Script for autounattend.xml (ComputerName)

[brendanK]

Hey,
is it possible to change the autounattend.xml during the Setup? we want to define the Computername with a script and to run the script during the windows setup, so that our background is build afterwards in a PreLogin Script having all Ready the right Computername. for that we need to load a csv file with all our information from a network folder. since we are using a PXE for it, the network connection shouldn´t be a Problem right?

Edit 1
After i read a post from nuhi, i saw that it is not only the autounattened file, that is responsable for the computers name.

Post in thread 'Hello, I would like to offer two suggestions'

Jul 19, 2024

Yeah, that's a good method, just 2 things to add:

- Unattended page requires an image loaded to populate options, like available languages and such, they are not hard-coded.
Also no other page works without loading, so it would be a weird exception.

- Be careful if using Computer Name [Prompt] option, that one depends on the image editing as well, so copying just autounattend.xml in that particular case would cause a setup error.

Will check the settings page sizing, thanks for the feedback.

• nuhi

• 

but maybe there is a other solution the configure it in the setup.

Thanks in advanced.

 

[francis11]

It's not possible afaik.
Have been involved in rolling out Windows 7 installations for a closed company group via PXE formatted installation on Laptops, where the user/employee was given a username and a default PW, which had to be changed at the first login.
Please note that I was not an IT employee, but was instructed by IT on how the PXE installation should take place for about 240 employees.
Whether it's changed for W10/11 I doubt though, as it would require the script to predict which PC/Laptop which employee will get in hand!
Thanks.

 

[garlin]

My suggestion is to follow the normal practice of running a rename script during specialize pass, because your new hostname doesn't take effect until after a restart. A planned restart is allowed if you tag the RunSynchronous command.

Add something like this to your autounattend.xml:

<settings pass="specialize">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" 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">
            <RunSynchronous>
                <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                    <Description>Script to rename computer</Description>
                    <Order>1</Order>
                    <Path>\\Server\Share\rename_script.bat</Path>
                    <WillReboot>Always</WillReboot>
                </RunSynchronousCommand>
            </RunSynchronous>
        </component>
</settings>

The solution to this type of question is the same as the case where you didn't use NTLite.