Question : Sysprep failed to set computername

This is driving me crazy - all the points I can give to anyone who can help.

I am deploying Win 7, using an unattend.xml file

When it goes to load, it fails to initialize, the error from the panther directory is 'failed to set computername' - I've googled and found the question asked plenty, but never answered.

Here is the unattend file with sensitive stuff removed or changed - would love some help!


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
  <settings pass="auditSystem">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <DriverPaths>
        <PathAndCredentials wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="1">
          <Path>c:\Windows\LDDriverStore</Path>
        </PathAndCredentials>
      </DriverPaths>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
            <AutoLogon>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <Username>Administrator</Username>
                <Password>
                   
                </Password>
                <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
            </AutoLogon>
    </component>
  </settings>
  <settings pass="auditUser">
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <RunSynchronous>
        <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
          <Order>1</Order>
          <Path>C:\Windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /reboot </Path>
        </RunSynchronousCommand>
      </RunSynchronous>
    </component>
  </settings>
    <settings pass="auditSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpCustomizationsNonWinPE" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <DriverPaths>
                <PathAndCredentials wcm:keyValue="1" wcm:action="add">
                    <Path>c:\windows\LDDriverStore</Path>
                </PathAndCredentials>
            </DriverPaths>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
            <UserAccounts>
                <AdministratorPassword>
                   
                </AdministratorPassword>
            </UserAccounts>
            <AutoLogon>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <Username>Administrator</Username>
                <Password>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
       
                </Password>
                <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
            </AutoLogon>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="auditUser">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <RunSynchronous>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <Path>c:\windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /reboot </Path>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
            </RunSynchronous>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
            <OOBE>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
                <SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>
                <SkipUserOOBE>true</SkipUserOOBE>
            </OOBE>
            <ProductKey>xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx </ProductKey>
            <RegisteredOwner>User</RegisteredOwner>
            <RegisteredOrganization>schools</RegisteredOrganization>
            <TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
            <UserAccounts>
                <AdministratorPassword>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                   
                </AdministratorPassword>
            </UserAccounts>
            <AutoLogon>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <Username>Administrator</Username>
                <Password>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                   
                </Password>
                <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
            </AutoLogon>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
            <ComputerName>1161A-A-WORKSHO</ComputerName>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

Answer : Sysprep failed to set computername

I'll answer myself since no one else has:

Problem turned out to be conflicting unattend.xml files - the one in the c:\windows\panther directory, from when our head office created the image, had errors.  

When I deployed using a correct unattend.xml file, it errored out at the computername section, but none of the logs showed anything telltale or incorrect.  Funny thing is, the errors in the unattend file in the panther directory were in the specialize pass and all related to IE settings...

We created a new image, kept the specialize pass at ONLY computername, now it's working perfectly.

Hope this helps others, took a better part of my morning!