The following autounattended.xml file can be used to full automate the Windows 7 installation. It will:
- Create a single partition for the boot, system, crash dump and primary partition
- Enter the product key
- Enter the organisation information
- Configure Internet Explorer 8
- Disable the information bar
- Disable the Internet accelerators
- Disable the developer tools
- Disable the first run message
- Set www.google.com.au as the homepage
- Set Google Australia as the default search provider
- Set the firewall to option 3 – Work
- Enable the ‘Administrator’ account
- Set the ‘Administrator’ password to ‘password’
- Create a local administrator account called ‘UserName’ with the password of ‘password’
- Prompt for a computer name (will not prompt for a new user account)
Before being able to successfully use this unattended file, you will need to change:
- Product Key
- Organisation information
- local administrator password
- ‘UserName’ local administrator account name and password
If you’re unfamiliar with how to use an autounattend file:
The autounattend.xml file can be used to automate a single installation of Windows 7 when using DVD media.
When you run your Windows 7 installation it will automatically look for any USB drives containing an autounattend.xml file and apply the settings specified.
To use:
- Copy the quoted text into notepad
- Edit as required
- edit or remove the product key
- edit the organisation section
- edit the local administrator password as required
- edit the ‘UserName’ local administrator account name and password
- Save the file as autounattend.xml
- Copy the file to the ROOT (start) of a USB Drive
- When you run your Windows 7 installation it will automatically look for any USB drives containing an autounattend.xml file then apply the settings specified.
Autounattend.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" 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">
<ImageInstall>
<OSImage>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
<InstallTo>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</InstallTo>
</OSImage>
</ImageInstall>
<UserData>
<ProductKey>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
<Key>XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX</Key>
</ProductKey>
<FullName>Information Technology Services</FullName>
<Organization>Organisation Name</Organization>
<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
</UserData>
<DiskConfiguration>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
<Disk>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition>
<Order>1</Order>
<Type>Primary</Type>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="specialize">
<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">
<Path>net user administrator /active:yes</Path>
<Order>1</Order>
</RunSynchronousCommand>
</RunSynchronous>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" 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">
<ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" 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">
<FilterLevel>High</FilterLevel>
<ShowInformationBar>false</ShowInformationBar>
<DisableAccelerators>true</DisableAccelerators>
<DisableDevTools>true</DisableDevTools>
<DisableFirstRunWizard>true</DisableFirstRunWizard>
<DisableOOBAccelerators>true</DisableOOBAccelerators>
<Home_Page>http://www.google.com.au</Home_Page>
<SearchScopes>
<Scope wcm:action="add">
<ScopeDefault>true</ScopeDefault>
<ScopeDisplayName>Google</ScopeDisplayName>
<ScopeKey>SearchProvider1</ScopeKey>
<ScopeUrl>http://www.google.com.au/search?q={searchTerms}</ScopeUrl>
</Scope>
</SearchScopes>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-ErrorReportingCore" 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">
<DisableWER>1</DisableWER>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" 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">
<OOBE>
<ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
<NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
<SkipMachineOOBE>true</SkipMachineOOBE>
<SkipUserOOBE>false</SkipUserOOBE>
</OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
<LocalAccounts>
<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
<Password>
<Value>password</Value>
<PlainText>true</PlainText>
</Password>
<Name>UserName</Name>
<Group>Administrators</Group>
</LocalAccount>
</LocalAccounts>
<AdministratorPassword>
<Value>password</Value>
<PlainText>true</PlainText>
</AdministratorPassword>
</UserAccounts>
<TimeZone>Eastern Standard Time</TimeZone>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>