I am trying to create a new windows 2012R2 template but running into a problem. The customization isn't always successful it will some times complete and other times it doesn't. When the customization does not complete the administrator account comes up with a user must change password message.
My vSphere environment is ESXi 6.0 U3 and I am using the web client to do my work.
I have an older 2012R2 template that customization completes without issue, I am using same customization for both. This leads me to think its some problem with the template I have built. VMTools is build 10282 (same behavior with 10304).
Any suggestions or thoughts?
It sounds like it's your template. Without knowing what types of failures you're seeing, it's hard to know where to start. You might look at the local Administrator account and sure password is set to never expire.
I have attached the sysprep error logs
setuperr.log
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x800705b4.
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x5b4.
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error [0x0f0082] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'SysprepGeneralize' from C:\Windows\System32\AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x5b4
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::ExecuteAction: Error in executing action; dwRet = 0x5b4
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::ExecuteActionList: Error in execute actions; dwRet = 0x5b4
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error SYSPRP SysprepSession::Execute: Error in executing actions from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml; dwRet = 0x5b4
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while executing SysprepSession actions; dwRet = 0x5b4
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x5b4
2018-03-02 10:36:25, Error [0x0f00a8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep generalize internal providers; hr = 0x800705b4
2018-03-02 12:51:16, Error [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn't update the recorded state, dwRet = 0x1f
2018-03-02 12:51:16, Error SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep re-specialize internal providers; hr = 0x8007001f
From setupact.log
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info SYSPRP ========================================================
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info SYSPRP === Beginning of a new sysprep run ===
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info SYSPRP ========================================================
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info [0x0f004d] SYSPRP The time is now 2018-03-02 10:32:11
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info [0x0f004e] SYSPRP Initialized SysPrep log at C:\windows\system32\Sysprep\Panther
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info [0x0f0054] SYSPRP ValidateUser:User has required privileges to sysprep machine
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info [0x0f007e] SYSPRP FCreateTagFile:Tag file C:\windows\system32\Sysprep\Sysprep_succeeded.tag does not already exist, no need to delete anything
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info [0x0f005f] SYSPRP ParseCommands:Found supported command line option 'RESPECIALIZE'
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info [0x0f005f] SYSPRP ParseCommands:Found supported command line option 'QUIET'
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info SYSPRP WinMain:Processing 're-specialize' internal provider request.
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Running platform actions specified in action file for phase 6
2018-03-02 10:32:11, Info [0x0f00ba] SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateSession: Successfully created instance with mount path C:, action file C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\ReSpecialize.xml, and mode <null>
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::Execute: Beginning action execution from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\ReSpecialize.xml
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetStringValue: Getting REG_SZ value SysprepMode under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetValue: Getting value SysprepMode under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Warning SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetValue: Error from RegQueryValueEx on value SysprepMode under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep; dwRet = 0x2
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Sysprep mode in registry is <null>
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetStringValue: Getting REG_SZ value PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetValue: Getting value PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Processor architecture in registry is AMD64
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::ExecuteInternal: After sorting, providers will be excuted in this order:
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::ExecuteInternal: name:Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep, order: 100d
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info [0x0f00bd] SYSPRP CreateSysprepActionList: Building action list for component Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info [0x0f0080] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Found 'Sysprep_Respecialize_Pnp' in C:\Windows\System32\sppnp.dll; executing it
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Sysprep_Respecialize_Pnp: Enter
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Created progress thread.
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Creating device install status thread...
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Waiting for thread to exit...
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Updating boot driver flags...
2018-03-02 10:32:12, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Making sure system services have been started...
2018-03-02 10:32:13, Warning SYSPRP SPPNP: COM already initialized with another apartment.
2018-03-02 10:32:13, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Status: Idle
2018-03-02 10:32:13, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Finished waiting for device install status...
2018-03-02 10:32:15, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Boot disk found. Bus type is 0xA.
2018-03-02 10:32:15, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Default boot driver flags value is 0x1C.
2018-03-02 10:32:15, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Updating boot driver flags to 0x0.
2018-03-02 10:32:15, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Finished updating boot driver flags...
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Waiting for progress thread to exit.
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Progress thread exited.
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info SYSPRP SPPNP: Sysprep_Respecialize_Pnp: Exit
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info [0x0f0081] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Successfully executed 'Sysprep_Respecialize_Pnp' from C:\Windows\System32\sppnp.dll without error
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info [0x0f00b8] SYSPRP SysprepSession::Execute: Sysprep mode was not specified, deleting it from registry
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info [0x0f00c6] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::DeleteValue: Deleting registry value SysprepMode under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Warning SYSPRP ActionPlatform::DeleteValue: Registry value SysprepMode to be deleted does not exist under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info [0x0f0052] SYSPRP Shutting down SysPrep log
2018-03-02 10:32:16, Info [0x0f004d] SYSPRP The time is now 2018-03-02 10:32:16
You'd be better served posting these on a Microsoft forum.