Generalize the base image from audit mode, with hibernation off

The answer file now boots into audit mode after Setup instead of logging on
as the built-in Administrator with a password: no account or credentials in
the answer file, and no copy of one left in C:\Windows\Panther. The auditUser
commands disable the built-in Administrator, turn hibernation off (no
hiberfil.sys in the image), remove cached answer files and setup logs, and run
sysprep /generalize.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

README.md

@@ -117,9 +117,9 @@ does not run Windows Setup again. `build-windows-base.sh` makes that base image
 (by default at the path `./download-images.sh --print-path windows11` prints): it
 installs Windows unattended from the ISO in `install-iso/` (it does everything
 itself: answer file in `windows11/seed/`, QEMU hardware in `windows11/qemu/`; this
-directory has no dependency on any other repository). The answer file logs on once
+directory has no dependency on any other repository). The answer file boots
-with the built-in Administrator, which it disables again, and runs
+into audit mode (no account and no credentials are needed) and runs
-`sysprep /generalize` as its last step; the script waits for the guest to power
+`sysprep /generalize` there as its last step; the script waits for the guest to power
 off and stores the disk read-only. The image is clean and generic, like a cloud
 image: nothing but Windows, with no account, no SSH, no settings, no VirtIO or
 other hardware-specific drivers and no machine identity. Each VM is configured

build-windows-base.sh

@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@
 # made once, and this script needs nothing outside this directory:
 #   1. an answer ISO is built from windows11/seed/Autounattend.xml;
 #   2. QEMU installs Windows unattended from the ISO into a scratch directory.
-#      After the first logon, the answer file runs sysprep /generalize, which
+#      The answer file then boots into audit mode, where it runs sysprep
-#      removes the machine identity and shuts the guest down;
+#      /generalize, which removes the machine identity and shuts the guest down;
 #   3. the shut-down disk is converted into the output file and made read-only.
 # The image holds nothing but Windows itself, like a cloud image: no VirtIO or
 # other hardware-specific drivers (the installation hardware, windows11/qemu,
 # only uses devices with inbox Windows drivers), no machine identity, no user
-# account (the built-in Administrator is disabled), no SSH, no settings. Every
+# account (the answer file holds no credentials either: audit mode needs no
+# account; the built-in Administrator is disabled), no SSH, no settings. Every
 # VM is configured on its first boot: Windows looks for an Unattend.xml in the
 # root of an attached CD-ROM during its specialize and OOBE passes, and so
 # takes the host name, account, auto logon, SSH and so on from a seed ISO.

windows11/seed/Autounattend.xml

@@ -96,59 +96,45 @@
       </RunSynchronous>
     </component>
   </settings>
+  <!-- After Setup, boot into audit mode instead of OOBE: Windows logs on as the
+       built-in Administrator (no password, no account is created) and runs the
+       auditUser commands below, the last of which generalizes the image and powers
+       off. So the answer file holds no credentials. -->
   <settings pass="oobeSystem">
-    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64"
+    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64"
       publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
-      <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
+      <Reseal>
-      <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
+        <Mode>Audit</Mode>
-      <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
+      </Reseal>
-      <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
     </component>
-    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64"
+  </settings>
+  <settings pass="auditUser">
+    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64"
       publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS"
       xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State">
-      <OOBE>
+      <RunSynchronous>
-        <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
+        <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
-        <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
-        <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
-        <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
-      </OOBE>
-      <!-- The built-in Administrator only exists to log on once and run sysprep; it
-           is disabled again before that, and the password is a throwaway. -->
-      <UserAccounts>
-        <AdministratorPassword>
-          <Value>Build-Only-1</Value>
-          <PlainText>true</PlainText>
-        </AdministratorPassword>
-      </UserAccounts>
-      <AutoLogon>
-        <Enabled>true</Enabled>
-        <LogonCount>1</LogonCount>
-        <Username>Administrator</Username>
-        <Password>
-          <Value>Build-Only-1</Value>
-          <PlainText>true</PlainText>
-        </Password>
-      </AutoLogon>
-      <FirstLogonCommands>
-        <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
           <Order>1</Order>
           <Description>Disable the built-in Administrator again</Description>
-          <CommandLine>net.exe user Administrator /active:no</CommandLine>
+          <Path>net.exe user Administrator /active:no</Path>
-        </SynchronousCommand>
+        </RunSynchronousCommand>
-        <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
+        <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
           <Order>2</Order>
-          <Description>Remove the cached copies of this answer file (Windows would read
+          <Description>Turn hibernation off, which deletes hiberfil.sys (3 GB) from the image</Description>
-            them before the Unattend.xml on a seed ISO, and one has the build password)
+          <Path>powercfg.exe /hibernate off</Path>
-            and the setup logs</Description>
+        </RunSynchronousCommand>
-          <CommandLine>cmd.exe /c "del /f /q C:\Windows\Panther\unattend*.xml C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend*.xml C:\Windows\Panther\*.log &amp; rd /s /q C:\Windows\Panther\UnattendGC &amp; exit /b 0"</CommandLine>
+        <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
-        </SynchronousCommand>
-        <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
           <Order>3</Order>
+          <Description>Remove the cached copies of this answer file (Windows would read
+            them before the Unattend.xml on a seed ISO) and the setup logs</Description>
+          <Path>cmd.exe /c "del /f /q C:\Windows\Panther\unattend*.xml C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend*.xml C:\Windows\Panther\*.log &amp; rd /s /q C:\Windows\Panther\UnattendGC &amp; exit /b 0"</Path>
+        </RunSynchronousCommand>
+        <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
+          <Order>4</Order>
           <Description>Generalize the image and power off</Description>
-          <CommandLine>C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown /quiet</CommandLine>
+          <Path>C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown /quiet</Path>
-        </SynchronousCommand>
+        </RunSynchronousCommand>
-      </FirstLogonCommands>
+      </RunSynchronous>
     </component>
   </settings>
 </unattend>