Is Customization supported with Windows 2003 64-bit?

[admin]

When trying to deploy my Windows 2003 Std Template I get the following message at the Guest Customization screen:

"Warning: Customization is not supported for the guest operating system 'winNetStandard64Guest'.

Does anyone have any ideas if a 2003 x64 machine can be customized using sysprep, and if so what folder it is placed in the Virtual Center directory?

[mgallenstein]

I just tried it and I still get the same message as before. Looks like we still have to stick to the ol' sysprep method.

[krc1517]

page 369 of vi3_301_201_admin_guide.pdf (Basic System Administration)

NOTE Windows XP Home or Windows NT4 operating system guest

customization is not supported. Guest customization of 64‐bit Windows operating

systems is not supported.

Lame

[Zathras]

Okay, now that virtual center 2.0.2 is out.

Can someone confirm is windows server 2003 64 bit can be customized in this version?

[Intelligen]

Installed Virtual Center 2.0.2 last week and made a Windows 2003 R2 x64 bit template and tried to deploy and no luck, still does not support.

Exact error message:

"Warning: Customization is not supported for the guest operating system 'winNetStandard64Guest'."

Message was edited by:

Intelligen

[Oakland]

Has anyone got sysprep to work on the 64 bit guest as a workaround? If so please share how.

[forbes]

Yes, that's the easiest way to do it at the moment. Just sysprep a VM, turn it off and convert it into a VM template. If you can wait until tomorrow, I can tell you version of sysprep and steps I used to get this to work.

[forbes]

Hi Oakland,

OK, it looks like I used the Win 2000 sysprep version 1.1 (sysprep.exe calls it 5.0.2195.2104) which is comes in the package "Q257813_W2K_spl_X86_EN.exe"

You can get it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0C4BFB06-2824-4D2B-ABC1-0E2223133AFB&displa...

\- Get the VM setup how you would like your image (e.g. MS hotfixes, VMware tools, remove IP address, etc)

\- Extract the tool and copy the folder to c:\sysprep\

\- Run c:\sysprep\sysprep.exe

\- Select to "reseal"

\- Leave the VM switched off and convert it to a template

When you deply a new VM from the template, it will now finish the syprep bit for you when you turn it on.

Anytime you need to update the template:

\- convert it to a VM

\- run through the sysprep wizard

\- update as required

\- run through the steps above again to reseal.

Its a pain to have two different customisations, one for 32bit and one for 64bit, but it works well enough.

HTH, forbes.

[Oakland]

I had to go to my original CD \support\tools\deploy.cab for the correct version but after that it finally ran. Thanks for the pointers.

[MDavies]

Hi,

Yes, I believe that VirtualCenter 2.0.2 Update 1 (Build 61426) now supports x64 Windows customization. When you perform the install or upgrade of VirtualCenter, it will create two new directories, called svr2003-64 and XP-64, in the "normal" sysprep location folders;

..\ProgramFiles\VMware\VMwareVirtualCenter\resources\windows\sysprep

or ..\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\sysprep

Copy the relevant sysprep files in deploy.cab on the Windows installation disk into these locations.

[westerik]

Hi,

I have tried this but it does not work. VC does not see the sysprep tools.

Greetings Claudio

[ronakxp]

Ok here is the work around, Its not supported for VC 201

- Obtain sysprep files from 2k3 64 CD - Tools\Deploy,

- Rename SYSPREP for win 2k3 folder to - svr2003.old

- Create svr2003 folder and copy all sysprep files (Total 😎 to the new folder

- Now, just make sure you create Template of 2k3 64 with VM which has the OS name - win2k3 not win2k364,

This is a tweak, Do it at your own risk,

PS - sysprep 64 bit files will not work for customizing non 64 bit guest OSes, so you will need to switch back and forth with the Folder names,

This solution is supported in VC 2.5