Whilst trying to create a new drive image of a Windows XP Home Edition SP2 installation, using Microsoft’s SysPrep tool updated for SP2 and Acronis TrueImage (which incidentally, I find far superior to Symantec Ghost. Better network drivers, good support and the fantastic “Universal Restore” function – a big thumbs up!) I came across a curious problem that had me scratching my head.
After completing the Sysprep routine, creating the disk image and rebooting – instead of the “Mini Setup” you’d expect to find after running SysPrep in this way, Windows error’d with “The system is not fully installed. Please run setup again”.
A quick search of the Microsoft Knowledgebase found an article that explained the problem, how to reproduce it and how to workaround it – of a fashion.
The article refers to changing the registry on the problematic machine to enable the machine to boot properly. Instead of the Parallel Install suggestion the KB article mentioned, I used the excellent AVG Rescue CD to edit the registry – which took all of 3 minutes as opposed to the lenthy Parallel install routine. The upshot was the machine then booted – albeit to my pre-sysprep image, no Mini-Setup ran at all.
I ran SysPrep and created a new image again, only to come to the same result. Frustration.
Finally, I stumbled across a blog entry from David Douglass where he describes the same problem and suggests un-installing Windows Media Player 11 as the culprit. Low and beyold – one uninstall of WMP11 and the whole process worked!
I can’t find any “official” Microsoft documentation of this bizarre bug, so kudo’s to David for saving many frustrating hours of trying to find the issue!
Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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2 thoughts on How to fix problems with WMP11 & Sysprep
ANDY
1ST JUNE 2007 13:13:25
What an odd thing! Your right it is bizarre Just thought i'd comment on True Image vs Ghost They dont really compare anymore. The Symantec TrueImage equivalent is now called "Backup Exec System Recovery Desktop Edition" (long winded i know!) We use the server based products and i prefer the Symantec offering (just my opinion). The "Universal Restore" option used to be called "Restore Anywhere" when the Symantec product was called Livestate Recovery and was an optional module, but when it got bundled in when they rebranded it you can even image from a virutal machine to a physical PC and vice versa!
RICHARD
6TH JUNE 2007 06:00:39
Thanks for pointing that out Andy - I certainly wasn't aware of Symantec's latest offerings. Now that you've brought them to my attention, I'm off to grab a copy of "Backup Exec System Recovery Desktop Edition" to see how it compares (I'd already got a copy of "Backup Exec System Recovery Server Edition" winging it's way to me...). The Image to/from a Virtual Machine sounds a killer function! I'll post my findings later on!