msoobe.exe error after running Sysprep

[Marco De Vitis]

Hi,
I've completed a Windows XP Professional SP2 installation including all
applications, drivers and settings I need; I had to activate it so that
I could install all available system updates. I then ran Sysprep (by
simply clicking the Reseal button).

I have to clone this installation on two identical PCs (I have valid
WinXP Pro licenses for all of them).

I cloned the partition to the other two PCs, but upon rebooting them I
get a msoobe.exe error window, then another window telling me that setup
has not been completed, and then the PC reboots, no way out.

I googled around and found that WMP11 (which I installed on the first
machine together with all Microsoft updates) is causing this.
But now... HOW do I fix it?

Installing everything from scratch is HIGHLY undesirable. And I suppose
I cannot even boot the original machine now, to uninstall WMP11, right?
I'd expect it to show the same errors... right? I'd prefer not to try
myself, to keep the installation in a "clean" state.

Thanks for any help, I've got a rather urgent need to fix this.

 

[Massimo]

I googled around and found that WMP11 (which I installed on the first
machine together with all Microsoft updates) is causing this.
But now... HOW do I fix it?

In order to have Sysprep work with Windows Media Player 11 installed, you
have to use the mini-setup instead of OOBE.

In order to save your Windows template installation, you can connect the
computer's disk to another computer and follow this KB article (without the
parallel installation part, of course):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216684/en-us; this should make Windows boot
normally when the computer is restarted, instead of running Sysprep (and
crashing).


Massimo

 

[Marco De Vitis]

In order to have Sysprep work with Windows Media Player 11 installed,
you have to use the mini-setup instead of OOBE.

Is this stated anywhere? I've read various documents about Sysprep
before starting, but didn't find any official (or else) warnings about
WMP11.

In order to save your Windows template installation, you can connect the
computer's disk to another computer and follow this KB article (without
the parallel installation part, of course):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216684/en-us; this should make Windows

Thanks, I will try to follow it, although I'm afraid I can't open the
computer case to get the HD out... I hope I can do it some other way,
e.g. getting the registry file by booting from a CD and editing it on
another PC.

Anyway, I find it strange that this article applies to my situation: it
only refers to WinNT, and talks about a "non-hotfixed" version of
Sysprep; but I'm using WinXP, and I used the Sysprep version officially
recommended for WinXP SP2.

boot normally when the computer is restarted, instead of running Sysprep
(and crashing).

Uhm... does this mean that, afterwards, I will have to run Sysprep again?
I need to change the SID, the name, and possibly the WinXP Pro serial
number, for each cloned computer. So, if this workaround makes the
computer look as Sysprep was never launched, I will have to run it again
(with the -mini option this time).

 

[Massimo]

Is this stated anywhere? I've read various documents about Sysprep before
starting, but didn't find any official (or else) warnings about WMP11.

AFAIK, Microsoft still hasn't officially acknowledged this problem :-(

Anyway, I find it strange that this article applies to my situation: it
only refers to WinNT, and talks about a "non-hotfixed" version of Sysprep;
but I'm using WinXP, and I used the Sysprep version officially recommended
for WinXP SP2.

The problem is definitely not in Sysprep, but in something WMP 11 does to
the OOBE wizard, making it crash; the only solution (until a hotfix is
released) is to skip that wizard and use the "classic" mini-setup (which, by
the way, I most definitely prefer... never liked that OOBE thing).

The article refers to a problem in Windows NT, but the procedure to revert a
sysprepped system to its normale operating state has remained quite the same
(altough a couple more Registry keys are involved in Windows XP).

Uhm... does this mean that, afterwards, I will have to run Sysprep again?
I need to change the SID, the name, and possibly the WinXP Pro serial
number, for each cloned computer. So, if this workaround makes the
computer look as Sysprep was never launched, I will have to run it again
(with the -mini option this time).

That's right.


Massimo

 

[Marco De Vitis]

AFAIK, Microsoft still hasn't officially acknowledged this problem :-(

So, how did you find out that you need to use mini-setup when WMP11 is
installed?
I didn't find this info when searching on Google... I only found
suggestions to NOT install WMP11 before imaging, but alas, I already did.

That's right.

Ok.
Unfortunately it does not work .
I mean: I copied the system32/config/system file to another XP machine,
edited it (load hive, etc.) like the article suggests, copied it back to
the cloned machine, and indeed the computer now boots (I still get the
msoobe.exe error, but it proceeds anyway, without showing the second error).
The problem is that now, when I run Sysprep, select the "Use MiniSetup"
option and click on "Reseal", I get an error window telling me that
"this utility and the current operating system are not compatible" and
Sysprep cannot continue.
The same if I run "sysprep.exe -mini -reseal" from the command line.



Any further clues?

I also found hints on the web that replacing the msobmain.dll file with
a different version could fix the error, but I tried it before following
your suggestion and nothing changed.

 

[Marco De Vitis]

I mean: I copied the system32/config/system file to another XP machine,
edited it (load hive, etc.) like the article suggests, copied it back to
the cloned machine, and indeed the computer now boots (I still get the
msoobe.exe error, but it proceeds anyway, without showing the second
error).
The problem is that now, when I run Sysprep, select the "Use MiniSetup"
option and click on "Reseal", I get an error window telling me that
"this utility and the current operating system are not compatible" and
Sysprep cannot continue.

I might have fixed it: now that the machine could be booted, I
uninstalled Windows Media Player 11; then the installer asked me to
reboot, I agreed, and when rebooting I was presented with the questions
I should have seen the first time after using Sysprep: computer name,
product key, etc.
So I didn't actually need to run Sysprep again.

It seems to work fine so far, I'll check better in the next days.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Massimo]

So, how did you find out that you need to use mini-setup when WMP11 is
installed?

By trying it ;-)

Unfortunately it does not work .
I mean: I copied the system32/config/system file to another XP machine,
edited it (load hive, etc.) like the article suggests, copied it back to
the cloned machine, and indeed the computer now boots (I still get the
msoobe.exe error, but it proceeds anyway, without showing the second
error).
The problem is that now, when I run Sysprep, select the "Use MiniSetup"
option and click on "Reseal", I get an error window telling me that "this
utility and the current operating system are not compatible" and Sysprep
cannot continue.
The same if I run "sysprep.exe -mini -reseal" from the command line.



Any further clues?

Yes: are you using XP Home Edition?
It seems like the mini-setup isn't allowed there.

As a last resort, you can also try uninstalling WMP11 (from Add/Remove
programs). It works, altough one wouldn't be expecting it to.


Massimo

 

[Massimo]

I might have fixed it: now that the machine could be booted, I uninstalled
Windows Media Player 11; then the installer asked me to reboot, I agreed,
and when rebooting I was presented with the questions I should have seen
the first time after using Sysprep: computer name, product key, etc.

In Windows XP, there are a couple more Registry keys involved in running
SysPrep (most notably, "OOBEInProgress"). I discovered this the hard way
(they're not documented anywhere), and reset them all to 0; the system
booted normally.

Now that your system is in a clean state, you can try installing WMP11 and
running SysPrep with the mini-setup option.


Massimo

 

[Marco De Vitis]

By trying it ;-)

Wow, you had much free time .

Yes: are you using XP Home Edition?
It seems like the mini-setup isn't allowed there.

No, as I wrote before, I'm using WinXP Pro SP2.

As a last resort, you can also try uninstalling WMP11 (from Add/Remove
programs). It works, altough one wouldn't be expecting it to.

Indeed, as I reported, I did this and it seems to work now, thanks.
I don't think I will launch Sysprep again now, I only have 3 PCs to fix
this way, I can easily put the modified registry file on them, reboot
and remove WMP11, it should be faster than cloning the disks again.

Thanks again.

 

[Philipp Waechter]

Try replacing the msobmain.dll file on your existing installation with the newest version from a WMP11 updatepack.

Regards,
Philipp

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

 

[MajS]

Thank You!!

Thank You So MUCH!!!!!
I was already down thinking here I am going to install everything all over again when I came across this post.
It worked like charm! You've saved my night, Thank You all!
for what it's worth here is what I did:

1. I've booted BartPE Windows XPE-SP1 (2005) and ran Regedit
2. Went to HKLM and then from the Registry Menu chose: Load Hive, gave it a name and then expanded HKLM and went into the name I've specified, Then went to the Setup section and changed SystemSetupInProgress from 1 to 0
3. then booted the system normaly, it gave an error but kept running.
4. then uninstalled Windows Media Player 11 and Windows Media Player 11 Runtime
5. then reboot and at this point i got the Mini-Setup running like nothing had happened.
6. once finished I've reinstalled WMP11

Like I said, Worked like charm.
THANK YOU again for the rescue.
S.