USB not detected at startup

[MikeHill12]

Hi All,

I am testing out a scenario to automate windows 10 in vmware workstation 12 (for a production network)

In order to automate the installation I have created an autounattend.xml file that has all the answers needed for an automated windows 10 installation

(so that I dont have to stay in front of the computer and click next, make selections etc)

I pointed to the windows 10 .iso and set the OS to boot from it and also added a USB device (the autounattend.xml file is in the root of this USB device)

But no matter what I do the autounattend.xml file is not read!

So therefore, I cannot simulate and and see if the answer file works properly or not.

Each and every single time it boots from the .ISO the autounattend.xml file is not read

Please let me know what I can do about this.

We have a serious requirement to get this done right

Thanks!

[bluefirestorm]

Have you tried using a bootable Windows 10 USB with the autoattend.xml instead of ISO file as virtual DVD and the autounattend.xml in a USB drive?

Your VM firmware settings has to be set to EFI instead of BIOS and you can easily boot off the USB drive. You would "Power On to Firmware", connect to the USB drive from the Removable Devices menu to the USB bootable drive with the necessary unattend files. The bootable Windows 10 USB device should show up "EFI USB" which you then choose to boot up.

I have tried this method using EFI for bootable Windows 10 USB installation but not with unattend features.

[wila]

Hi,

Are you booting using EFI?

Your VM also needs to have at least virtual hardware version 11.

AFAIK those two are a requirement to have USB available at boot.

If you don't have either of those options then you can put your xml on a virtual floppy disk.

That's pretty much what Workstation guest OS easy install does.

--

Wil