Sysprep Error with Vista

  • Section(s): Troubleshooting, Deployment
  • Published on Jan 30, 2008.
  • Last Modified on Jan 30, 2008.
  • Last Modified by Mitch Tulloch.
  • Rating: Not Rated
Resolving an error that can occur when sysprepping a Vista computer
If you try and run sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown on a Vista reference system and get the following error message:

“System Preparation Tool has stopped working A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available”

and the following event in your event logs:

Event ID 1000 Source: Application error Faulting application sysprep.exe

Then you’ve probably got a third-party driver issue. One case I heard of involved the SoundMax Audio Driver, which had to be uninstalled from the reference system before sysprep would work properly on the machine.

***

Mitch Tulloch was lead author for the Windows Vista Resource Kit from Microsoft Press, which is the book for IT pros who want to deploy, maintain and support Windows Vista in mid- and large-sized network environments. Mitch was also the author of Introducing Windows Server 2008 and technical project lead for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Resource Kit, both books also from Microsoft Press. For more information on these and other books by Mitch, see www.mtit.com.

About Mitch Tulloch

Mitch Tulloch is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, networking, and security. He has been repeatedly awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status by Microsoft for his outstanding contributions in supporting users who deploy and use Microsoft platforms, products and solutions. Mitch has published over two hundred articles on different IT websites and magazines, and he has written or contributed to almost two dozen books and is lead author for the Windows 7 Resource Kit from Microsoft Press. For more information, see www.mtit.com .


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