Sysprep copy profile unattend.xml, startup fails processing specialize pass.

"Windows could not parse or process the unattend answer file for pass [specialize]. The settings specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing settings for component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup]"

I have a very detailed Unattend.xml file that I have been working on for about a month now and I have managed to hammer out all the details of getting drivers to install based on the hardware, name the machine, add to the domain, set power setttings so on and so fourth. Anyways, the last process in this long list of items it to get the Default profile edited.

I have a local user profile, that's a member of the Administrators group. This account is named "template." This template account is customized into what I'd like the Default user profile to become. Only I am not able to.

I have generated a basic Unattend.xml file that only specifies the copy profile statement (use Windows Image Manager to generate) and it will fail with the error listed in the beginning of this article.

If I use my complex Untattend file that does all the functions, to properly "seal" an image it acts the same way too.

I've also tried to use the "Administrator" account as the template for the profile, this account fails as well. I figured this migth work as the Administrator account is automatically deleted during sysprep anyways. No dice.

The image that is the source is a virgin image that I've built and captured images off of for backups. The virgin part is that it's never had sysprep.exe run upon it. I save the image right before this process. So when I get the error I get to restore.

I've had the copy profile work base Windows 7 machines, install Win7, make unattend file, modify basic stuff in the profile (wallpaper) and try, would work. Now on the final image, for some reason, it's failing.

Anyone working at MS or working with Sysprep and unattend files, I'd sure appreciate some help.

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