Case Summary:

We can specify the default language, locale and keyboard setting value during installation of Microsoft Windows 7 or if we deploy customized Windows 7 image with more than one language pack by specifying values in an answer file.

To create an answer file we have to use Windows SIM “Windows System Image Manager”, Windows SIM is part of WAIK “Windows Automation Installation Kit”, which installed by default with ConfigMgr or we can install it separately on any windows machine.

To download WAIK, please check the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=696DD665-9F76-4177-A811-39C26D3B3B34&displaylang=en

WAIK for windows 7 can be installed on the following Operating Systems:

• Windows 7; Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2
• Windows Vista SP1
• Windows Server 2008 family
• Windows 7 family
• Windows Server 2008 R2 family

Solution:

To Configure international settings for windows 7, we need to create an answer file during specialize and oobeSystem configuration passes, please check the following steps:

1. Open Windows System Image Manager.

2. Go to File menu and create a new answer file, then press Yes on the below Windows message.

Then brows customized image directory and select Windows 7 image with .wim extension.

Note: in case we need to create an answer file to setup windows 7, we need to go to the following directory:

Installation DVD MediaSourcesInstall_Windows7 ENTERPRISE.clg

3. Expand component and add Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component to specialize and oobeSyste configuration passes.

4. Edit Values in Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component, in our scenario we can add EN-US Values to Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component in the specialize pass.

5. We can also apply the same value “EN-US” in Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component in the oobeSystem pass, when we do this Windows Welcome language selection UI page will be skipped

6. Save the answer file and close Windows System Image Manager.

Now we are going to add saved answer file to Task Sequence which was configured before to deploy customized Windows 7 image in ConfigMge-Operating System Deployment Feature:

First we need to create package, and this package should contain answer file “unattend.xml” as asource.

1. Copy Answer file that we create to ConfigMgr Server.
2. Startup your Configuration Manager console navigates to Site DatabaseComputer Management/Software Distribution and then selects Packages in the left pane.
3. Right click on packages and choose New/package a wizard will begin.
4. New Package wizard will start, click next.
5. For Data Source, place a check in this package contains source files and click on Set to specify the source of the ConfigMgr package, we have to select answer file that we create.
6. Follow wizard with default setting to the end.
7. Copy new package to distribution Point:

• Expand answer file package that we create.
• Right Click on Distribution Point, and choose a New Distribution Point.
• When a new welcome to new distribution points wizard appears click next.
• Select your ConfigMgr server from the list and click next.
• Review the summary and click close.

8. Update Distribution Point:

• Expand answer file package that we create.
• Right Click on Distribution Point, and choose Update Distribution Point.

9. Edit Task sequence that we use to deploy Windows 7 image:

• Configuration Manager Console navigates to Site DatabaseComputer Management/Operating System Deployment/Task Sequence and select the task sequence that you will use to deploy windows 7 image.
• Right click on this Task Sequence and choose Edit.
• Go to Apply Operating System Step and check User an unattended or Sysprep answer file for a custom installation.
• Click Package Bottom and choose package that we create for answer file.
• Click OK