound like there are problems if it is not recognizing changes to that file.  What we did in our location to accomedate computer naming was put the following under the USERDATA section: ComputerName=%COMPNAME%.  Then again, we also handle the hardware independent imaging by hand instead of relying on the built-in Altiris tools.  Consequently, our sysprep.inf is kind of long.

[Migration User]

no worries,

will have a look and see if adding just computername to the sysprep file will resolve the issue,

am on holidays, so will get back asap, in about  a week.

[Migration User]

the DS server has the deploy.cab under  \\express_shared\sysprep\dotnet\x86\deploy.cab  
then when deploying to xp it goes under c:\sysprep\  however, once sysprep executes the answer file it removes the c:\sysprep on the first  boot.