Windows 10

Windows 10 20H2 | Unattended Installation

INTRO

Windows 10 20H2 has been released. As you may already know, Windows 10’s installation can be automated with an Answer File. An answer file is created via Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) part of the Deployment Tools package included in Windows ADK for Windows 10. When Windows Setup loads it automatically looks for an answer file called AutoUnattend.xml.

I use a 4 GB USB flash drive formatted as FAT32 which has all my catalogs, and answer files organized, and I just move the one I want to use to the root when I need it. For those that don’t want to or can’t use an additional USB drive and want to use just one flash drive for installing Windows and using an answer file, you will need to follow my previous instructions here, to place the answer file in the boot.wim image.

ANSWER FILE NOTES

  • The Product Key used is a Generic Key listed by Microsoft here:
  • This is for Windows 10 Pro.
  • The password for the Built-in Administrator and WinReflection user accounts is: Password01!
  • Computer name is set to: WR-CLI-DWK-G77
    • Naming Convention: WinReflection – Client – DELL Workstation – First 3 characters of device serial number
  • Time Zone is Central Standard Time
  • Search provider for IE is set to Google for default.
  • Remote Desktop is configured in the firewall.
  • Auto Activation is disabled.
  • Custom IE settings and preferences are configured.
  • A local user account called WinReflection will be created and added to the local-Administrators group with a login password of “Password01!”.

Below are tested and working versions for both UEFI/GPT and BIOS/MBR systems.

WINDOWS 10 20H2 – PREPARING FOR INSTALL

Note: The passwords in these Answer Files are hashed in Base64, you can use an online decoder to get the value, which I will give you. It’s “Password01!” without quotes. Both the Administrator and Support user accounts will have this password, and you need to change them after the OS is installed. The dummy password is just to get things going that’s why it’s not a secure one.

Additionally, if you need to install to a different disk, you need to first boot the installation media and go into Command Prompt via Windows PE. See below for commands and output on one of my servers using DiskPart.

BAT (Batchfile)
C:\Users\Administrator>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.17763.1911

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: WR-CLI-DWK-G77

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0   Online        232 GB  0       B   *
Disk 1   Online        232 GB  1024    KB  *

The DiskIDs will be listed, and this is what will be seen when the OS installed. There are two lines in the Answer File with the DiskID. You need to replace “0” with the DiskID you want to install to. If you get this wrong, you will lose data wiping a different disk.

If you do not see your disks, it’s most likely because Windows PE does not have drivers for your SATA or RAID controllers, and you will need to integrate those with DISM commands and then use DISM commands again to integrate the drivers or use third-party software like NTLite.

The easiest way to get the drivers you need is on a fully installed OS; you simply use these commands to export all third-party drivers (.inf) into a folder. You will want to do this before installing since there is no GUI or Windows Desktop to do so after the fact. You will want to integrate into both the install.wim image and the boot.wim images.

I have noticed when using the Answer File saved to a USB drive, sometimes Windows Setup boots-up before the chipset and USB controllers are ready, so you may need to click “Install” first, but after that the install should take off in unattended fashion.

The only way around this is to integrate the AutoUnattend.xml file into the boot.wim image next to Windows Setup, this is explained in a post I made years ago in 2018 which you can find.

AUTOUNATTEND.XML – UEFI | GPT

XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="windowsPE">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <DiskConfiguration>
                <Disk wcm:action="add">
                    <CreatePartitions>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Type>EFI</Type>
                            <Size>512</Size>
                            <Order>1</Order>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Extend>false</Extend>
                            <Type>MSR</Type>
                            <Order>2</Order>
                            <Size>128</Size>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Type>Primary</Type>
                            <Order>3</Order>
                            <Size>1024</Size>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Order>4</Order>
                            <Type>Primary</Type>
                            <Extend>true</Extend>
                        </CreatePartition>
                    </CreatePartitions>
                    <ModifyPartitions>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>FAT32</Format>
                            <Order>1</Order>
                            <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Order>2</Order>
                            <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>NTFS</Format>
                            <Order>3</Order>
                            <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                            <Label>Recovery</Label>
                            <TypeID>DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC</TypeID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>NTFS</Format>
                            <Label>Windows</Label>
                            <Order>4</Order>
                            <PartitionID>4</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                    </ModifyPartitions>
                    <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                    <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
                </Disk>
                <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
            </DiskConfiguration>
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                            <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                            <Value>Windows 10 Pro</Value>
                        </MetaData>
                    </InstallFrom>
                    <InstallTo>
                        <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                        <PartitionID>4</PartitionID>
                    </InstallTo>
                    <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition>
                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
                    <Key>VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SetupUILanguage>
                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <ComputerName>WR-CLI-DWK-G77</ComputerName>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SearchScopes>
                <Scope wcm:action="add">
                    <ScopeDefault>true</ScopeDefault>
                    <ScopeDisplayName>Google</ScopeDisplayName>
                    <ScopeKey>Google</ScopeKey>
                    <ScopeUrl>http://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}</ScopeUrl</ScopeUrl>
                    <ShowSearchSuggestions>false</ShowSearchSuggestions>
                </Scope>
            </SearchScopes>
            <DisableAccelerators>true</DisableAccelerators>
            <DisableFirstRunWizard>true</DisableFirstRunWizard>
            <Home_Page>about:blank</Home_Page>
            <BlockPopups>yes</BlockPopups>
            <FavoritesDelete>true</FavoritesDelete>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <fDenyTSConnections>false</fDenyTSConnections>
        </component>
        <component name="Networking-MPSSVC-Svc" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <FirewallGroups>
                <FirewallGroup wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="RemoteDesktop">
                    <Group>@FirewallAPI.dll,-28752</Group>
                    <Profile>all</Profile>
                    <Active>true</Active>
                </FirewallGroup>
            </FirewallGroups>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <AutoLogon>
                <Password>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                    <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADAAMQAhAFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
                </Password>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>2</LogonCount>
                <Username>Administrator</Username>
            </AutoLogon>
            <OOBE>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideLocalAccountScreen>true</HideLocalAccountScreen>
            </OOBE>
            <TaskbarLinks>
                <Link0>%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Internet Explorer.lnk</Link0>
            </TaskbarLinks>
            <UserAccounts>
                <AdministratorPassword>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                    <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADAAMQAhAEEAZABtAGkAbgBpAHMAdAByAGEAdABvAHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                </AdministratorPassword>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                            <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADAAMQAhAFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
                        </Password>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>Support</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <TimeZone>Central Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog:d:/catalogs/windows 10 pro/20h2/install_windows 10 pro.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

AUTOUNATTEND.XML – BIOS | MBR

XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="windowsPE">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <DiskConfiguration>
                <Disk wcm:action="add">
                    <CreatePartitions>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Type>Primary</Type>
                            <Size>512</Size>
                            <Order>1</Order>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Extend>false</Extend>
                            <Type>Primary</Type>
                            <Size>1024</Size>
                            <Order>2</Order>
                        </CreatePartition>
                        <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Extend>true</Extend>
                            <Type>Primary</Type>
                            <Order>3</Order>
                        </CreatePartition>
                    </CreatePartitions>
                    <ModifyPartitions>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Active>true</Active>
                            <Format>NTFS</Format>
                            <Label>System</Label>
                            <Extend>false</Extend>
                            <Order>1</Order>
                            <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>NTFS</Format>
                            <TypeID>0x27</TypeID>
                            <Label>Recovery</Label>
                            <Order>2</Order>
                            <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                        <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                            <Format>NTFS</Format>
                            <Letter>C</Letter>
                            <Order>3</Order>
                            <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                            <Label>Windows</Label>
                        </ModifyPartition>
                    </ModifyPartitions>
                    <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                    <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
                </Disk>
                <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
            </DiskConfiguration>
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                            <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                            <Value>Windows 10 Pro</Value>
                        </MetaData>
                    </InstallFrom>
                    <InstallTo>
                        <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                        <PartitionID>3</PartitionID>
                    </InstallTo>
                    <InstallToAvailablePartition>false</InstallToAvailablePartition>
                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
                    <Key>W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SetupUILanguage>
                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            </SetupUILanguage>
            <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <ComputerName>WR-CLI-DWK-G77</ComputerName>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SearchScopes>
                <Scope wcm:action="add">
                    <ScopeDefault>true</ScopeDefault>
                    <ScopeDisplayName>Google</ScopeDisplayName>
                    <ScopeKey>Google</ScopeKey>
                    <ScopeUrl>http://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}</ScopeUrl>
                    <ShowSearchSuggestions>false</ShowSearchSuggestions>
                </Scope>
            </SearchScopes>
            <DisableAccelerators>true</DisableAccelerators>
            <DisableFirstRunWizard>true</DisableFirstRunWizard>
            <Home_Page>about:blank</Home_Page>
            <BlockPopups>yes</BlockPopups>
            <FavoritesDelete>true</FavoritesDelete>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <fDenyTSConnections>false</fDenyTSConnections>
        </component>
        <component name="Networking-MPSSVC-Svc" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <FirewallGroups>
                <FirewallGroup wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="RemoteDesktop">
                    <Group>@FirewallAPI.dll,-28752</Group>
                    <Profile>all</Profile>
                    <Active>true</Active>
                </FirewallGroup>
            </FirewallGroups>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <AutoLogon>
                <Password>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                    <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADAAMQAhAFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
                </Password>
                <Enabled>true</Enabled>
                <LogonCount>2</LogonCount>
                <Username>Administrator</Username>
            </AutoLogon>
            <OOBE>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideLocalAccountScreen>true</HideLocalAccountScreen>
            </OOBE>
            <TaskbarLinks>
                <Link0>%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Internet Explorer.lnk</Link0>
            </TaskbarLinks>
            <UserAccounts>
                <AdministratorPassword>
                    <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                    <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADAAMQAhAEEAZABtAGkAbgBpAHMAdAByAGEAdABvAHIAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                </AdministratorPassword>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                            <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADAAMQAhAFAAYQBzAHMAdwBvAHIAZAA=</Value>
                        </Password>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>Support</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <TimeZone>Central Standard Time</TimeZone>
        </component>
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
            <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
            <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="catalog:d:/catalogs/windows 10 pro/20h2/install_windows 10 pro.clg" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>

CONCLUSION

This is much quicker and easier way to install Windows 10 in my opinion. Hope this helps.

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