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What Is Oobe.xml?

  • Article

Applies To: Windows 7

Note

This content applies to Windows 7. For Windows 8 content, see Windows Deployment with the Windows ADK.

Oobe.xml is a content file that can be used in conjunction with the Unattend.xml file to hold and to deploy OEM and corporate customizations to Windows® Welcome, OEM First Run application, and ISP Signup.

This topic includes:

  • Benefits of Oobe.xml

  • Common Oobe.xml scenarios

Benefits of Oobe.xml

Oobe.xml provides the following benefits:

  • A single file to hold branding collateral for Windows Welcome.

  • A repository for files and information related to international settings defaults.

  • A repository for Microsoft Software License Terms and your license terms for users.

Common Oobe.xml Scenarios

Oobe.xml is commonly used in the following scenarios:

  • In conjunction with Unattend.xml to set OEM or corporate default values for Windows Welcome and ISP Signup.

  • Without Unattend.xml to set OEM or corporate default values for Windows Welcome, and ISP Signup.

Oobe.xml with Unattend.xml Settings

Although Oobe.xml can contain all the information that you need to customize Windows Welcome, you can use Unattend.xml settings to affect whether and how the end user will be able to choose regional options. In addition, you can use Unattend.xml settings to show or to hide individual pages for testing purposes.

The following list shows the components with Unattend.xml settings that can be used to manipulate pages of Windows Welcome.

  • Microsoft-Windows-Setup

  • Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup

  • Microsoft-Windows-International-Core

  • Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE

The following table shows the pages of Windows Welcome, the Unattend.xml settings, and the displayed results.

Windows Welcome pages Unattend.xml Settings Results

1 – Regional Settings

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE | UILanguage

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE | InputLocale

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE | SystemLocale

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE | UILanguageFallback

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE | UserLocale

If all four settings are set, this page will be skipped.

If individual settings are set, the fields will not be displayed on this page.

2 – License Terms

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | OOBE | HideEULAPage

If this is set, the page will be skipped. It is assumed that the corporate administrator is accepting the Microsoft Software License Terms for the users.

3 – Product Key

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | ProductKey

If Windows detects a retail installation in which the user already entered a key, a volume licensing setup, or a product key in Unattend.xml, this page will not be displayed.

4 – User Name

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts | LocalAccounts | LocalAccount | Description

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts | LocalAccounts | LocalAccount | DisplayName

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts | LocalAccounts | LocalAccount | Group

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts | LocalAccounts | LocalAccount | Name

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts | LocalAccounts | LocalAccount | Password | PlainText

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts | LocalAccounts | LocalAccount | Password | Value

If a user account has been created through this setting, this page will not be displayed.

If this page is not displayed, a user tile will be automatically selected for the user. There is no Unattend.xml setting to set a user tile.

5 – Computer Name

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | ComputerName

If this is set, the Computer Name page will not be displayed to the user during Windows Welcome.

Important
Computer names can be customized by OEMs and by corporate customers. They can append a string that is up to five bytes long to the customer-chosen computer name.

If they do not customize this string, "-PC" is appended to the customer-chosen computer name. In some languages, “-PC” is localized and the resulting string might be more than five bytes. When this occurs, the computer-name string is truncated and this truncation may result in a nonsense string appended to the computer name.

To avoid this situation, OEMs and corporate customers should provide an appending string in an Oobe.xml file.

This page also controls the initial wallpaper choice. If this page is not displayed, the first Windows desktop wallpaper will be selected by default.

Note

This can be set by specifying a theme in Unattend.xml, but this setting will not influence whether this page is displayed or not.

8 – Protect Your PC

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | OOBE | ProtectYourPC

If this has been set, the page will not be displayed and the appropriate value will be set. Possible values are:

  • 1 – Recommended

  • 2 – Only installation updates

  • 3 – Enables no protection

9 – Final page

Not applicable

If all other Windows Welcome pages are skipped, this page will not be displayed.

Oobe.xml Without Unattend.xml

When used exclusively for branding, and international settings, Oobe.xml displays all the pages of Windows Welcome.

See Also

Concepts

Oobe.xml Technical Reference