Tag Archives: quick prep

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 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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