| « Virtual PC 2007 Network Adapter Error | HP Pavilion dv9000 service dv9334us nvidia Video Card Driver Issue » |
A fatal error occured while trying to sysprep the machine. Windows 7
I was trying to create an image of Windows 7 for Windows Deployment Services (WDS) when I ran into a problem with sysprep. Every time I ran sysprep I would receive this error. "A fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine." I tried both a command window and the GUI interface of sysprep. I then came across this webpage http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itproinstall/thread/8f5002e1-95b4-47bf-b031-4b72b3eb388a/. The problem seemed to be with one of the Microsoft Media Player processes. The process I killed was wmpnscfg.exe. You may need to show processes for all users. Once wmpnscfg.exe was ended sysprep ran just fine.
27 comments
Comment from: Brent [Visitor]
I had this same problem. Stopping the media player process worked for me as well.
06/05/09 @ 09:52
Comment from: Drew [Visitor]
I did as well, but in my case it was the wmpnetwk.exe that solved the problem after killing it in Task Manager.
06/22/09 @ 11:50
Comment from: Todd Butler [Visitor]
Thanks for the head up on this issue. I confirmed this was an issue for me in Vista Business and Windows 7 RC. Thanks again!
07/20/09 @ 08:19
Comment from: Chief [Visitor]
I will echo the others' comments: THANK YOU. This solved my issue, too.
08/05/09 @ 16:17
Thank you .this helped.
Comment from: Dan [Visitor]
I've been trying to figure out this problem for a few days on Windows 7 RTM and this solution did not affect the situation. Did they fix one bug just to create another?
09/24/09 @ 15:09
Comment from: Ernesto [Visitor]
Awesome, first real solution for this issue. Thanks. In my case it was another file also starting with wmpnThanks Again
10/13/09 @ 09:59
Same problem..unplugged the network cable and all is fine
10/29/09 @ 09:10
Comment from: Raj [Visitor]
Oh, so the Microsoft Textbook doesn't tell you EVERYTHING you need to do... figures.Thanks for the help on this one.
12/08/09 @ 09:54
Above fixed also worked virutal machine.
Comment from: Roger [Visitor] 
I'm installing Windows 7 Professional and have same problem with sysprep giving a fatal error. For me there is no media player process but there is the wmpnetwk.exe which when I kill then sysprep works fine.
02/26/10 @ 22:32
I LOVE THE INTERNET!!!! thank you! 
Thank you much! This corrected the issue.
Comment from: Curtiss [Visitor]
Thanks! Solved my issue! However, it was the wmpnetwk.exe process in my case.
04/09/10 @ 14:21
Comment from: craig [Visitor]
Killing wmpnetwk.exe appears to be working for me as well. I did however notice that it came back rather quickly, then realized it was a service...which can simply be stopped.
04/16/10 @ 19:12
Comment from: Jim [Visitor]
I shut down the Windows Media Player Network service in Windows 7 Enterprise and sysprep ran a bit longer the second time but still failed with the error: "there was an error generalizing the BCD store". Anyone know how to get around this?
04/24/10 @ 22:30
Comment from: David Lemcoe [Visitor]
This post saved my evening. In my case, it was wmpnetwk.exe, and I did have to "Show Processes From All Users". Ending it did the trick.Thanks so much.
05/31/10 @ 20:59
Comment from: Dany Lefebvre [Visitor]
Thank you very much, works fine for me when i killed wmpnetwk.exe
09/14/10 @ 07:35
This worked a treat had to show processes from all users first to find it but 10/10 super info
09/29/10 @ 07:06
Comment from: jason [Visitor]
Maybe I am one of the unlucky ones but even though I killed the wmpnetwk.exe process sysprep still gives me the same error, I even disabled NLA, but it still gives me the same fatal error.Any suggestions?
10/08/10 @ 12:15
Thx dude....good stuff 
Thanks very much - this worked!
Comment from: David [Visitor]
God bless you, Sir... it worked! I wasn't looking forward to making a custom xml file for bypassing some licensing problem as per the instructions in the MSoft article I was reading prior to this.
07/06/11 @ 11:49
Comment from: Shekhar Sharma [Visitor]
thanxx for the solution i also have the same problem.thanxx so much
07/18/11 @ 21:55
Comment from: Saul [Visitor]
I was having the same problem when syspreping a Windows 7 pro machine. I noticed that when I installed the network drivers it asked me if it was a home, work or public network connection. I accidentally selected home and it was sharing some media files. I had to "leave the homegroup" in homegroup settings. That solved my issue.
08/04/11 @ 15:28
Comment from: tvoss [Visitor]
Was creating a stand alone image of Win 7 and receiving this same error. Ending the forementioned process resolved my error as well.
Thanks!
08/29/11 @ 15:09
wmpnetwk.exe was the problem for me. Thanks This post has 8 feedbacks awaiting moderation...
Comment feed for this post