NOTE: This error does not manifest itself in 8.1 RTM. It only affects “Preview” and “Preview Apps”. See comment below for a simpler fix.

I’m in the middle of a project where I am tasked to create a standardized Virtual Machine image for developers based on Windows 8.1 Enterprise “Release Preview”. This image will be used by a variety of people in the form of a Client Hyper-V guest VM, a Boot-To-VHD VM, a VDI pilot and possibly a Windows-To-Go bootable stick.

Sounds easy enough, eh?

Create the VM, install the software, install the updates, let the customer try it out and further customize it and then signoff on it’s configuration.  Once that is all done – Package it up and make it available for use in a variety of forms (as mentioned above).

That would be easy – but there is a bug in the Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview build 9431 which rears it’s ugly head if you:

• Install ModernUI apps NOT provisioned for all users (like built in apps)
• Update ModernUI apps there were NOT provisioned for all users (like built in apps)
• Let the system run for an unspecified period of time while having internet connectivity and it updates something.

Any of these criteria and you’ll get the Sysprep 3.14 error.

If you check the logs at c:windowssystem32syspreppanther (the setupact.log) you’ll see something similar to:

• 2013-08-02 15:02:17, Error SYSPRP Package Microsoft.WindowsReadingList_6.3.9431.175_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.
• 2013-08-02 15:02:17, Error, SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x80073cf2.
• 2013-08-02 15:02:17, Error, SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x3cf2.
• 2013-08-02 15:02:17, Error, [0x0f0082] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing ‘SysprepGeneralize’ from C:WindowsSystem32AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x3cf2

Basically you are out of luck – for THIS image and Preview Release.

My solution for this? Here’s my process for getting SysPrep to work on Windows 8.1 Entperise “Preview Release”. In my case – I am not deploying any Modern UI applications with this image.  If I was – I’d make DAMN sure they were provisioned for ALL users – not just local users, as this seems to be the issue causing Sysprep to fail.

To be specific:

• Create the machine from scratch (if you are trying to troubleshoot this with an existing image – sorry, it’s a rebuild)
• Disconnect it from the network / internet connectivity for the install process
• DO NOT associate it with a Microsoft account at this time – Create a local account. This prevents the Store and ModernApps from updating themselves and breaking SysPrep in this Preview Release.
• Once at the Desktop, open an administrator privileged PowerShell prompt.
• Run “Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage” at the PowerShell prompt. This will list all default installed Appx packages (which are installed per user) AND since it it piped to Remote-AppxPackage, it will remove them all.
  • you will get RED errors – this is expected due to dependencies.
• From the Start Screen, right click and UNINSTALL the xBox music app. This app has dependencies with prevent all AppxPackages from being uninstalled
• Run “Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage” at the PowerShell prompt again to ensure all have been removed.
  • you will get RED errors – this is expected due to dependencies.
• Connect back to the network / internet once again.
• DO NOT associate a Microsoft Account for the entire time you are finishing this software install. Leave that for the SysPrep process.

I installed Visual Studio 2012, Visual Studio 2013, 20 odd components from Web Platform Installer, 3rd party software AND ran Windows Update for all products on the system.  Once I was all done – ran Sysprep with the Generalize switch and all worked FINE this time around!

PHEW!

Now I can use the VHDX file for a VDI pilot, Boot-From-VHD and Windows-To-Go, all as expected with this Preview Release.