Error message when you deploy an image to a Windows Vista-based computer: "The system registry contains invalid file paths. Installation cannot proceed"

Consider the following scenarios.

Scenario 1

1. You install Windows Vista on the C partition on "Computer A."
2. After you install Windows Vista, you use the System Preparation tool (Sysprep.exe) to prepare an installation of Windows Vista for imaging to another computer. You use the following command:
   sysprep /oobe /generalize
3. You restart "Computer A."
4. In Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) 2.0, you use the ImageX tool to create an image for Windows Vista.
5. You deploy the image to "Computer B," and then you restart the computer.

Scenario 2

1. You install Windows Vista on the C partition on "Computer A."
2. After you install Windows Vista, you use the System Preparation tool (Sysprep.exe) to prepare an installation of Windows Vista for imaging to another computer. You use the following command:
   sysprep /oobe /generalize
3. In Windows PE 2.0, you use the ImageX tool to create an image for Windows Vista.
4. You deploy the image to "Computer B." However, you use a different partition than the C partition.
5. After you deploy the image to "Computer B," you restart the computer.

In these scenarios, you may receive the following error message:

This problem occurs because the registry contains several hard-coded paths to the Windows folder and to the %systemdrive% folder. When these paths do not include the path to which you are trying to deploy the image on "Computer B," you may receive the error message.

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods.

Scenario 1

Do not restart "Computer A" before you use the ImageX tool to create an image for Windows Vista.

Scenario 2

Method 1

Make sure that the drive letter to which the image is deployed is the same drive letter from which you capture Windows Vista.

Method 2

Use an image-based Setup to deploy the image. To do this, use a customized .wim file to replace the Install.wim file, and then let the image-based Setup deploy the image.