I try do sysprep in Windows 8.1. I have created unattend.xml
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<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>
<SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
<UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
<UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
<UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
</component>
<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">
<OEMInformation>
<Manufacturer>XYZ</Manufacturer>
<SupportURL>http://www.XYZ.com</SupportURL>
</OEMInformation>
<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
<NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
<ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
</OOBE>
<UserAccounts>
<AdministratorPassword>
<Value>XXXXXXXXX</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</AdministratorPassword>
<LocalAccounts>
<LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
<Password>
<Value>XXXXXXX</Value>
<PlainText>false</PlainText>
</Password>
<Description>Admin</Description>
<DisplayName>Admin</DisplayName>
<Group>Administrators</Group>
<Name>Admin</Name>
</LocalAccount>
</LocalAccounts>
</UserAccounts>
<WindowsFeatures>
<ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>false</ShowWindowsMediaPlayer>
<ShowMediaCenter>false</ShowMediaCenter>
</WindowsFeatures>
<RegisteredOrganization>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</RegisteredOrganization>
<RegisteredOwner>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</RegisteredOwner>
<TimeZone>Central European Standard Time</TimeZone>
<ShowWindowsLive>false</ShowWindowsLive>
</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">
<RegisteredOrganization>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</RegisteredOrganization>
<RegisteredOwner>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</RegisteredOwner>
<ProductKey>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</ProductKey>
</component>
</settings>
And then I run
sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown
I see this error:
fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine
This is output of setuperr.log
2013-11-13 15:59:08, Error [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn't update the recorded state, dwRet = 0x1f
2013-11-13 15:59:08, Error [0x0f00ae] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep cleanup external providers; hr = 0x8007001f
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error SYSPRP Package Microsoft.WinJS.2.0.Preview_1.0.9431.0_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not
>function properly in the sysprep image.
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x80073cf2.
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x3cf2.
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error [0x0f0082] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'SysprepGeneralize' from C:\Windows\System32\AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::ExecuteAction: Error in executing action; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::ExecuteActionList: Error in execute actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error SYSPRP SysprepSession::Execute: Error in executing actions from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Generalize.xml; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while executing SysprepSession actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x3cf2
2013-11-13 16:02:46, Error [0x0f00a8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep generalize internal providers; hr = 0x80073cf2
2013-11-13 16:19:24, Error [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn't update the recorded state, dwRet = 0x1f
2013-11-13 16:19:24, Error [0x0f00ae] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep cleanup external providers; hr = 0x8007001f
2013-11-13 16:22:01, Error [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn't update the recorded state, dwRet = 0x1f
2013-11-13 16:22:01, Error [0x0f00ae] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep cleanup external providers; hr = 0x8007001f
2013-11-13 16:24:41, Error [0x0f00a4] SYSPRP WinMain: Unable to parse command-line arguments to sysprep; GLE = 0x0
2013-11-13 16:25:15, Error [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn't update the recorded state, dwRet = 0x1f
2013-11-13 16:25:15, Error [0x0f00ae] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep cleanup external providers; hr = 0x8007001f
2013-11-13 16:26:35, Error [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn't update the recorded state, dwRet = 0x1f
2013-11-13 16:26:35, Error SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep re-specialize internal providers; hr = 0x8007001f
Did you use the Windows System Image Manager (WSIM) to create your unattend file? What you have posted is incomplete. You are missing two lines at the top that will look like this:
And the ending:
The WSIM tool adds these for you automatically when you create your unattend file with it. The WSIM is part of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (WADK) for Windows 7 or 8/8.1. WSIM also looks at the available settings in the image so that you can only add settings appropriate to that image, and it has built in validation that will help with errors and deprecated settings.
Hope this helps,