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Installing the Microsoft Sysprep Tools

If you plan to customize a Windows guest operating system, you must first install the Microsoft Sysprep tools on your VirtualCenter server machine. Refer to VirtualCenter Guest Operating System Customization Requirements for a list of the supported guest operating systems.

Microsoft includes the Sysprep tool set on the installation CDs for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003. It also distributes Sysprep 1.1 from the Microsoft web site. In order to perform a Windows customization, you must install the Sysprep tools either from your installation CD, or from the 1.1 download package.

During a customization, VirtualCenter searches for the Sysprep package corresponding to your guest operating system. If the Sysprep tools are not found under the corresponding provided operating system directory, VirtualCenter searches in the provided \1.1 directory. If VirtualCenter does not find any Sysprep tools, the Windows virtual machine customization does not proceed.

1. Download the Sysprep package.

www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/tools/sysprep/default.asp

Though the Sysprep version indicates Windows 2000, it works with both Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003.

2. Click Next to continue. Click I agree to accept the terms and conditions. Click download. Save the file to your local disk.

3. Run the Microsoft installer.

Q257813_w2k_spl_x86_en.exe

4. Extract the files to the provided directory.

Sysprep support directories were created during VirtualCenter installation:

C:\[VirtualCenter_installation_directory]\resources\
windows\sysprep\

...\resources\windows\sysprep\1.1\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\2k\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\xp\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\svr2003\

Select the 1.1 subdirectory.

5. Click OK to expand the files.

After you have extracted the files from Q257813_w2k_spl_x86_en.exe to the \1.1 directory, you should see:

...\resources\windows\sysprep\1.1\docs\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\1.1\samples\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\1.1\tools\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\1.1\contents.txt

1. Insert the Windows OS CD into the CD-ROM, for example, D: drive.

2. Locate the DEPLOY.CAB file in the CD directory, \Support\Tools.

3. Open and expand the DEPLOY.CAB file, using a tool such as Winzip.exe or another tool capable of reading Microsoft CAB files.

4. Extract the files to the provided directory appropriate to your Sysprep guest operating system.

Sysprep support directories were created during VirtualCenter installation:

C:\[VirtualCenter_installation_directory]\resources\
windows\sysprep\

...\resources\windows\sysprep\1.1\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\2k\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\xp\
...\resources\windows\sysprep\svr2003\

Select the subdirectory that corresponds to your operating system.

5. Click OK to expand the files.

After you have extracted the files from DEPLOY.CAB, you should see:

...\resources\windows\sysprep\<guest>\deptool.chm
...\resources\windows\sysprep\<guest>\readme.txt
...\resources\windows\sysprep\<guest>\setupcl.exe
...\resources\windows\sysprep\<guest>\setupmgr.exe
...\resources\windows\sysprep\<guest>\setupmgx.dll
...\resources\windows\sysprep\<guest>\sysprep.exe
...\resources\windows\sysprep\<guest>\unattend.doc

where <guest> is either 2k, xp, or svr2003.

6. Repeat this procedure to extract Sysprep files for each of the Windows guest operating system (Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows 2003) you plan to customize using Virtual Center.

You are now ready to customize a new virtual machine with supported Windows guest operating system when you clone an existing virtual machine or deploy a template.

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