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cramsey1986
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Issue Setting Administrator Password with Customization Specifications Manager

I am experiencing two issues.

I have a Windows Server 2012 R2 Template in a vCenter 5.1 (Build 1123961) environment. I have created a vSphere Client Windows Guest Customization, however, (and the main issue) I am noticing that it is not setting the Administrator Password to what I have input after it does it's sysprep from deploying a template.

I have created a script work around for this, that works great, unless I experience my second issue. When a customization is started it creates the "vim.event.Customization.StartedEvent" event. It is then supposed to create the "vim.event.CustomizationSucceeded" event after it has successfully run the customization, including the sysprep (and setting the password). Occasionally though the "vim.even.CustomizationSucceeded" event will not trigger until days or weeks after the initial Customization Start Event, which will cause the sysprep to overwrite my scripts fix and not allow me to log in as the Administrator account due to the first, main issue.

Any thoughts to why sysprep is not setting the Administrator Password to what I specified in the OS Customization? Or why the Customization Succeeded event does not always trigger after it was kicked off (in minutes and not days/weeks)?

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Akopylov
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I am just asking one more time: is administrator`s password in the template guest OS blank?

vSphere 5.5 Documentation Center : You can change the administrator password only if the administrator password on the source Windows virtual machine is blank. If the source Windows virtual machine or template already has a password, the administrator password does not change.

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Akopylov
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Hello, cramsey1986.

Didn`t you set administrator`s password in your template guest OS? As far as i know in this case the password promted in Customization Specification will not be set to a clone guest OS. Administrator`s password in the tamplate guest OS should be blank.

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cramsey1986
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When you select for the Customization Specification to run a sysprep, it will recreate the Administrator account (as well as other things). The issue I am having is that it is not setting that new Administrator account's password to what I had set in the OS Customization.

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Akopylov
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I am just asking one more time: is administrator`s password in the template guest OS blank?

vSphere 5.5 Documentation Center : You can change the administrator password only if the administrator password on the source Windows virtual machine is blank. If the source Windows virtual machine or template already has a password, the administrator password does not change.

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cramsey1986
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I didnt fully understand what you were saying in your first comment. Yes, that worked. By setting the Administrator password in the template to be blank, it was able to set it correctly after sysprep. Thanks!

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Ravindra01
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But, as per our security guide lines we cannot keep the source server password blank. My question , the password provided in custom spec ony used to set administrator password after sysprep or or used auto login ??