Problems with Customization Wizard

[rmonforti]

I have a 2003 std server template that I want to deploy VMs from. I can "Deploy virtual machine from this template" without issue if I do not use the Customization Wizard. If I use the wizard I can not logon to the VM. I try the password I put in when running the customization wizard and the one that was on the original template but neither work. It just jumps back to the logon screen.

This is happening on any template I use the Customization Wizard on.

[jayolsen]

Have you tried using the administrator logon without a password?

[rmonforti]

This is wierd...

I tried putting in a blank password when running the cusomization wizard and it created the VM successfully. I went to logon to the VM with what you would expect to have no password and it didn't logon. I then used the original template password and it did logon and go through sysprep. It made the customizations and restarted. So I go to logon to it trying no password again (since that's what I out in the customization wizard) and it didn't logon. I used the template password and it did.

The customizations were made correctly, everything works except the password change.

[pgifford]

I have seen this a lot with the customizations in VC. I honestly think that it is the fault of sysprep itself. I found the best way to go is to set a blank administrator password in the template and then set the password you want in the customization specifications. I have not run into an issue doing it that way. If a client needs to have the password set in the template, I just make sure that the password in the template and the customization settings are identitical.

Also, if you are importing a customization specification from a backup (export) make sure to run through it once and reset the passwords. I got burned with that once.