Configure Settings in an Answer File in Image Configuration Editor (Standard 7 SP1)

7/8/2014

When you add a package to an answer file, if the package has configurable settings, you can change the settings in Image Configuration Editor. If you configure settings in the answer file, you can avoid making manual configuration changes to the image after it is built.

When Image Builder is building an installation, it goes through a number of phases, or configuration passes. A configuration pass is a phase in a Windows Embedded Standard 7 installation. For more information on configuration passes, see Image Builder Configuration Passes. Each setting can be applied during one or more configuration passes. Image Configuration Editor lets you filter the settings you see in the Answer File pane by configuration pass. To see all setting applied during all passes, choose 0 All View from the drop down box.

Depending on the scenario for your embedded device, the device may require changes to specific settings. Also, you must change specific settings if you want the answer file to be partially or fully unattended.

This topic contains the following example to help you get started:

• Joining a Domain

For more information about these settings, see Windows Embedded Core.

Hardware and Software Assumptions

• You have installed Windows Embedded Standard 7 Toolkit on a development computer that meets the Requirements for a Development Computer.
• You have created an answer file.
• For each setting you want to change, you know the following:
  • Package name
  • Component name
  • Setting name
  • Setting data type
  • New value for setting
    For information about package settings, see Standard 7 Packages Technical Reference.

To configure a setting in an answer file

1. In Image Configuration Editor, in the Answer File pane, browse to the configuration pass that contains the component, and then select the component or package that contains the setting to edit.

   The component or package information appears in the Properties pane.

2. In the Properties pane, under Settings, change the value of the setting. For information about settings and properties, see Settings and Properties in Windows Embedded Standard 7.

   Note

   When you change the value of a setting, the new value is displayed in bold. To revert a setting to its original value, on the Edit menu, choose Revert Change. You can also right click the setting and choose Revert Change.

To join a domain in an answer file

1. Use Image Configuration Editor to open or create an answer file.

2. In the Answer File pane, expand ECore Image, Product, Operating System, Foundation Core and finally the Microsoft-Windows-EmbeddedCoreEdition node.

3. Expand Microsoft-Windows-UnattendedJoin and Identification nodes.

4. Right click on Identification and choose Add Setting to Pass 4 specialize. The settings for the component are added to the Answer File pane. The Identification Properties pane now contains a list of properties that can be modified.

5. Select the JoinDomain property and add the name of the domain.

6. In the Answer File pane, choose the Credentials setting under Identification. The Properties pane now contains properties to specify account settings to use to join to the domain.

7. Add your credentials to the Domain, Password and Username properties. Note: these values are stored in plain text in the answer file. Be sure to store this file in a safe location.

8. From the File menu, choose Save Answer File.

   You have configured the answer file so that the device joins the domain during installation. When Image Builder builds and installs the image on the device, the device now joins the domain.

Next Steps

After you have configured settings, the next step is to build and install the image using Image Builder and the answer file. For more information, see Install Using a Distribution Share and an Answer File.

See Also

Tasks

Configure an Answer File to Be Unattended
Validate an Answer File in Image Configuration Editor