OS Cus Spec File not applying to Virtual Machines

[finkmp]

Hi all,

I am relatively new to managing windows but I am trying to automate some of our virtual machine reservation proceses.

We are curently using vSphere Client version 6.5.0.13000.

Currently we have a Windows 10 64-bit 1703 template that we create virtual machines off, then add them to the domain and change their name manually before adding them to our Citrix environment.

I believe the automation of domain joining and name changing can be done through an OS Customization Specification and that is where I am having problems.

Every time I try to apply the OS Cus Spec to the Guest OS the computer restarts shortly after, shows indicators that it is applying the spec file, then applies nothing.

In vSphere I am not getting an error when trying to apply and I have been able to manually join the domain and change the name with the account that I have passed. I tested with just changing the computer name and it looks like the Spec File is just not applied, not necessarily an issue with domain joining.

A Sysprep folder is generated in the C:\ drive of the VM with the backup, executable and xml files.

The setuperr.log in "C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther" is giving the error "SYSPRP setupdigetclassdevs failed with error 0"

The setupact.log seemed rather long and I wasn't sure what to look for, but I didn't see any areas of failure in a quick scan.

Any assistance on the direction to go would be grateful.

Thanks!

[daphnissov]

What version of vSphere (vCenter and ESXi, please, be specific)? How are you specifying the account used for the domain join process in the customization spec?

[finkmp]

We are using vSphere Client version 6.5.0.13000, not exactly sure on ESXi, but I assume it is high enough to support the client.

I am creating the Customization Specification through the HTML5 interface and just specifying the domain, username, and password within the creation of the specification, but I have also tried it without joining the domain and just changing the name to have a proof of concept.

[daphnissov]

Use the Flex (web) client. Delete your customization spec and re-created it in the Flex client. Try and deployment from the Flex client calling that customization spec. You need to specify the username in UPN format and not DLL format for the domain joins to succeed.

[finkmp]

I have tried creating a temp Spec file in PowerCLI as well, passing it with the same result so I am not sure it will work better in the Flex client.

I did not know about the UPN format though, I was simply passing the username.

[daphnissov]

Please delete the spec you created in the HTML5 client and re-create it in the Flex client to test. Passing the username isn't sufficient and it must be specified in UPN format.

[finkmp]

I received the same result after creating a specification file and creating a VM from the template and applying that specification file.

[daphnissov]

What file? Or are you talking about the vCenter customization spec here? What version is/are the ESXi host(s) to which you're attempting to deploy this Windows 10 system? Please provide build number.

[finkmp]

I was referring to the OS Specification, I created a brand new OS Specification and a brand new VM on the Flex client, and then applied the Os Specification to that VM. The result was the same as previously.

I have 4 hosts:

3 are 5.5.0, 6480324,

1 is 5.5.0, 7967571

[daphnissov]

What type of OS was this VM created with? What I mean is when you went through the new VM creation wizard, what was selected as the guest OS type? If you're not sure, convert your template back to a VM and attach the VMX file here.

[finkmp]

The VM was created with Windows, and is labeled as "Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) "

[finkmp]

I have this issue with Windows 7 32-bit and Windows 7  64-bit as well.