Problems with Customization Windows Server 2003 - VC 2.5 Update1

[rgimenez]

Hi,

I have a problem with customization with VM that have Windows Server 2003. When I try to clone a VM with Windows 2003 R2 SP2 or deploy from a template I can't select customization and Warning: Windows customization resources were not found on the server message is displayed.

I have copied files from Windows 2003 R2 SP2 deploy.cab to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\sysprep\svr2003 in Virtual Center.

I have configured VC in this way in other clients and customization has worked well.

Strangest is that I'm customizing Windows Server 2008 x64 VM indicating that they are Windows Vista x64 and works well.

I try to configure Windows 2003 VMs as Windows Vista x32 and I can select customization but when VM boot sysprep don't works well and none customization is applied.

Thanks.

Raul

[fejf]

Windows 2008 and Vista installations include the sysprep tools - so they work out of the box and you don't need to install/copy sysprep tools to the VC server.

Windows 2003 R2 should work. Check the following:

1. have you specified the correct operating system in the Virtual Machine settings? Go to VM Settings -> Options and make sure that the selected OS is win2k3

2. have you copied the sysprep tools (deploy.cab) from this installation CD or an older win2k3 cd?

--

There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.

[java_cat33]

Try this source....

[rgimenez]

I already had proven this origin.

The operating system is specificied OK. I have copied sysprep files to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\sysprep\svr2003 .

I have tried this configuration in other clients and works well. I don't know why in this case it don't works well.

Thanks.

Raul

[fejf]

Only three other things I can think of:

1. try to use the sysprep files of a win2k3 r2-sp2 cd's deploy.cab (so that the sysprep tolls exactly match the installed win2k3 version)

2. make sure you use the right 32/64bit version (32bit vm with 32bit win2k3 r2-sp2 and 32bit sysprep files in svr2003 folder, 64bit vm with 64bit win2k3 r2-sp2 and 64bit sysprep files in svr2003-64 folder)

3. make sure you unpacked the sysprep files correctly - the svr2003*-folders should contain the following files:

svr2003:

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 27357 Mar 24 2005 cvtarea.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 540310 Mar 24 2005 deploy.chm

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 137728 Mar 24 2005 factory.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 50055 Mar 24 2005 oformat.com

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 11561 Mar 24 2005 readme.txt

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 1028255 Mar 24 2005 ref.chm

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 27136 Mar 24 2005 setupcl.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 544768 Mar 24 2005 setupmgr.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 89088 Mar 24 2005 sysprep.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 135680 Mar 24 2005 wfinf_guide.doc

svr2003-64:

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 540310 Feb 17 2007 deploy.chm

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 197632 Feb 17 2007 factory.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 11561 Feb 17 2007 readme.txt

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 1028255 Feb 17 2007 ref.chm

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 35328 Feb 17 2007 setupcl.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 668672 Feb 17 2007 setupmgr.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 133120 Feb 17 2007 sysprep.exe

-rw-rr 1 fejf fejf 135680 Feb 17 2007 wfinf_guide.doc

--

There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.

[java_cat33]

So the sysprep files you have copied were from the download link I provided you with? It's a known issue that you need to use W2K3 R2 sysprep files.

In the clients that it does work well with....... they are not Windows 2003 servers though are they?

[tomaddox]

Can you post a full directory listing (dir /a) of the svr2003 directory? It would help verify that the files are correct.

[rgimenez]

These are the files that I have in directory svr2003:

17/02/2007 06:41 27.357 cvtarea.exe

17/02/2007 06:42 590.357 deploy.chm

17/02/2007 06:43 141.312 factory.exe

17/02/2007 06:41 50.055 oformat.com

17/02/2007 07:26 13.515 readme.txt

17/02/2007 06:40 1.028.255 ref.chm

17/02/2007 06:43 27.136 setupcl.exe

17/02/2007 06:43 572.928 setupmgr.exe

17/02/2007 06:43 95.232 sysprep.exe

17/02/2007 06:40 135.680 wfinf_guide.doc

Thanks.

[tomaddox]

It looks like some of your files are slightly different than mine, but I'm going to guess that's because they're from a different language. Otherwise, your directory looks good. Have you restarted the Virtual Center service? It's a long shot, but it's the only other thing I can think of.

[rgimenez]

Hi,

Yes, files are in Spanish because is the language of the Windows Server 2003 R2 that we use.

I have tried many different sysprep files (original Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 CD, web site link, versions in Spanish and English, etc.). I don't know what to try more.

I restart VC service every time that I change sysprep files. Even I have restarted server many times.

Until we don't find a solution we are doing customization with Newsid utility. Despite we must find a solution to this problem.

Thanks.

[russjar]

I've got a similar problem. But it's with 64bit W2k3 std server.

I have created customization scripts in VC 2.0.2 but when I deploy from a template I do not get the options to customize, the are greyed out. I have copied the sysperp files to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\sysprep\svr2003-64. I think the location where the sysprep files are stored has changed, is there a configuration files I can check?

VCP,MCSE NT4/W2k/W2k3, MCSA W2k3