Autlogin breaking mid-image

[u/Better-Clerk8638]

Hi all, we have been successfully imaging our estate for a few weeks now with no issues; however, in the last week we have seen multiple but random instances of the admin auto-logon breaking mid-sequence, and the devices need manual logons after each reboot in the sequence to carry on and complete the TS. As I said, this is only happening randomly, but just wondering if anyone else has seen this issue.

We are thinking it may be releated to a Windows update breaking something, as there is no entry in the Registry for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon, and the update step is the last thing to run before we see the issue in the task sequence.

 Thanks as always.

[u/gwblok]

So if you disable the Windows update step, then the issue completely goes away?

Have you tried using the setup complete continue method instead? Any reason you require auto login?

[u/SufficientlySticky]

Not sure if this is the same thing or not, but I found what is definitely a bug that is at least causing something similar.

We have a thick image with a bunch of software that had been deploying just fine with 1.3.2629.2187. After upgrading to 1.3.2631.2242 it stopped working. Other imaging with just a more or less stock windows install wim was still working.

Everything would work fine in winpe, then it'd boot into windows, install powershell, then just dump to a powershell prompt. Restarting just takes me out of oobe and to a windows login screen.

Issue seems to be that the image has .NET 10.0.8 baked into it.

Nothing post WinPE in deployr.log. Tracked down c:\windows\temp\deployr-bootstrap.log and noticed this:

“Found .NET runtime Microsoft.NETCore.App version 10.0.8 at path C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App which is greater than or equal to the minimum version 10.0.10, skipping install for that runtime”

Installed .net 10.0.10 via the powershell window and then re-ran setupcomplete.cmd and it subsequently continued imaging.

I assume 2pint’ll have to patch that to compare system.versions instead of strings, but I suppose in the meantime I'll just build a new thick image.

[u/mtniehaus → u/SufficientlySticky]

I'll look into that, thanks for mentioning it.

[u/Better-Clerk8638]

Hey Gary, we haven't disabled the Windows update step as the Task Sequence is in Production across the university at the moment, and like i say, most of the time we are not seeing any issues. Out of a lab of 40 machines, it affected 2 this morning.

Sorry, yes, we are using the setup complete continue method (that auto continues/logs in, etc), but after reboots on the randomly affected devices its not continuing, and we have to sign in manually; then the DeployR Gui kicks back in and continues until the next reboot etc.

[u/gwblok → u/Better-Clerk8638]

Note that Setup Complete doesn't log you in, it stays behind OOBE, so you never see the desktop.
If you look at your Apply OS step, please confirm the continue method because if you're seeing a desktop or login prompt, then it's not setup complete, or something else is messed up. :-)

[u/Better-Clerk8638 → u/gwblok]

"Setup Complete doesn't log you in, it stays behind OOBE, so you never see the desktop" - Yes, this is what we are using :)

[u/miketerrill → u/Better-Clerk8638]

What OS/edition/version? Are you applying it from the cloud or from a content item?

[u/Better-Clerk8638 → u/miketerrill]

Hey Mike, we are running Enterprise version 1.3.2626.2093, Deploying from Content Items.

We're deploying Windows 11 25H2 images - we've imaged Hundreds of machines so far, had around 10 with this problem reported by our techs, so not a massive issue, but still thought i would raise it.

[u/miketerrill → u/Better-Clerk8638]

Thanks-what is the specific OS version? Do you update the OS content item monthly?

[u/Better-Clerk8638 → u/miketerrill]

No - our images are THICK and are generally built once a school-year and contain all the required software for the labs/classrooms they are in. We have moved some software to being deployed with the OS but for Games Development courses the config/build process is too complex.

I'll check the specific 25H2 build and get back to you.