Generalize
Applies To: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2
Generalize prepares the computer to be captured as a reference image immediately after other answer-file settings are processed. For more information about configuration passes, see Windows Setup Configuration Passes.
When Generalize is set, Windows® Setup will:
Complete all of the other unattend settings in the configuration pass.
Run the generalize configuration pass.
Prepare the computer for imaging.
The following table provides scenarios for each combination of Mode and ForceShutdownNow.
| Mode value | ForceShutdownNow value | Result |
|---|---|---|
Audit |
false |
Prepares the operating system to start in the auditSystem configuration pass, and then restarts the computer. |
Audit |
true |
Prepares the operating system to start in the auditSystem configuration pass, and then shuts the computer down immediately with no user interaction. |
OOBE |
false |
Prepares the operating system to start in the oobeSystem configuration pass, and then restarts the computer. |
OOBE |
true |
Prepares the operating system to start in the oobeSystem configuration pass, and then shuts the computer down immediately with no user interaction. |
Note
Do not use this setting in conjunction with the Reseal setting. If you use both settings, the Reseal setting is ignored.
Child Elements
Specifies whether the computer shuts down immediately after the |
|
Specifies which configuration pass the computer start after the generalize configuration pass is complete. The options include: Audit or OOBE. |
Valid Configuration Passes
auditUser
Parent Hierarchy
Microsoft-Windows-Deployment | Generalize
Applies To
For a list of the Windows® editions and architectures that this component supports, see Microsoft-Windows-Deployment.
XML Example
The following XML output shows a deployment with no asynchronous or synchronous commands.
<AuditComputerName>
<MustReboot>true</MustReboot>
<Name>MyComputer</Name>
</AuditComputerName>
<ExtendOSPartition>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</ExtendOSPartition>
<Generalize>
<ForceShutdownNow>true</ForceShutdownNow>
<Mode>Audit</Mode>
</Generalize>