Ventoy AutoInstall Plugin - Ignore .xml ?

[nico80470]

Hello

Sorry if the subject is already present, I confess to having done a lot of research without success...

Below are screenshots to show my config

Everything is OK in green
No extra slash...
At launch, I can select my ISO and my template, but at the end of the Windows installation, I have Cortana which host and I have to select the language...

My template is ignored, but why?

Can you help me ?

Thanks in advance

EDIT : Info : Rufus with same .xml (rename unattend.xml) in root folder = No Problem...

[Steve2926]

Immediately after you select the ISO file, Ventoy should prompt you to either select the XML file or use no XML file.
Do you see that prompt?

[nico80470]

Yes, I have the proposal that is displayed, I am automatically on my choice that I validate

[Steve2926]

Look at the log files after installation.

They are under \Windows\Panther

[nico80470]

Thanks Steve

I finished the installation manually to recover the "Panther" folder.

I added the contents of my "unattend.xml" file and the "Panther" folder as an attachment.

If someone can help me to understand the problem? I looked quickly at the logs, but it does not speak to me much, quite new to me all that

[Steve2926]

Can you attach the complete XML file or was that it ?

---

I think the issue is that your XML file is not designed to work as an autounattend.xml file.

Ventoy creates a X:\autounattend.xml file using the user-specified XML file -it does not create a X:\unattend.xml file.

If the XML file does not contain other sections (e.g. WindowsPE pass) it will not be cached by Setup - so to make it work with Ventoy, try adding a WindowsPE section.

e.g.

Code:

<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-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">
<UserData>
<AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
<ProductKey>
<Key></Key>
</ProductKey>
</UserData>
</component>
</settings>

You may need to add a generic install key instead of it being blank.

---

Answer Files Named Autounattend.xml are Automatically Discovered by Windows Setup

Windows Setup starts and automatically identifies Autounattend.xml as a valid answer file. Because the answer file uses a valid file name (Autounattend.xml), is located in one of the valid search paths (the root of D), and includes valid settings for the current configuration pass (windowsPE), this answer file is used.

The answer file is cached to the computer. If there are no additional answer files discovered in later passes, the cached answer file is used throughout Windows Setup.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows...windows-11

[nico80470]

You guessed right...
Discovering the "unattend.xml" file and Ventoy in the same week made me lose my mind

My "unattend.xml" file was not sufficiently filled out (for Ventoy's precision, not for Rufus' explanation by Steve above, thanks again to him).
Which prevented Ventoy from creating its "autounattend" file from what I could understand.

Regarding the "ProductKey" part, with the installation management assistant (ADK), I found the "Never" option.

I just tried, everything works perfectly !

I'm sending back my "unattend.xml" file as a model, to rename and adapt... if it can help other people in too much of a hurry... (and especially Steve > just redirect them here ^^).

Big thanks to Steve again !