Server 2016 Datacenter Eval Unattended Install Failure

[dnave]

Hi,

I got the dreaded "Windows Cannot find Microsoft software license terms" error while attempting to unattended install a recent Windows Server 2016 Core Eval image to a Hyper-V VM for testing.

1. Pulled a Windows Server 2016 English Eval ISO from Microsoft on Feb 8 ("Windows_Server_2016_Datacenter_EVAL_en-us_14393_refresh.ISO")
2. Configured commercial NTlite 2.0.0.7726 to just create an unattended install Datacenter Core ISO ("Unattended -> Toolbar -> Auto-fill -> All")
3. Attach the ISO to a virtual DVD as the first SCSI device to a new Gen 2 Hyper-V VM with a 20GB VHD in the second SCSI slot configured as UEFI
4. Start the VM from a Virtual Machine Connection, ensuring the ISO boots
5. The fatal error dialog appears during "Setup is starting"

I performed the same test with an old evaluation ISO from 2018, and did not get the error.

To investigate a bit, I unpacked the WIMs from both ISOs, dug down into "Windows/System32/en-US/Licenses", and found that the newer ISO contains only the "Eval" directory, where the older ISO contains several folders. Moreover, that directory contains "ServerDatacenterEval", whereas the older ISO contains "ServerDatacenter".

The NTlite image list also shows "ServerDataCenterCore" under "Flags" for the old image, but "ServerDataCenterCoreEval" for the new image.

Adding to the confusion, if I "eject" the ISO during the "Setup is starting" phase, setup finds the EULA and continues. (I didn't complete the installation.)

Any ideas? Please let me know if you need more info.

Thanks, Demian

 

[Clanger]

Bump

 

[dnave]

Tracked the error down to the presence of UserData/ProductKey/Key (regardless of value) when AcceptEula is "true". Completely removing UserData/ProductKey gets past the error and allows the install to proceed.

If possible, maybe NTlite could detect a Server 2019 evaluation image and skip generating UserData/ProductKey?

Thanks, Demian

 

[dnave]

Turns out this issue affects Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Core ISO builds, also. Removing UserData/ProductKey/Key from autounattend.xml gets by the error.

I am currently using commercial NTLite v2.1.0.7840.

 

[chiefkief]

Turns out this issue affects Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Core ISO builds, also. Removing UserData/ProductKey/Key from autounattend.xml gets by the error.

I am currently using commercial NTLite v2.1.0.7840.

You should manualy activate windows after it is installed, only on XP you could automate installation with cd key inside autounattend.xml

 

[dnave]

You should manualy activate windows after it is installed, only on XP you could automate installation with cd key inside autounattend.xml

Thanks for the info, but this isn't the problem; see my original post. I get a "cannot find the software license terms" error regardless of the value of the key. If I remove the key entirely, I do not get the error.

 

[George King]

Thanks for the info, but this isn't the problem; see my original post. I get a "cannot find the software license terms" error regardless of the value of the key. If I remove the key entirely, I do not get the error.

There are these known problems.
1) Too less RAM amount to read License files from install.wim / install.esd
2) Missing License files in system32\en-us\licenses - replace en-us with your language code
3) License files are in correct place, but in another language
4) License files are here, but image index is different from names in License

In your case it should be image flag and files mismatch. So for example you entered key for professional edition, but setup engine from 1809 or similar have bug and detect professional as Enterprise, but your image have only professional license files inside.

Its hard to explain details from phone now. If you can, download XP2ESD and inspect code as I’m using Windows 10 setup engine to install XP and generating blank License files work good

 

[dnave]

Turns out this issue affects Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Core ISO builds, also. Removing UserData/ProductKey/Key from autounattend.xml gets by the error.

I am currently using commercial NTLite v2.1.0.7840.

Oops, just realized I'm crossing wires here. To clarify, the original test was with Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Core, but the same problem happens with Windows Server 2016.

There are these known problems.
1) Too less RAM amount to read License files from install.wim / install.esd
2) Missing License files in system32\en-us\licenses - replace en-us with your language code
3) License files are in correct place, but in another language
4) License files are here, but image index is different from names in License

In your case it should be image flag and files mismatch. So for example you entered key for professional edition, but setup engine from 1809 or similar have bug and detect professional as Enterprise, but your image have only professional license files inside.

Its hard to explain details from phone now. If you can, download XP2ESD and inspect code as I’m using Windows 10 setup engine to install XP and generating blank License files work good

George, thanks for the info. I've investigated 1-3, and explicitly mention in my original post that there is an image naming change in newer ISOs (your #4).

However, the main issue is that the license error goes away by deleting UserData/ProductKey, and this appears completely unrelated to any of 1-4.

There may be a correlation between ProductKey and the image index that NTlite generates, but I haven't investigated that yet because the workaround is simple enough for my use cases.