Tag Archives: floating

VMware Horizon Machines Stuck ‘Customizing’

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KB ID 0001595

Problem

In all honesty there’s lots of reasons for this.

I’ll cover the ones that have tripped me up, if you find some new ones feel free to post them below.

Solutions

Before continuing, the image needs to have the Horizon Agent installing within it, and it has to be the SAME version that your Composer and Connection servers are running, (or newer). Also your Horizon servers are connecting to VMware vCenter using an account, (in a lot of cases that will be the domain administrator account, or an account you setup for this reason), make sure that account has global administrator properties in vSphere.

Also in your image install the LATEST version of VMWare Tools, Note: that might be NEWER than the one that you have on your ESX servers, download it and install it manually, (to do this uninstall the old VMWare Tools, then Uninstall the Horizon Agent, then Install the NEW VMWare Tools, then finally reinstall the Horizon Agent again. (Note: If using Horizon Composer, make sure you install the composer option!)

Horizon Inability to get a licence for your KMS Server.

Check this first;

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slmgr /dli

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It goes without saying you need a network connection (to the right VLAN) before KMS will work. I’ve ran though KMS setup and troubleshooting here.

Horizon Sysprep Problems

For sysprep obviously you need to be deploying images with sysprep and NOT quick prep, if you are using sysprep check the error log, (if the error log is empty, then sysprep is not your problem).

Navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther\setuperr.log

Sysprep Problem 1

Problem 0x0f0043 Failed DeleteInstance AntiSpywareProduct

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Error      [0x0f0043] SYSPRP WinMain:The sysprep dialog box returned FALSE
Error                 SYSPRP Error 0x-2147417850: Failed to re-enable Compat-Gentel custom trigger.[gle=0x0000047e]
Error                 SYSPRP setupdigetclassdevs failed with error 0
Error                 SYSPRP MRTGeneralize:107 - ERROR: Failed DeleteInstance AntiSpywareProduct.instanceGuid="{D68DDC3A-831F-4FAE-9E44-DA132C1ACF46}" hr=2147749904
Error                 SYSPRP MRTGeneralize:116 - ERROR: Failed DeleteInstance AntiVirusProduct.instanceGuid="{D68DDC3A-831F-4FAE-9E44-DA132C1ACF46}" hr=2147749904
Error                 SYSPRP Error 0x-2147417850: Failed to re-enable Compat-Gentel custom trigger.[gle=0x0000047e]
Error                 SYSPRP setupdigetclassdevs failed with error 0
Error                 SYSPRP MRTGeneralize:107 - ERROR: Failed DeleteInstance AntiSpywareProduct.instanceGuid="{D68DDC3A-831F-4FAE-9E44-DA132C1ACF46}" hr=2147749904
Error                 SYSPRP MRTGeneralize:116 - ERROR: Failed DeleteInstance AntiVirusProduct.instanceGuid="{D68DDC3A-831F-4FAE-9E44-DA132C1ACF46}" hr=2147749904

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Seen On Window Server 2016 and Windows 10: In your Source Image you need to remove Windows Defender, like so;

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Uninstall-WindowsFeature Windows-Defender-Features

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Sysprep Problem 2

Problem 0x0f0073

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Error      [0x0f0073] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Not running DLLs; either the machine is in an invalid state or we couldn't update the recorded state, dwRet = 0x1f
Error                 SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep re-specialize internal providers; hr = 0x8007001f
Error                 SYSPRP Error 0x-2147417850: Failed to re-enable Compat-Gentel custom trigger.[gle=0x0000047e]
Error                 SYSPRP setupdigetclassdevs failed with error 0

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This is happening because the machine you are using as your image has been sysprepped too many times, you nee to make some changes on the reference image to reset/rearm it, so it can be sysprepped.

On your image machine  run regedit and navigate to;

HKLM > SYSTEM > Setup > Status > Sysprep Status

Ensure the following;

  • CleanupState is set to 2
  • GeneralizationState is set to 7

Open an administrative command window and execure the following commands;

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msdtc -uninstall
msdtc -install

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Back in registry editor navigate to

HKLM > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > SoftwareProtectionPlatform

Set SkipRearm to 1

Try again.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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Deploying VMware View 5 – Part 3: Creating a ‘Manual Pool’ and Connecting a View Client

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KB ID 0000598

Problem

Note: This is an old post for VMware view version 5, you might want to read Deploying VMware Horizon View instead.

In Part 2 we got our machine ready to be delivered via VMware View. Now we need to create a ‘Pool’, grant users access to that pool, and finally connect to it from a VMware View Client.

Solution

VMware View – Creating a Manual Pool

1. Open a connection to your VMware View Administrator console (https://{connection-server-name}admin). Log in and navigate to Inventory > Pools > Add.

2. We are going to create a manual pool (Note: An automated pool will create machines dynamically as required).

3. I’m selecting dedicated (the machine will get allocated to the first user that connects to it, and remains theirs). With a floating Pool machines are returned to the pool after they are finished with to be given to the next user that requires a machine.

4. My machine is in vCenter.

5. And there’s my vCenter

6. Give the new pool a sensible name.

7. Change the settings for the pool as required, I pretty much accept the defaults, but I allow the users to “reset” their desktop.

8. Select the machine(s) you are going to add to the pool, and complete the wizard.

9. Now you have a new pool, you need to grant users/groups an ‘entitlement’ to use it.

10. Simply add in the users or groups from Active Directory as required.

VMware View – Installing the VMware View Client

11. You will find that there are x32 and x64 bit VMware client software installs. There are available in two flavours, (with local mode, or without local mode).

Note: Local Mode: This is a mechanism where users can ‘check out’ their virtual machines and work on them remotely, then ‘sync’ them back to the network when they return, it requires a VMware Transport Server (use the connection server install media and change the server type to Transport Server).

12. During setup it will ask you the name of your connection server.

13. Normally you would tick “Set default option to login as current user”. If not you will see the login option in step 16 below.

14. When you launch the software, you may want to change the certificate options. The Connection server will have installed with a ‘self signed’ certificate, (which is fine) but you might want to change the ‘Configure SSL” options.

15. Here I’ve set them to allow, it says not secure – but its still encrypted, it should really say ‘least secure’.

16. If you didn’t tick the box in step 13 above you will need to login again.

17. Now you will see all the pools you have an entitlement to, select as appropriate and click connect.

18. All being well the desktop will connect and dynamically resize to fit.

19. Whist connected you will can control your connection with the menu on the view client bar at the top of the screen, also here you will see options for connecting USB Devices (Note: USB will only be available if you had it selected when you installed the client, it IS selected by default).

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

VMware View 5 – Part 4 Installing and Configuring SQL 2008 R2 and VMware Composer

Deploying VMware View 5 – Part 5 Deploying Linked Clone View Desktops

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KB ID 0000607

Problem

Note: This is an old post for VMware view version 5, you might want to read Deploying VMware Horizon View instead.

It’s been a while since I wrote Part 4, so it’s time to wrap this up. Now we have Composer installed on the Virtual Center, we can start to deploy our linked clone desktops.

Solution

VMware View – Prepare your Source Machine

1. I’ve already covered how to prepare your Windows 7 client machine to be a View client here. Once that’s done, release its IP address (ipconfig /release) and shut it down.

2. With your source machine shut down, take a snapshot of the machine.

VMware View – Create an Automated Linked Clone Pool

3. Log into your VMware View Administrator console > Inventory > Pools > Add.

4. Automated > Next.

5. Dedicated > Next (unless you want a floating user assignment, the description of each is on this page).

6. View Composer linked clones > Next (ensure your vCenter is listed, and has “Yes” in the View Composer section).

7. Give the pool an ID, name, and description. (Note: If you use folders for your VM’s, you can also select those here).

8. I tend to stick with the defaults, except I let the users reset their desktops > Next.

9. I’m not redirecting any disposable files or profiles > Next.

10. Expand Security > Logins > Create a new login.

11. For the default Image, browse to your source machine, then select the snapshot. Set the Folder, Host/Cluster, and Resource pool as applicable. Then browse for a datastore.

12. Here I’ve selected to store my disks on different datastores. If you can, put your replica disk on the FASTEST storage, as this gets the most “Read” traffic > OK > Next.

13. The domain should auto populate > Pick an OU to place the new machines into, then select either to use quickprep (the VMware one), or Sysprep (the Microsoft one). > Next.

Note: You can also use a customization specification (yes Americans are worse at spelling than me!), you set these up in the VI client on the home screen under ‘Customization Specifications Manager’.

14. Review the information > Finish.

15. Now you have you pool, you need to allow your users to connect to it, with it selected press ‘Entitlements’.

16. Add in the users and/or groups you want to grant access to > OK.

17. It can take a while for the replica to be created then all the linked clones to become ‘Available’ watch progress under ‘Inventory > Desktops’.

18. When available you should be able to connect to them using the VMware View Client.

19. And finally get your new Windows 7 linked clone desktop.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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