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Error message when you perform an unattended installation of Windows Server 2008: "Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [drive:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml] for pass [oobeSystem]"

Article ID: 947303 - View products that this article applies to.

SYMPTOMS

When you perform an unattended installation of Windows Server 2008, you receive the following error message:

Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [drive:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml] for pass [oobeSystem]. The settings specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing settings for component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup].

Additionally, the following entry is logged in the %systemroot%\Panther\Unattendgc\Setupact.log file:

[Shell Unattend] Running 'oobeSystem' pass
DateTime, Info [Shell Unattend] WindowsFeatures: Launched '"C:\Windows\system32\ie4uinit.exe" -show' 
DateTime, Info [Shell Unattend] WindowsFeatures: Launched '"C:\Program Files\Windows Mail\WinMail.exe" OCInstallHideOE' 
DateTime, Info [Shell Unattend] WindowsFeatures: Launched 'C:\Windows\system32\unregmp2.exe /ShowWMP /SetShowState' 
DateTime, Error [Shell Unattend] WindowsFeatures: Failed to read show/hide command value 'SOFTWARE\Clients\Media\Windows Media Center\InstallInfo' 'HideIconsCommand' (0x80070002) 
DateTime, Info [Shell Unattend] Exiting 'oobeSystem' pass with status 0x80070002
DateTime, Info [oobeldr.exe] [Action Queue] : process exit code = 4
DateTime, Error [oobeldr.exe] [Action Queue] : Unattend action failed with exit code 4 
DateTime, Info [oobeldr.exe] [Action Queue] : ProcessActionQueue finish (hr = 0x1f2000)
DateTime, Error [oobeldr.exe] Execution of unattend GCs failed; hr = 0x0; pResults->hrResult = 0x8030000b
DateTime, Info [oobeldr.exe] Successfully completed RunSMIPass for oobeSystem.
DateTime, Info [oobeldr.exe] No reboot has been requested for oobeSystem unattend.
DateTime, Error [oobeldr.exe] User input error was detected in unattend file. Error: [0x0]
DateTime, Info IBS UnattendErrorFromResults: Hit an unattend error; dumping any info we have about the failure...
DateTime, Info IBS UnattendDumpSetting: ------Unattend setting error / warning------
DateTime, Info IBS UnattendDumpSetting: Error code = 0x8030000b
DateTime, Info IBS UnattendDumpSetting: Pass = oobeSystem
DateTime, Info IBS UnattendDumpSetting: Component name = [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup]
DateTime, Info IBS UnattendDumpSetting: --------------------------------------------
DateTime, Info IBS UnattendErrorFromResults: Error text = Windows could not parse or process unattend answer file [C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml] for pass [oobeSystem]. The settings specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing settings for component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup].

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CAUSE

This problem occurs because you have set a value for the ShowMediaCenter option in the Unattend.xml file.

Notes

The ShowMediaCenter option is in the "Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" subsection of the Unattend.xml file. The "Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" subsection is in the "Windows Features" section.
This issue can also occur if you specify these settings in an Unattend.xml file, and you are trying to install one of the following operating systems:
- Windows Vista Enterprise
- Windows Vista Business
- Windows Vista Home Basic
- Windows Vista Starter

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