Imaging Error: "Windows could not parse or process the unattended answer file

  • Document ID:7004479
  • Creation Date:21-Sep-2009
  • Modified Date:27-Apr-2012
    • Micro Focus Products:
      ZENworks Configuration Management

Environment

Novell ZENworks 10 Configuration Management
Novell ZENworks 11 Configuration Management

Situation

After using ZCM to restore an image, Sysprep will generate the error: "Windows could not parse or process the unattended answer file".

Resolution

Configure ZISWIN.exe so that it does not regenerate a new SID, which is not necessary when SYSPREP is used.
 
This can be configured via the registry or ZISWIN.exe directly:
 
 
For 10.0.0 to 10.2.2, create:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Novell\ZENworks]
"ZISWin Do Not Restore Mask"=dword:0000033f
 
For 10.3.0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Novell\ZCM]
"ZISWin Do Not Restore Mask"=dword:0000033f

For  Windows 7, 64-bit
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Novell\ZCM]
"ZISWin SYSPrep Restore Mask"=dword:0000033f
For Windows 7 32-bit
 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Novell\ZCM]
"ZISWin SYSPrep Restore Mask"=dword:0000033f

Additional Information

The mask value depends on the field you want to mask which is the same as mentioned in the KB 3302285. For example, as mentioned in the TID that for masking the following fields, we should use the following values
Workstation Distinguished Name - 0x00000001
 Workstation Tree - 0x00000002
To stop the restore of one item, specify it's corresponding mask as the value in the registry. To stop the restore of multiple items, add the masks together and the sum will be the value defined in the registry
 
Use "ZISWin SYSPrep Restore Mask" instead of "ZISWin Do Not Restore Mask" when we use sysprep and want to mask the Image Safe Data components values from getting restored. Zisdservice/ Ziswin will check the value of "ZISWin SYSPrep Restore Mask" and not the one under "ZISWinDo Not Restore Mask" the first time when it runs after sysprep process has finished.
 
In other scenarios, where we are not using sysprep, value of "ZISWin Do Not Restore Mask" will be used by Zisdservice/ Ziswin.