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Automate Windows Welcome

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Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

Note

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

You can use unattended answer file settings to automatically configure the settings for the user interface (UI) pages in Windows® Welcome. When each setting from a Windows Welcome page is configured, then that page is skipped.

Start Page

If all of the other Windows Welcome page settings are configured in an answer file, then this page will be skipped.

Language and Country or Region Selection Page

The Language and Region selection page enables an end user to select a country or region, a locale, and a keyboard layout based on the languages installed on the computer.

This page always appears if there are Language Interface Packs (LIPs) installed.

Licensing requirements state that all Windows® 7 editions can include only a single language, except for Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise. For these editions, Windows automatically removes all non-default languages from the computer 25-60 minutes after the end user restarts the operating system. The language packs will be removed during idle time.

For Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, and all editions of Windows Server® 2008 R2, you can install multiple language packs.

For more information, see the Windows® OEM Preinstallation Kit (Windows OPK) User's Guide or the Windows® Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) User's Guide.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core | InputLocale

oobeSystem

Specifies the default input locale of the Windows installation.
  • Windows® 7

  • Windows Server® 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core | SystemLocale

oobeSystem

Specifies the default system locale of the Windows installation.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core | UILanguage

oobeSystem

Specifies the default UI language of the Windows installation.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

Microsoft-Windows-International-Core | UserLocale

oobeSystem

Specifies the default user locale of the Windows installation.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

Microsoft Software License Terms Selection Page

The Microsoft Software License Terms selection page enables an end user to read and to accept the Microsoft® Software License Terms.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | OOBE | HideEULAPage

oobeSystem

Specifies to hide the Microsoft Software License Terms page
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

Product Key Selection Page

The Product Key selection page enables an end user to type a product key to activate Windows. You can specify the product key in more than one component. For more information about when to specify which component, see Work with Product Keys and Activation in the Windows® OEM Preinstallation Kit (Windows OPK) User's Guide or the Windows® Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) User's Guide.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | ProductKey

specialize

Specifies the product key to use for activation.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

-or-

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Setup | User Data | ProductKey

windowsPE

Specifies the product key to use for edition selection.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

Note

To prevent the Product Key UI page from displaying when the image boots, use an answer file with Sysprep. In the answer file, specify the Product Key value during the specialize configuration pass. For more information, see "How Sysprep Works" in the Windows® OEM Preinstallation Kit (Windows OPK) User's Guide or the Windows® Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) User's Guide.

User Name Selection Page

The User Name selection page enables an end user to add a user account and a password, and to select a tile for that account. You can automatically create a user account in an answer file. Setting a user tile is not required, but can be configured through OOBE.xml. For information, see Oobe.xml Settings.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts

oobeSystem

Specifies the user accounts to create on the Windows installation.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Vista

Computer Name and Desktop Background Selection Page

The Computer Name and Desktop Background page enables an end user to specify a computer name and a default background to apply to the Windows installation.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | ComputerName

specialize

Specifies the computer's name to apply to the Windows installation.

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.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Vista

  • Windows Server 2008

(Optional)

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | Themes | CustomDefaultThemeFile

auditSystem

auditUser

oobeSystem

specialize

Specifies the path to a customized theme file. These files may include a .bmp file for customized wallpaper.

Note
This setting is not required to automate Windows Welcome.

  • Windows 7

  • Windows Vista

Windows Protection Selection Page

The Windows Protection selection page enables an end user to specify the level of protection to configure on the computer.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | OOBE | ProtectYourPC

oobeSystem

Specifies the protection level of the Windows installation.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Vista

Time and Date Selection Page

The Time and Date selection page enables an end user to specify the computer's time zone.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | TimeZone

oobeSystem

Specifies the computer's time zone.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Vista

Computer's Current Location Selection Page

The Computer's Current Location selection page enables an end user to specify the type of network that the computer uses: home, work, or public.

Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | OOBE | NetworkLocation

oobeSystem

Specifies the computer's location.
  • Windows 7

  • Windows Vista

Home Group Selection Page

The Home Group selection page enables an end user to specify a network group for Home.

Note

  • This page does not appear when the computer is joined to a domain.

  • This page appears only when the computer’s current location is set to Home.

  • The settings on this page are not configurable through unattended answer file settings.

    • Wireless Network Selection Page

    The Wireless Network selection page enables an end user to connect to a wireless network.

    Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

    Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | OOBE | HideWirelessSetupInOOBE

    oobeSystem

    Hides the Wireless Network selection page.
    • Windows 7

    • Windows Vista

    Note

  • This page does not appear when the computer is joined to a domain.

    • Change Administrator Password Page

    The Change Administrator Password selection page requires you to change the Administrator password when you first start the computer.

    Setting Configuration pass Description Applies to

    Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup | UserAccounts | AdministratorPassword | Value

    oobeSystem

    Configures the Administrator account password.
    • Windows Server 2008 R2

    • Windows Server 2008

    Note

    The Password Hint on the Change Administrator Password page is not configurable through unattended answer file settings. If you add an Administrator Password, the Change Administrator Password page is bypassed. Otherwise, Windows Setup requires both a password and a password hint before first logon.

    See Also

    Concepts

    Settings to Use for an Unattended Installation