I'm trying to create a sysprepped image of a Windows installation for cloning (basically, as a VM template I can clone to create throwaway test environments quickly). I'm using a new build of Windows 8.1, going into audit mode and configuring my environment, then using sysprep to generalise the image for cloning (sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:C:\MyUnattendFile.xml).
I have customised the default account by setting things up the way I want in audit mode (under the administrator account that audit mode defaults to). My unattend.xml file has CopyProfile set to true (in the specialize phase, the only one I can set it in IIRC). I also have my local account configured for creation in the OOBE phase in the unattend.xml file.
When I boot a copy of the sysprepped image, it starts up fine, exactly as I'd expect. But when it gets to the OOBE phase, it goes into the "Setting up a few things" sequence, and when I get the login screen and log in, I see a clean account (default start page and taskbar, Windows theme is the default, etc). It's as if the default profile I set up hasn't been applied.
I can't tell what I am doing wrong - I saw a note somewhere (via google) that I need to set CopyProfile in the unattend file I boot from, not the one I sysprep with, but that can't be right as in this case I'm not incorporating the image into a setup process - it's just a VM disk image that I boot normally.
I'm new to all this, and I'm a developer rather than a deployment specialist, so the discussion around images, PE boot disks, custom install disks, etc, is very confusing to me. If I'm doing something wrong, I'd appreciate any explanation someone can give as to how to achieve what I want relatively simply.
Many thanks in advance,
Paul
