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Documentation · Troubleshooting

The answer file

The program writes unattended installation settings to the media using the values you provided.

since 0.9.8.5

Purpose

An answer file is generated for each medium from the active installation profile. It runs Windows Setup unattended through to the desktop. Set its values on the corresponding pages, not in the file itself.

Availability

The answer file format is the same in Free, Home, and Pro. Only Pro lets you set additional accounts and company, manufacturer, and support details.

Steps

Setup Foundry writes the answer file as soon as the profile has an administrator password, and again for every medium. Its values come from here:

  1. Users page, Administrator section: Administrator password: becomes the password of the built-in administrator. Apply it with Save.
  2. Pro, same page, User management: additional local accounts.
  3. File > Settings, PC information segment: registered user, and in Pro company and manufacturer. In Pro also the Support segment.
  4. Sources page: the Windows edition of the chosen source, Windows Home or Windows Pro.
  5. Computer name: entered in the Install Assist on the target PC, in Pro following the rules on the Naming page.

Result

The medium carries the template original-autounattend.xml. On the target PC, the Install Assist fills in the computer name and the program selection, enters the target disk, and writes autounattend.xml for Windows Setup from it. If the medium is read-only (ISO), it writes the file to the WinPE RAM drive.

What the answer file sets on its own:

  • Setup: The license terms are accepted automatically. There are no language or product key prompts. We cannot and may not automate Windows activation.
  • Target disk: Install Assist partitions your target disk. If it fails, Windows Setup uses the answer file to do so.
  • Language and region: Display language: German (de-DE); formats and system locale: Austria (de-AT); keyboard: German.
  • Computer: Your profile supplies the computer name, registered user, organization, manufacturer, model and support details.
  • OOBE: the license, OEM registration, online account, Wi-Fi and local account pages are hidden. There is no account prompt.
  • Setup account: Windows creates a temporary administrator account named Setup is running, please wait that signs in automatically and runs setup. The program generates a random password for each medium and adds it to the answer file when writing it if missing.
  • Accounts (Pro): Windows creates the accounts from User management and keeps them disabled until setup completes.

Finally, the built-in Administrator account is renamed as specified and enabled. The setup account is then disabled and deleted.

Notes

The administrator name is not in the answer file. At the end, the setup renames the account as you specified.

If you leave company, manufacturer or support blank, these fields stay empty in the answer file.

Changes to the answer file apply only to the next medium; media already created stay unchanged.

Important

Passwords are stored on the medium in readable form, not encrypted (some Base64-encoded). Treat the stick and the ISO like any drive that holds credentials.

If it does not work

  • Your profile information has been saved. The unattended installation file will be created once an administrator password is set.: Set an administrator password on the Users page and save.
  • Settings saved. The answer file could not be updated because of an error.: Save again. If the message persists, send diagnostics to support.
  • Saved, but the answer file was not created: the setup password is missing and a new one could not be generated. Details are in the log.: The setup password is missing and could not be saved. Save again.
  • Administrator password is missing.: shown when the medium is built. The medium is not built until the profile has an administrator password.
  • “The unattend file is missing and could not be regenerated automatically: …”: shown when the medium is built. The reason follows the colon. Check the settings on the Users page and save again.
  • “The chosen Windows source does not contain the edition ….” This or a related edition message prevents media creation. Reselect the edition on Sources.
  • The Setup is running, please wait account is still there on the target PC after the setup: Please send the logs to support.

See also